Top Things to do in Central Business District
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10 Architectural Buildings in Central Business District That You Shouldn't Miss
Lovely, laid-back Melbourne has something for everyone: family fare, local and international art, haute boutiques, multicultural dining, Australian and Aboriginal history, spectator sports, and pulsing, swanky nightlife. Cruise on the free City Circle Tram loop to check out unique attractions like the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Healesville Sanctuary, which buzzes with local animal species.
Restaurants in Melbourne
1. Old Safety Deposit Building
2. Alkira House
3. Little Lon Distilling Co.
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By jollytr - Victoria, Australia
We enjoyed a great afternoon at Little Lon. The masterclass presented by Lyndon was informative, interesting and filled with stories of the area and gin. With a G & T to start, tasting of each of the gins that Little Lon produces and a cocktail to finish - this is an experience that I would recommend highly.
4. The Capitol Cinema and Capitol House
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By michelle_author - Brisbane, Australia
Ok, now it’s on my bucket list to be able to speak at this amazing venue, beautiful and practical, a winner. Thank you Melbourne Writers Festival for a great session.
5. St. Francis Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By 619je - Keysborough, Australia
St Francis Church is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Melbourne. It is also very busy; Mass is said almost around the clock. It is a favourite church for city workers.
6. Melbourne Town Hall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 325 reviews
Completed in 1870, the Melbourne Town Hall is at the heart of the city's cultural and civic activity, hosting theatre, weddings, receptions and exhibitions. So many of the decisions that have helped shape Melbourne were made within the heritage-listed Town Hall. A mix of bluestone and Tasmanian freestone, the classically designed building features a clock tower and fine masonry. To go behind the scenes and visit the grand Council Chambers and stand where the Beatles and Abba waved from the impressive portico, take a Town Hall tour. As well as the Council Chambers, the Town Hall features a large auditorium, which was remodelled following a fire in 1925 and includes panels decorated with sepia figures. The auditorium's Grand Organ has featured in cutting-edge performances by a range of artists including Philip Glass, Paul Grabowski and the Necks. A free lunchtime concert series has been running since 2003, and the Grand Organ Museum offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about the organ and breathe air into its venerable pipes. Join a free Melbourne Town Hall Tour from Monday to Friday with tours departing at 11am and 1pm. Bookings essential.
Reviewed By jrtakesontheworld - Australia, null
The Melbourne Town Hall is certainly decked out around Christmas time. We visited the Town Hall later in the night to view the light show projected onto its facade. Being a 'first-timer', I was entertained by the light show, which is on a rotation, although I suppose you can become jaded by that sort of thing. Well worth a visit.
7. ANZ Bank Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
The ANZ Banking museum has temporarily closed - however it is worth visiting the ANZ Branch next door at 388 Collins Street Melbourne Vic 3000. Completed by The English, Scottish and Australia Bank, in May 1887, the 'Gothic' Bank (as it's known) was designed by William Wardell. The building is an example of secular Gothic, the style is restrained externally, and internally graceful and ornate.
Reviewed By 619jeffry - Essendon, Australia
The ANZ Bank is the result of the merging of several British banks operating in Australia. The Gothic Bank was the banking chamber of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank (ES&A). It opened for business in 1887 and it's still a functioning bank. It's worth taking a look even if you're not an ANZ customer, it's a magnificent sight. The Esanda finance company derived its name from the ES&A Bank. In the old days, a magnificent banking chamber helped convince customers that the bank was sound.
8. Curtin House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By carriemariev - Manchester, United Kingdom
A Melbourne local took us to the rooftop bar and we liked it so much we returned a second time. It's slap bang in the middle of the CBD near the Chinese quarter so there are excellent views, but going into Curtin House and taking the lift gives you the feel of something exclusive. The drinks selection is good too.
9. Supreme Court of Victoria
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By Crystalline4u - Traralgon, Australia
This beautifully contrasts against the County Court on the other side of the street... the old and the new... as it should be. If an old building can be maintained, it's wonderful that it is. Erected in 1874-84, the Law Courts comprise two storeys constructed of brick on Malmsbury bluestone footings and faced with Tasmanian freestone. The design is reputed to be based on the design of James Gandon's Four Courts building in Dublin, following a suggestion to Smith and Johnson by Chief Justice Sir William Stawell. The boldness of planning and massing and the mannerist details are highly characteristic of the work of the architect AE Johnson. This is a beautiful building representing the Renaissance Revival style. It can be reached by foot from Southern Cross or there is a bus route that runs up Lonsdale Street.
10. Manchester Unity Building
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 65 reviews
Melbourne’s iconic Manchester Unity Building represents a rare blend of art, science, culture and commerce. As a magnificent structure, as a monument to human endeavour and as a hub of personal interaction, it has a special place in the history of Melbourne and the hearts of its citizens as well as the city’s economy.
Reviewed By saronic - Zurich, Switzerland
A landmark in Melbourne CBD is the 'Manchester Unity Building' on Collins Street, corner Swanston Street, one of the city's main intersections, and just opposite the neoclassical Town Hall. The tall building with a stepped corner spire is maybe Melbourne's best example of Art Deco, although there is a Gothic touch to it, especially in the exterior, apparently inspired by the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower of Chicago, which had been built 5 years earlier, in 1927. There are tours offered to visit the whole building, but one can freely wander through the ground floor, where there is also the 'Café 1932', referring to the year the building was finished. There one can also read that it had been paid for by the 'Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows', an organisation, which came out of the Friendly Society Movement, providing protection, insurance and healthcare for its members against a regular fee.
