Things to Do at Royal Exhibition Building

The dome appears above the elm trees of Carlton Gardens like a cathedral transplanted from Renaissance Italy - 65 meters high, ribbed and topped with a lantern, painted inside with panels by artist Joseph Scherer in the 1880s. The Royal Exhibition Building was raised in just 18 months for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, when the young colony wanted to announce itself to the world. On May 9, 1901, the first Australian Parliament opened here, making this building the birthplace of democratic Australia. It is the last surviving great exhibition hall from the 19th-century world's fair movement - London's Crystal Palace burned down, Chicago's White City was demolished, but Melbourne's building stands. UNESCO listed it in 2004, the first building in Australia to receive the honor. Today it still hosts events: the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, university graduations, trade fairs. The Carlton Gardens surrounding it are heritage-listed too - avenue-planted elms, formal flower beds, two ornamental fountains, and the Melbourne Museum next door.

Tram routes 86 and 96 along Nicholson Street stop at Carlton Gardens, directly outside the building. Route 86 runs from Docklands through the CBD - free tram zone covers it from the city center. Walking from Melbourne Central Station: 15 minutes northeast through the city grid into Carlton. The Melbourne Museum is in the same gardens, 2 minutes on foot. Street parking on Nicholson, Rathdowne, and Carlton Streets is metered (AUD 4-7 per hour) and tight during events. Lygon Street, Melbourne's Italian restaurant strip, is one block west - combine the building with lunch there.