Best Museums in Melbourne: NGV, Science & Sports Heritage

Melbourne's museum culture is one of the most vibrant in the southern hemisphere — anchored by the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia's oldest and most visited art museum, and spanning science, immigration, sport, and Indigenous Australian heritage. The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) operates two sites: NGV International on St Kilda Road holds the international collection — including Tiepolo ceilings, Rembrandt etchings, and a stained glass ceiling by Leonard French visible from below on the ground floor — while NGV Australia at Federation Square holds the Australian collection. Melbourne Museum in Carlton covers natural history, Indigenous culture, and the remarkable story of Phar Lap, Australia's most beloved racehorse. The Immigration Museum documents the experiences of the many waves of migrants who built modern Melbourne — Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Chinese. Scienceworks in Footscray is one of Australia's best hands-on science museums, excellent for families. The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) museum charts the history of Australian cricket and football with a level of fanatic detail that reflects how deeply sport defines Melbourne's cultural identity.