ArtPlay

City of Melbourne | C51

Building Description

In 1888 The Victorian Railways Department built the locomotive depot in the Jolimont Railway Yards. In 1917 the depot was demolished and replaced with workshops including a Lecture Hall to service newly introduced electric trains. The Lecture Hall remained active where train drivers learnt about electric trains, faults and how to rectify them from the 1920s to the 1980s In the mid 90’s The river front railway buildings were removed except one, the Lecture Hall In 1999, the City of Melbourne identified this historic red-brick building located in the proposed Birrarung Marr park as a potential venue for a unique child focused arts space in central Melbourne. Inspired by the concept of The Ark, a children’s cultural centre in Dublin, ArtPlay was conceived as a place where children and their families could engage in artistic and cultural experiences. The program launched in 2004.

What's On

Discover the history of the building and join the childrens’ activity Ping Pong WoW. Open 10am to 4pm for the self guided tour and 10.30am to 12.30pm + 2pm to 4pm for Ping Pong WoW.

Location