Welcome to the City of Port Phillip
From modernist icons to creative precincts, sustainable design to seaside strolls, you’ll find something for everyone in the City of Port Phillip over The Open House Melbourne Weekend.
(All programs featured in this itinerary are listed at the bottom of this page.)
Start off your Friday with the ANZCA Sympathetic Styles and Stories tours through the Australian & New Zealand College of Anaesthetists headquarters and Ulimaroa, a historic 19th-century mansion. Then head to the nearby Victorian Pride Centre, Australia’s first purpose-built centre for LGBTIQA+ communities. Explore the striking elliptical atrium and rooftop spaces, then head along Fitzroy Street for dinner, bars or live music at the iconic Hotel Esplanade.
Also on Friday, take a tour of the Jewish Museum Australia, or residential properties Lola’s House, a bold experiment in residential architecture and Materia: A St Kilda Passivhaus, a bold experiment in residential architecture.
On Saturday, begin in South Melbourne at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Discover the heritage-listed building, see contemporary weaving in action and explore the gallery and dye lab before heading nearby to the Portable Iron Houses—rare prefabricated homes from the gold rush era.
Discover BVIA on Bank, a multi-award-winning project that reimagines a former cobbler’s site alongside a historic bank building in South Melbourne. Afterwards, stop by South Melbourne Market or Clarendon Street for lunch.
If coffee is calling, the ST. ALi Coffee Roastery tour offers a chance to see where Melbourne’s coffee culture begins. Make your way over to HV.Hotel at Ferrars & York, an opportunity to experience award-winning sustainable apartment living firsthand.
Nearby, the award-winning Stanhill Apartments opens a rare window into one of Australia’s great Modernist landmarks. Join guided walks around the grounds at street and first-floor level, exploring how the building responds to different orientations and its urban context. Or explore the Gasworks Creative Precinct, a vibrant mix of parkland, galleries and studios.
Guided walks in Port Phillip
Then hop on a tram down to St Kilda and visit Edgewater Towers. Explore original mid-century details in the lobby before heading to the rooftop for views across the bay.
If you didn’t get the chance to explore the foreshore yet, now’s your chance. Wander through St Kilda Botanical Gardens, stop into the newly redeveloped Port Phillip EcoCentre, or follow the coastline toward the award-winning St Kilda Pier.
On Sunday, join The Conquering Flat: Continental Living walking tour to discover how flats helped shape St Kilda’s identity. Then head to the Holy Trinity Balaclava and Elwood to explore stories of migration, community and place. Across the Weekend, Holy Trinity will have musical performances, so make sure you schedule in your preferences
St Kilda Penguin Viewing Experience
Afterwards, continue to the waterfront and take the rare opportunity to step inside the Art Deco clubhouse at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. Take the chance to visit the heritage clubrooms of the Melbourne Camera Club and see the Our Generous City exhibition, inspired by the theme of the Open House Melbourne Weekend.
Or drop by Tobruk House, the spiritual home of the Rats of Tobruk Association, for a very different slice of Port Phillip history. For something hands-on, join Square Metre Community Gardening to discover how waste can become food.
There’s plenty to see and do in the City of Port Phillip over The Open House Melbourne Weekend. With trams linking St Kilda, South Melbourne and Albert Park, it’s easy to explore even more—from neighbourhood cafés and green spaces to public art, live music and the bay.
St Kilda's What's On
