Last Updated on February 12, 2024 by Travelationship
I will start with – We loved this place! We had the pleasure of being led by Troy, and we could have listened to his Australian history lessons for days. His stories of Ned Kelly, Australia’s number one folk hero, were fascinating. The stories of Ned’s rebellion are charming and add an extra layer to your overall Melbourne Gaol experience. Look for more about Kelly from IronOutlaw.
There are essentially two sites to explore for your Melbourne prison experience. The City Watch House and the Old Melbourne Gaol.
The City Watch House
The Watch House ran up until recently, from 1909 until 1994. The Watch House was your first step into the criminal justice system. Once you were arrested, this was the place police brought you and then subsequently processed. The tour delightfully recreates this process. A sharp and witty Police Sargent will escort you through the intake process in a fun recreation. You will get to line up and report your crime, be sorted, and locked into a holding cell for the night. Hopefully, the guard will choose to let you out for good behavior.
Old Melbourne Gaol
The Melbourne Gaol is the second site operated from 1842 to 1929. This is the only remaining piece of the cell blocks still standing. Other buildings from the prison complex remain, but they are now part of the RMIT University complex. Also, don’t miss walking around the property to see the original jail entry gate, which is around the corner off of Victoria Street. (Note – the old entrance archway sits on the university campus, so please be respectful of the students that may be in class.)
While in jail, be sure to take the time to look at their Death Mask collection. Search for hairs in some of the plaster casts made from the executed prisoners, so gross and fascinating. Thoroughly examine the hangman’s beam, which claimed some 133 lives, as a small remainder of rope dangles eerily above the trap door. Countless cells are on display with various bits of information regarding the prison and its inmates throughout the three floors on display. You even can try on replicas of Ned Kelly’s famous armor suit, which makes for a fun photo opp.
Travelasics
Give yourself at least two hours to complete the Watch House tour and then the jail on your own. To indeed have the whole experience set aside 3 hours, so you can take the Watch House tour, the Jail Block tour, and walk around the jail on your own. Cellblock tours are available on weekends or local school holidays. We highly recommend planning your visit to coincide with tour days. During the school year, the gaol can be packed with school-age children on weekdays. Check their website for special events such as Saturday plays based on Ned Kelly’s life and art installations.
Website: oldmelbournegaol.com.au
Price: Check the site for current pricing.
Hours: Daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm (Last entry suggested at 3:30 pm) CLOSED: Christmas Day and Good Friday.
How to get there:
The Old Melbourne Gaol is located at 377 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. There is NO on-site parking available. Paid street parking is offered along La Trobe Street.
Public Transportation: For the Bus, use the Old Melbourne Gaol stop directly in front of the compound. You can use either the RMIT University stop or the Russell Street stop off of the No. 30 & 35 tram for the City Tram.
Travelationship Rating:
4 out of 5 Travelationship high fives. Type of traveler rating – adventure, historical, bucket lister. The prison was chock-full of exciting information and loads to see. The tours were both top-notch and kept all entertained. It would be hard to imagine someone not having a good time here.
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* Thank you to The Melbourne Gaol and The National Trust of Australia for our complimentary entry and tour. As always, our opinions are honest, not biased, and as we experienced.
The picture always amused me. Prisons have so many tales to tell, visited one recently in Andamans and it was sad! This one seems fairly well maintained.
They’ve definitely kept this one in museum worthy shape
Just recently I came across a post on prisons in the USA. This one in Australia looks the same. I love places of historical importance. I usually get lost in thought at these kinds of places and would stand there imagining how life would have been those 100 years back and I’d imagine or make up a scene in my mind like a movie. The Melbourne Gaol and the Watch House evokes such a feeling after reading your post.
If you are in the US the Eastern State Penitentiary is a great jail to visit!
This was indeed a unique destination and a unique post. The Gaol seems pretty well maintained. I am sure I would get an eerie feeling walking through the corridors. If the walls of the place were to speak, they sure would have some fascinating and strange tales to tell.
Definitely a unique experience in Melbourne. As a fan of experiential travel, I’m going to add it to my list of experiences to try the next time I’m in the city. I’m also going to Google Ned Kelly Thanks for sharing!
Interesting visit, good to know that the tours keeps it entertaining. I’m already curious about the place itself but it’s good to know that the tours keep it entertaining which is a huge plus, thanks for sharing something different to do in Melbourne!
LOL, despite living in Melbourne, and knowing of the Gaol, it’s one of those things I’ve still never done!
I think I’m saving it for when we host foreign guests, so we can try something new as well 😉
It’s a great place to bring guests. Hope you get some guests soon
A Gaol is always a part of history of the place. Very wonderfully written.
Cellular Jail is one such in India – Kalapaani – Cellular Jail
Thank you.
We are about to Visit Sidney and maybe Melbourne next year. Thanks for this post regarding this cool sightseeing.
We loved Melbourne- even better than Sydney.
Im living in Melbourne at the moment and had never even heard of the Old Melbourne Gaol and City Watch House. Definitely sounds like its worth a visit. Might have to take a look this weekend. Thanks!
Let us know what you think of the place.