Old Melbourne Gaol: Admission Tickets

Exceptional, nostalgic on people lives during that era. Times were brutal but provides a fantastic insight on times past. Highly recommended.

Enjoyed our visit here and found it interesting. We paid an extra $7 for the being arrested experience which we thought was a good addition to the experience.

It was an amazing and chilling experience. I highly recommend to pay a visit and learn more our history.

A great museum (though I prefer a guided tour rather than just an audio guide). The Watch House tour was excellent - special thanks to Sergeant Finch (22 April) who was knowledgeable, formidable and very witty, and seemed like she genuinely loved her job.

Educational enjoyed the history don't get tours like this in the UK

The Gaol was very informative and interesting. The add on watch house experience was definitely worth it. Our guide played her character so well.

A really interesting historic building and some excellent explanations of the social attitudes towards those convicted of crime. There are audio guides and tours (we did Watch house experience and Gaol tour but there other). The Watch house was particularly involving and I would recommend it for adults and children. Remember to do what the sergeant "tells you" to do, and no exceptions 🙂. You could easily spend more than 3 hours here, particularly if you partake in the tours.

2 parts to this review We learned quite a bit and had a great time. Highly recommend doing both hosted options as only $5 more Sergeant Katherine ( i think ) arrested us and gave us the first private tour. She was fantastic! Bruce on the second tour was informative and interesting but just seemed a bit scripted and stale.

We did a self guided tour. The history learnt is amazing, but the conditions prisoners lived in were very harsh and basic, whether it was male, female or child, all treated the same. We are glad the Victorian government didn't demolish all the goal by keeping one wing for us to learn so much about our past

Not much to see, the guided your was so boring, I ended up leaving the group, there is one building with cell blocks to see and thats it, the rest of the jail has been turned into modern office buildings which is not part of the tour. definitely not worth the money, especially that you can visit the massive Melbourne museum for $18, don't waste your time. In saying this, all the staff were lovely and also the guide was really friendly, this is not a personal attack, just an honest review.

The building was quite small. There were three levels for us to explore. We could visit different tiny cells and read stories of different prisoners and their historical backgrounds. We downloaded the app and used own phone to have a self-audio tour. We could enter one specific cell and take role as prisoner in the third level. Quite interesting to take a photo. Nice visit but price was little bit high.

Worth a visit although a little on the pricey side at $38 for an adult ticket. There are 3 levels to explore and it is possible to go into different cells and read stories about some of the inmates. The building is quite small and so you don’t need to spend a lot of time looking around. It might be worth joining a tour to get more detailed information. Across the road there is a nice cafe which I visited afterwards. There are also other good attractions at a walkable distance from the jail.

This is a little creepy. It is an old prison. Has several displays. Some of the displays are old and need updating. It has a very traditional look to it. I would recommend, but know it is creepy.

Old Melbourne Gaol is definitely a fascinating attraction and well worth a visit. We opted for the optional $5, 45-minute guided tour, which is highly recommended. About 30 minutes of the tour is spent exploring the outside of the gaol, and the guide Paddy was very informative, providing great historical context and stories that really bring the site to life. Inside, there are three levels to explore, with each cell offering insights into the lives and crimes of former prisoners. The information is well presented and gives a real sense of how harsh life was within the gaol walls. For those interested in the paranormal, Cells 16 and 17 are said to be the most active, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the experience. There is a lot of history packed into this site, and it’s a must-see attraction when visiting Melbourne, especially for history lovers or those looking for something a little different.

Visiting the Old Melbourne Gaol has been on my bucket list for years, so I was really looking forward to finally ticking it off. I have to say the woman at reception was absolutely lovely – really friendly and welcoming. She happily answered our questions and even helped us with directions around Melbourne when we mentioned we were visiting from out of town. Big credit to her for starting the visit on a positive note. The gaol itself was interesting to see, especially being inside such an old historic building, and there is definitely a unique atmosphere walking through the cells. However, the overall experience was a bit anticlimactic. A lot of the cells were completely empty with no information or displays, so we found ourselves weaving in and out of each one just to see if there was something inside. It felt a bit repetitive and slightly disappointing considering the $38 ticket price. There are some good bits of history throughout, but I expected more stories, background information and insight into the prisoners and events connected to the gaol. You can pay extra to visit the watch house experience, but I feel like more could be included in the main ticket. The outside area is also shared with the public and a nearby uni, so it didn’t feel as immersive as I was hoping. One thing that did stand out was the gallows. The gaol is said to be haunted, which wouldn’t surprise me given the dark and sad history of the place. I didn’t feel anything unusual until I reached the gallows area – but the moment I stepped in, I suddenly felt this strange heaviness, pressure in my head and a wave of anxiety. I actually had to sit down because I didn’t feel well. Whether that was psychological or something else, it definitely added to the experience and made that part of the visit quite memorable. The gift shop was also quite small with limited options, which surprised me for such a famous attraction. There were guided sessions available, but we opted for the self-guided tour – maybe the guided one offers a bit more depth. All up, I’m still glad I went because it was something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and it’s an iconic piece of Melbourne history. But for what you get, I’m not sure it’s really worth the price. It doesn’t take long to get through and I just expected a bit more from the experience.

Although interesting, the entry fee is too steep. You have to download the app and use your own phone to use the “free audio tour”. Half the price would still be expensive.

Learn a little of the history of criminals with this tour. The audio tour was helpful so download the app. You can walk into cells, see some Ned Kelly history and learn some unsavory facts from the past. Allow an hour or so here.

Authentic representation of gaol and prisoner life of the era. Need more offerings of haunted tours! Also, for the price, should have headset option, not just “QR code download narrative “ which didn’t work on my phone. Go on a day it won’t be crowded, as cells are tiny and exhibits are inside them. Many stories of Melbourne’s worst criminals, and creepy death masks.

This was a very entertaining and professional tour with great information into the history of this Gaol. The guide was excellent and very dramatic in the way he put across the stories related to this place. A very good evening out.

What a step back in time - and such a piece of history right in the centre of Australia's coolest and most spectacular city. The tiny cells were a slap in the face of reality for criminals unable to swing a cat. And the gaol was in use until 1994 - at least the remand part with all the associated graffiti still there as though yesterday!! Most of the infamous underbelly criminals such as Carl Williams and Chopper Reed spent time there. The 'sergeant' was hilarious as we were all marched in to be inspected - she really played the part brilliantly and we suspected she may be a stand-up comedian in her other life. If she isn't she should be. Cells, gallows, exercise yard, landings, and all the death masks including that of a beardless Ned Kelly made it a unique experience...

We did the cluedo experience at Old Melbourne Gaol. Really fun, interesting way to see the gaol and learn about the history at the same time. We then went on the Watch house tour. The staff got into character and it was a good tour.

Like most of Melbourne's early public buildings, the Old Melboune Gaol is made of bluestone. Bluestone was cheap and durable. The Gaol is still standing; construction began in 1839. Among the many people executed here was Ned Kelly, Australia's most infamous outlaw. It's a spooky place, life was hard for prisoaners in those days. The Gaol is one of Melboure's most popular attractions. There is a fee to enter.. By the way, you can do a self-guided tour or a group tour.

This was a worthwhile visit in our view combining history with a bit of role play. Admission is $28 for adults, $23 for concessions (60 yrs +) with a variety of other options for families. With hindsight we should have taken our National Trust for Scotland membership cards with us - this would have permitted free entry under a reciprocal agreement with National Trust properties worldwide. We spent a couple of hours between the Watch House Tour and the Cell Block self guided tour. However you could easily spend more time if you want to read all the material in both these sites and add on the Court House (which was closed at the time of our visit) and another self guided walking tour which covers the surrounding area (a leaflet is provided). We visited in February 2020, prior to the Covid-19 lockdown. The Watch House Tour was led by a member of staff in character as a desk sergeant who had us all arrested and locked up for a variety of "crimes" all of which we were innocent of save for our bad acting. This was all done in a semi-serious, good humoured way to give a little bit of insight into the criminal system back at the time the jail operated. The jail is not a mock-up, it's the real thing and was still in use up until as recently as 1994 with its padded cell being the only padding evident on what must have been a quite sobering experience (quite literally in some cases) for those locked up. On a serious note, this part of the visit also gave information about the Russell Street bombing from 1986 which was something which we as visitors to the country had never heard of before. A young police woman was killed in the incident just across the street from the jail. Next door is the Cell Block which dates from the mid 1840s until 1924 when it closed, save for a brief spell when it was used again during the Second World War for soldiers who had gone "AWOL" and been caught. The entrance doubles as the ticket office and sells some souvenirs, snacks and drinks. Each cell on the ground floor has stories of inmates, the most well known of whom was Ned Kelly who was hanged at the prison in 1880, aged 25. Although Kelly has gone on to be immortolised in films and books there are many other characters stories which are worth learning about too as you walk between the cells. You are more likely to suffer from overload rather than run out of material. There are a further two levels to explore which amongst other things provide details on the background to prison hangings (the memorabila for which is on display) and the Second World War prison connection. The prison is apparently just as it was when in use although nowadays probably a lot fresher and less dangerous. As such the upper levels seem to be only accessible by metal stairs and therefore these may be out of bounds to less able bodied visitors.

Took the free tram up to near the Gaol and walking up the street we asked where it was and were pointed in the right direction where it is well sign posted. We enjoyed hearing about the prisoners and who had been executed there,they even had their death masks.There most famous prisoner was Ned Kelly who is probably the most famous outlaw from Australia. After the tour is over we were arrested and the Sargent took us through the booking in procedure not letting any of us step out of line,all in good fun.

Old Melbourne Goal, Russell Street, Melbourne We’d caught the Metro early that morning for a day in the city, changing trains at Caulfield to enable us to reach Central Melbourne, before heading for Old Melbourne Goal on Russell Street - our destination for the morning. Three hours later we were following the pavement to Lygon Street to explore the delights of Italian cuisine at a popular lunchtime restaurant. You’ll know that Melbourne provides the best Italian food this side of Trastevere. What a contrast … the brutal life of the poor, vagrants, destitute (mainly women/kids), petty criminals and other under-privileged groups typical of local 19th century society as exemplified by the stories, tours, buildings and atmosphere that make up Old Melbourne Goal … with modern day life in Lygon Street - the delights of high quality foods, the companionship of a group of people sharing the day’s activities, the pleasure of being in Melbourne that day. We had first/last visited the museum we’d guess about10 years ago – and had some memories of earlier, re-Ned Kelly, spooky cell blocks and more – that is … nothing much had remained fixed. This time, however, it was the quazi-stage/acting/theatre production that made all the difference – the mock aggressiveness of the guide/custodian who hassled everyone into the Watch House – starting with the pavement queue (as if they/we were felons being taking into custody), ad-libbing a wide choice of cutting lines that teetered between rudeness/offensiveness and entertainment/fun. You could see that not everyone was immediately au fait with this approach – there was this measure of hesitation. You’d need to understand/appreciate Australian humour at its best. The parade prior to being locked up in the holding cells with half-dozen others was novel – people were made to step out of line and then charged with all kinds of misdemeanours – vagrancy, shop-lifting, theft, drunkenness, etc. (typical of the prison population 150 years ago). Once locked up there was the ‘no lights’ experience – sitting in the dark for a few minutes; capturing the hopelessness of everything (although, if you’d been drunk, you’d have probably slept through all this in real time). Fortunately, no one had to use the communal WC in our cell/group – no privacy and, crucially, it was sealed with a clear plastic plate. In original time this would simply have been a metal bucket (without your normal comfortable lavatory seat). No toilet paper either – it was hand job country. And, remember, you remained in your cell for 23 h/day (mainly in solitary confinement) – with just the one hour out for exercise and, once out, you wore a face mask and were not allowed to speak; exemplifying the dehumanizing procedures that dominated punishment in those times – this thing about ‘silence and separation’. There was nothing to stimulate you – no people, no reading materials (that is, if you could read – just the bible); you had to depend upon those desperately limited inner resources. Our guide/custodian/jailhouse boss provided the stories, walked us around the exercise yard and, eventually, released us into the courtyard (now the RMIT Alumni Courtyard) that had once housed the original hospital and later became a police garage. It was here that he relaxed, sharing information that had not been provided earlier – smiling, human. Watch house completed, everyone headed for the Cell Block – through the ticket office/shop to catch the tour from a second well-informed guide. Here it is that you get to view that classic design 19th century jail – three tiers of cells, long narrow walkways, wrought iron railings, small rectangular cell doors set into the brickwork. Small doors? By modern standards … yes! Which helps introduce Ned Kelly – Old Melbourne Goal’s most infamous/famous (take your choice) felon. Kelly was hanged in this building – the gallows/trap door remain a popular tourist destination. How big was Kelly? There’s a life-size photo of him attached to the wall next to the cell where he was held; you can stand there for that selfie/photo. He was large … for his time: 1.73 m tall, 88 kg and well-built. Improved diets and modern healthcare over >150 years and today’s average Australian adult male is about the same as Kelly was then (1.75 m & 86 kg). Kelly was hanged 11 November 1880 aged 25. Bush- ranger/murderer that he was he has, subsequently, become the world’s best-known Australian. Imagine! Check out the Kelly images, artefacts and memorabilia in the shop at Old Melbourne Goal. What would … his mother … have said? The goal provides a galaxy of information for those interested in the reality/approach to criminality in those times – the brutality, the gulf between the minority rich and majority poor, the legacy of transportation times that remained (last convict ship was 1867 – Kelly was a lad of 13) and the subjugation of women. It was … ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ following the flow of Victorian gold to the British Exchequer, but also a society desperately in need of the revolution in social norms that would eventually follow federation and WW1. The place makes you think. Peter Steele 04 February 2020

This is s must place to visit see the cell where Ned Kelly spent his last days also you can get arrested and banged up by the duty sergeant a great couple of hours.

When the ticket states a 9:30am tour, this is a misnomer, as admission is available all day as it is a self-guided tour.

Love the police ladies hilarious!!!!! And full of knowledge, thank you cell areas where great to visit, can not imagine years on end in that place head molds make it in jails Gallows little eerie!!!!! all round great job.

On my 9th visit to Melbourne from Ireland, eventually to visit the old gaol. We started with a tour of the Watch House, which was both entertaining and informative. We then spent some time in the Cell Block absorbing as much of the atmosphere and life stories as we could. Afterwards we walked around the outside of the buildings. Overall a very interesting and worthwhile couple of hours.

I have visited Old Melbourne Gaol thrice with a National Trust membership this year, simply because there is so much to read and explore. Included in the ticket price is entry into the Watch House which is definitely a unique experience and a highlight. The self directed tour in the gaol can take one hour or several - it really depends on how interested you are in reading the individual stories dispersed throughout the cells (you can spend half a day if you go through everything). Come and immerse yourself in historical surrounds.

The gaol is well worth a visit, to learn more about the prison system and some of its infamous inhabitants. You can spend about an hour to hour and a half on the self-guided tour, depending how much detail you are interested in. Then head to the Watch House for a great experience of what it was like to be arrested in Melbourne CBD before 1994. Sgt. Croft made this a very interesting and enjoyable experience, never broke character and yet made everyone laugh (pretty sure that’s not how it goes in reality). After you go through the arresting experience, you still get plenty of time to explore the Watch House on your own.

A significant piece of Australian History. Would benefit from a listening tour app / pod cast or similar.

Our ticket included a visit around the Old Gaol plus the old Watch House and a visit to the former Magistrates' Court. The total experience took us about an hour and a half. So much to read about at the Old Gaol your imagination runs wild thinking of the people who have spent time there plus the awful hangings which took place. It was fun for us to pretend we were being arrested and imagine what it would have been like to stay overnight at the Watch House. Children enjoyed the costumes at the Magistrates Court and the certificqtes displayed re judgements etc were fascinating. Great history lesson.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience through the gaol and watch house. My kids were very interested to read about Ned Kelly and loved wearing his armoury

While holidaying in Melbourne we visited this old gaol. Very interesting history and lots to see at the gaol and the tour of the Magistrates Court. We didn't have time to do the police lock up. Plenty of history to read, probably not suited to young children or very elderly people who can't navigate the stairs.

We attended the Hangman’s Tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. The tour is conducted at night and the Gaol gets dark, it is left this way to add to the atmosphere. Only over 16’s allowed on this tour, it was a bit spooky, and ‘someone’ tugged on my daughters jacket whilst she was looking at an exhibit. The ‘hangman’ directs the group well and gives information that you would not get just looking at exhibits. Be warned that there is a lot of climbing up and down stairs, so don’t wear heels (they can get stuck in decorative holes in the stairs grating). And if you are not reasonably fit you will have trouble with this one, as there are three levels (two flights per floor), and the tour moves at a reasonable pace. We thoroughly enjoyed it and are thinking of going back in the daytime to see what we missed.

We arrived there before 11 am, bought the admission ticket. The staff suggested us to starting with the watch house tour, starting at 11 am running abt 30 mins. The tour guide was very funny and pretended we were all criminals. We were locked up and waited for going to court. Talking a look in the locked cell in this heritages building, it is amazing. Truely send respect to our VIC police doing their job under the stress and mix of different people. It is not easy. After we joined the court tour to understand the court running each day, how the judge keeps concentrating to handle 40 cases a day. Finally we returned to the main goal to see the cells. It is worth to visit for half day with children or even teens.

We started with the watch house tour. Our your guide Fiona was fantastic, so in character and so much fun. We then toured the main prision and the kids did the quiz. This was fun. We ended with the courthouse tour which was informative

Amazing experience! Me and my sister loved the self tour and it really gives you an insight of what prison is really like. The guard had us do some acting. I was sentenced to 25 years for Murder which was scary😬 but funny at the same time because I was put in a cell which was tiny. We was shocked to see how prisons abroad were so different to back home (London). As we are from London and the prisons back home are like 5* Hotels. I really do recommend this activity as again we really enjoyed it and would do it again! #stayoutoftrouble😁🤞🏽

We joined a tour around the Old Gaol. It was both entertaining and interesting. "The Guard" was very knowledgeable about the history and we could tell friends afterwards that we had been "arrested and placed in cells" Definitely recommended

We enjoyed our visit to the gaol, lots of interesting facts in the cell’s - you get a real sense of how horrendous it must have been there ... the highlight has to be the Charging process which is really brought alive by the sergeant. She can be quite intimidating and I know some of the people on our tour looked a bit uncomfortable. It is only acting though and very funny.

Came here on the 4th December. The prison is very interesting to look at and learning about the history. The watch house was great. The red head who was the "sergeant" on the day was great. She had a great personality and made the tour of the watch house great. Worth checking out.

We walked around the prison and then when our time came we were "arrested" by a guard that ran our group through the paces. He booked us, made some of us confess our vulgar crimes, and locked us in cells. I was placed in the drunk tank where there are no benches or anything except for a toilet and a drain. It was set up like that in case us drunkards messed ourselves throughout the night...the guards could just hose down the prisoners and the cell. My kids got their mugshots taken and we toured the rest of the prison. It was a fantastic mix of good nature fun and actual grim history. Among all the fun my young children were having, we saw implements of executions and corporal punishment in the past...really nice job.

A lot of interesting information on the inmates - be prepared for some sad stories. The Watch House tour/arrest/incarceration was very entertaining. Friendly and helpful staff. Members of the UK National Trust get free entry.

Great visit to the watch-house. The lady who played the Sergeant was very convincing. Real criminal stories of those who passed through the doors. You actually go through the arrest process which made it more authentic.

Really interesting and enjoyable visit. We arrived at the end of the day and got on the last tour for the Watch House Tour, and we are so glad we did. The red-haired female sergeant was very engaging, had everyone playing along and made it really fun, she played the character so well. My 7 year old daughter actually thought we were being arrested. After the Watch House Tour, we did the tour of the prison and that was very interesting, loads of things to see and read. The history of Ned Kelly was great. Definitely recommend this if you are in Melbourne!

A lot of history with some pretty grim cells that were used in 1980s for local drunks. If you take cell block tour you get a sense of just how grim conditions would be to spend time inside.

At $28 I expected a bit more than static displays and old AV films. Sure the role play at the Watchtower was a highlight. The prison layout was OK, it just didn't engage me anymore than what I could have read on the Internet. Market pricing would suggest $10-15 would be more reasonable, particularly when places like the Melbourne Museum offer so much more.

Put aside the day! We were underprepared for the experiences offered here. Your entry provides a self guided tour to the old goal which will take about 45mins to view. You are then able to walk down the road to the watch house tower where there is another experience on offer. These experiences are included in your entry price and run for half an hour from 11am at set times advised when your ticket is bought. Performances are also offered which we were unable to attend but sounded amazing. We will definitely go back to see.