Accessible and sensory-friendly things to do with kids in Melbourne

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• National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne

  The National Gallery of Victoria has two venues: NGV International at 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Sensory sessions · Assistance animals

• Werribee Open Range Zoo Werribee South

  Werribee Open Range Zoo, run by Zoos Victoria, is about 35km west of Melbourne off K Road, Werribee South, and is open daily 9am to 5pm with last entry at 3.30pm.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions

• Healesville Sanctuary Healesville

  Healesville Sanctuary is a Zoos Victoria native wildlife sanctuary on Badger Creek Road, Healesville, about an hour's drive from the Melbourne CBD through the Yarra…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions

• Arts Centre Melbourne Southbank

  Arts Centre Melbourne at 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, is a performing arts centre including Hamer Hall, the Theatres Building with the Ian Potter State Theatre and the…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Sensory sessions · Companion Card

• Penguin Parade Summerlands

  At the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, run by Phillip Island Nature Parks, families watch little penguins from the world's largest little penguin colony waddle home…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions · Companion Card

• SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium Melbourne

  SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium is on the corner of Flinders Street and King Street on the Yarra River in the city.

  Partly accessible · Sensory sessions · Quiet space · Companion Card · Assistance animals

Quick check: what each place states

Only what the venue or council says on its own page. A blank means not stated, not no.

Sensory-friendly sessions and quiet spaces

Sensory-friendly places

Venues that run relaxed, low-sensory or autism-friendly sessions, keep a quiet space, or tag themselves sensory-friendly.

• National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne

  The National Gallery of Victoria has two venues: NGV International at 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Sensory sessions · Assistance animals

• Werribee Open Range Zoo Werribee South

  Werribee Open Range Zoo, run by Zoos Victoria, is about 35km west of Melbourne off K Road, Werribee South, and is open daily 9am to 5pm with last entry at 3.30pm.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions

• Healesville Sanctuary Healesville

  Healesville Sanctuary is a Zoos Victoria native wildlife sanctuary on Badger Creek Road, Healesville, about an hour's drive from the Melbourne CBD through the Yarra…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions

• Arts Centre Melbourne Southbank

  Arts Centre Melbourne at 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, is a performing arts centre including Hamer Hall, the Theatres Building with the Ian Potter State Theatre and the…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Sensory sessions · Companion Card

• Penguin Parade Summerlands

  At the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, run by Phillip Island Nature Parks, families watch little penguins from the world's largest little penguin colony waddle home…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions · Companion Card

• SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium Melbourne

  SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium is on the corner of Flinders Street and King Street on the Yarra River in the city.

  Partly accessible · Sensory sessions · Quiet space · Companion Card · Assistance animals

• ACMI Melbourne

  ACMI is Australia's national museum of screen culture at Fed Square, on Flinders Street between Swanston and Russell Streets.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Quiet space · Assistance animals

• Ballarat Wildlife Park Ballarat East

  Ballarat Wildlife Park is a family-owned wildlife park in Ballarat East where visitors walk through bushland and can hand-feed over 100 free-roaming kangaroos.

  Partly accessible · Quiet space

• Melbourne Zoo Parkville

  Melbourne Zoo in Parkville is run by Zoos Victoria and is open every day of the year from 9am to 5pm.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Accessible parking · Sensory sessions

• Adventure Park Geelong Wallington

  Adventure Park is a seasonal water theme park at 1249 Bellarine Highway, Wallington, about 20 minutes from Geelong.

  Accessible parking · Sensory sessions · Quiet space

• Brimbank Park (Parks Victoria) Keilor East

  Brimbank Park is a Parks Victoria park in Keilor East, about 15km north-west of the Melbourne CBD, along the Maribyrnong River.

  Sensory sessions · All-abilities

• LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Melbourne Chadstone

  LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne is an indoor LEGO attraction on Level 2 of Chadstone shopping centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone, opposite HOYTS.

  Step-free · Sensory sessions · Quiet space · Companion Card

• Australian Sports Museum and MCG Tours East Melbourne

  The Australian Sports Museum sits inside Gate 3 of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the same team runs guided MCG Tours.

  Sensory sessions

• Activate by Hardrock Heatherton

  Activate by Hardrock in Heatherton is an indoor climbing venue, not a trampoline park.

  Sensory sessions

• Edendale Community Environment Farm Eltham

  Edendale Community Environment Farm is a Nillumbik Council farm and environmental education centre at 30 Gastons Road, Eltham.

  Sensory sessions

• Melbourne City Baths Melbourne

  Melbourne City Baths is a City of Melbourne swimming and fitness centre at 420 Swanston Street.

  Sensory sessions

• Flip Gymnastics Truganina Truganina

  FLIP Gymnastics runs gymnastics classes at 34 Apex Drive, Truganina (opened February 2025) and at a second venue in Williams Landing.

  Sensory sessions

• Messy Mornings Tullamarine

  Messy Mornings runs open-ended sensory messy play sessions for babies and young children in Melbourne's north.

  Sensory sessions

• Baby Sensory - Port Melbourne Port Melbourne

  Baby Sensory runs weekly parent-and-baby classes for babies from birth to 13 months, with classes in Port Melbourne, Richmond, South Yarra and St Kilda.

  Sensory sessions

• Serendip Sanctuary Lara

  A Parks Victoria wildlife sanctuary at the foot of the You Yangs, 60 km from Melbourne and 22 km north of Geelong, where families can see kangaroos, wallabies, emus and…

  Step-free · Sensory sessions · All-abilities

• Point Nepean National Park Portsea

  At the western tip of the Mornington Peninsula, this 560-hectare park combines coastal walks and bike paths with history: the Quarantine Station (50 heritage-listed…

  Sensory sessions

• Wombat Bend Playground (Finns Reserve) Templestowe Lower

  Wombat Bend in Finns Reserve beside the Yarra River is an all abilities playground that Manningham Council grades as regional.

  Sensory sessions · All-abilities

All-abilities playgrounds and parks

Playgrounds built for every body: wide paths, wheelchair-accessible equipment, Liberty swings, sensory play.

• Booran Reserve Glen Huntly

  Booran Reserve is a Glen Eira City Council park on the corner of Booran Road and Glenhuntly Road, Glen Huntly, built on the old Caulfield Service Reservoir and opened…

  All-abilities

• Funfields Themepark Whittlesea

  Funfields Themepark is a summer theme and water park in Whittlesea, about 40km north of Melbourne.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Assistance animals

• Gumbuya World Tynong North

  Gumbuya World is a theme park at 2705 Princes Highway, Tynong North, about 50 minutes' drive south-east of Melbourne's CBD.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Pool hoist · Companion Card

• Bicentennial Park Playground Chelsea

  Bicentennial Park on Scotch Parade, Chelsea, is a City of Kingston regional park.

  All-abilities

• Hays Paddock Kew East

  Hays Paddock is a City of Boroondara park at 25-27 Longstaff Street, Kew East, with large open spaces, a basketball quarter-court, two ovals, an archery area and a…

  All-abilities

• Yarra Glen Adventure Playground (McKenzie Reserve) Yarra Glen

  The Yarra Glen Adventure Playground is a council playground in McKenzie Reserve, 45 Bell Street, Yarra Glen, run by Yarra Ranges Council.

  All-abilities

• Plum Garland Memorial Playground Albert Park

  Plum Garland Memorial Playground is a fully fenced City of Port Phillip playground on the foreshore at Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park, opposite Victoria Avenue and…

  All-abilities

• Ringwood Lake Park Playspace Ringwood

  Ringwood Lake Park is a Maroondah City Council park at 172 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood, with a lake, bridge, bushland and a walking circuit.

  All-abilities

• Garden City Reserve Playground Port Melbourne

  The Garden City Reserve playground in Port Melbourne is in the corner of the reserve bordered by Beacon Road, Crichton Avenue and Tucker Avenue.

  All-abilities

• Surrey Dive Park Playground Box Hill

  Surrey Dive Park in Box Hill has two medium-sized playgrounds beside Surrey Dive Lake, one themed as a sail boat and one as a lighthouse, which the City of Whitehorse…

  All-abilities

• Norris Bank Reserve play space Bundoora

  Norris Bank Reserve on McLeans Road, Bundoora is one of the City of Whittlesea's major community parks.

  All-abilities

• Frankston Regional Foreshore Playground Frankston

  The Frankston Regional Foreshore Playground on the Frankston Waterfront Reserve is an award-winning playground with castles, tunnels and shaded sand pits, with separate…

  All-abilities

Beaches and pools with access gear

Beach wheelchairs and matting, pool hoists and ramps, from the council or venue page.

• Peninsula Hot Springs Fingal

  Peninsula Hot Springs is a geothermal mineral springs venue at Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula.

  Partly accessible · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Pool hoist · Companion Card

• Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre Frankston

  Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC) in Frankston has an indoor 50-metre lap pool, a learn-to-swim pool, two toddler pools with beach entries, bubbles and sprays,…

  Step-free · Pool hoist

• Williamstown Beach Williamstown

  Williamstown Beach is a clean, wide sandy Port Phillip Bay beach on the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail, with lifeguards on patrol during the summer months.

  All-abilities

• Splash Aqua Park and Leisure Centre Craigieburn

  Splash Aqua Park and Leisure Centre is a Hume City Council leisure centre at 60 Central Park Avenue, Craigieburn.

  Accessible parking · Pool hoist

• Half Moon Bay Beach Black Rock

  Half Moon Bay is a small, crescent-shaped bay beach at Black Rock, partly protected and known for the wreck of HMVS Cerberus a few hundred metres offshore.

  All-abilities

• Frankston Beach Frankston

  Frankston Beach stretches 2.5 kilometres from the southern boat launching area past the historic 500 metre Frankston Pier and the mouth of Kananook Creek.

  All-abilities

• Brunswick Baths Brunswick

  Merri-bek City Council aquatic and leisure centre, open year round just off Sydney Road, with a 50 m outdoor pool, a 20 m indoor pool, an outdoor kids' splash pad, an…

  All-abilities

• Bonbeach Beach Bonbeach

  Bonbeach is a wide sandy 1.5 km beach with bathing boxes and natural habitat, running from Chelsea Beach to the Patterson River.

  All-abilities

• Carrum Beach Carrum

  Carrum Beach stretches 2 km from the Patterson River south towards Seaford.

  All-abilities

• Smiths Beach Smiths Beach

  Smiths Beach is a 1 km south-west-facing surf beach on Phillip Island that Bass Coast Shire describes as popular with families and surfers, with waves for beginners to…

  All-abilities

• Fitzroy Swimming Pool Fitzroy

  Yarra City Council's heritage outdoor pool on Alexandra Parade, known for its Aqua Profonda sign.

  All-abilities

• Anglesea Beach Anglesea

  Anglesea Beach sits at the mouth of the Anglesea River.

  All-abilities

• Ocean Grove Main Beach Ocean Grove

  Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club patrols on weekends and public holidays from November to April (Saturdays from 1pm, Sundays and public holidays from 10am, until…

  All-abilities

• Altona Beach Altona

  Altona Beach runs alongside the Esplanade and is known for its calm waters, according to Hobsons Bay City Council.

  All-abilities

• Yea Swimming Pool Yea

  Murrindindi Shire Council's seasonal outdoor pool in Yea, with a large T-shaped pool and a shaded toddler pool with 'beach entry' and water sprays, plus a deck, grassy…

  All-abilities

Step-free museums, zoos and rainy-day places

Indoor and under-cover places whose own page says entry and paths are step-free.

• Melbourne Skydeck Southbank

  Melbourne Skydeck is the observation deck on Level 88 of Eureka Tower in Southbank, which it describes as the highest in the Southern Hemisphere.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Companion Card · Assistance animals

• Le Mans Entertainment Dandenong South

  LeMans Entertainment at 55 Waterview Close, Dandenong South, is an entertainment complex with go-karting, Zero Latency free-roam virtual reality, a multi-level laser…

  Partly accessible

• State Library Victoria Melbourne

  State Library Victoria is Victoria's state library on Swanston Street in the city.

  Step-free · Accessible parking · Companion Card

• ArtVo Docklands

  ArtVo Melbourne is a self-guided trick-art gallery on Level 1 of The District, 26 Star Crescent, Docklands, where visitors pose in front of more than 40 hand-painted 3D…

  Step-free · Companion Card

• Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park Pearcedale

  Moonlit Sanctuary is a wildlife park at 550 Tyabb-Tooradin Road, Pearcedale, about 50 minutes south-east of Melbourne's CBD, with more than 70 Australian species.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking · Assistance animals

• Melbourne Star Observation Wheel Docklands

  The Melbourne Star is a 120-metre observation wheel in Docklands, which its operator says is the highest in the Southern Hemisphere.

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking

• Dreamskape Docklands Docklands

  Dreamskape Docklands is a digital theme park inside The District Docklands shopping centre.

  Partly accessible · Companion Card

• Metartworld Port Melbourne

  Metartworld, at 155 Boundary Street, Port Melbourne, is an interactive art space with a scrap metal art exhibition on the ground floor and a Starry Sky light exhibition…

  Partly accessible · Companion Card · Assistance animals

• BOUNCE Inc Glen Iris Glen Iris

  BOUNCE Glen Iris is an indoor trampoline park at 2 Weir Street, Glen Iris, with more than 50 interconnected trampolines, the Big Bag, basketball and dodgeball courts,…

  Partly accessible

• Maru Koala & Animal Park Grantville

  Maru Koala & Animal Park is a family-run animal park at 1650 Bass Highway, Grantville, about fifteen minutes from Phillip Island.

  Step-free · Companion Card · Assistance animals

• BOUNCE Essendon Fields Essendon Fields

  BOUNCE Essendon Fields is an indoor trampoline park in a heritage aircraft hangar at Hangar 4, 236 Wirraway Road, Essendon Fields.

  Step-free

• BOUNCE Heidelberg Heidelberg West

  BOUNCE Heidelberg is an indoor trampoline park at 590 Waterdale Road, Heidelberg West.

  Step-free

Accessible walks and gardens

Boardwalks, sealed loops and gardens the park service rates wheelchair-accessible.

• Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne Cranbourne

  Free-entry botanic garden in Cranbourne with the Australian Garden, a contemporary garden of over 100,000 Australian plants, plus a bushland reserve with more than 10…

  Step-free

• CERES Community Environment Park Brunswick East

  A free-to-visit 4.5-hectare community environment park beside the Merri Creek in Brunswick East, run by CERES, an environmental education centre, urban farm and…

  Step-free

• Point Cook Coastal Park Point Cook

  A coastal park on Port Phillip in Melbourne's west, beside the internationally significant Cheetham Wetlands.

  Step-free · All-abilities

• Williamstown Botanic Gardens Williamstown

  Heritage-listed botanic gardens in Williamstown, designed by Edward La Trobe Bateman, laid out in 1856 and opened to the public in 1860, and managed by Hobsons Bay City…

  Step-free

More accessible places

Everything else whose own page states step-free access or an accessible toilet.

• Arthurs Seat Eagle Dromana

  Arthurs Seat Eagle is a gondola ride on the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour's drive from Melbourne, running between a Base Station in Dromana and a Summit Station…

  Step-free · Accessible toilet · Changing Places · Accessible parking · Companion Card

• Luna Park Melbourne St Kilda

  Luna Park Melbourne is an amusement park at 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda, with more than 20 rides and attractions.

  Partly accessible · Accessible toilet · Accessible parking

• Searoad Ferries (Sorrento - Queenscliff) Sorrento

  Car and passenger ferry across the southern end of Port Phillip Bay between Sorrento and Queenscliff.

  Step-free

Questions parents ask

Which Melbourne museums run sensory-friendly sessions?

Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, ACMI, the NGV and the aquarium run quiet mornings or relaxed sessions and lend sensory kits, mostly in the school holidays. The table links each venue page because dates change each term.

Are the trams accessible?

Low-floor trams and raised platform stops are, and the map marks them; the older high-floor trams on some routes are not. Trains and the main stations are mostly step-free, and the free city tram loop helps.

Which bay beaches have beach wheelchairs?

Several bayside councils lend beach wheelchairs through the lifesaving clubs and lay matting in summer at the main beaches. The beach listings say which and how to book.

Where are the inclusive playgrounds?

Across the suburbs, with the biggest at the regional parklands: wheelchair carousels, Liberty swings, sensory gardens and accessible toilets. The playgrounds section lists the ones whose council page names the equipment.

More in Melbourne

• Things to do with teenagers in Melbourne
• Visiting Melbourne with kids: day plans
• Free things to do with kids in Melbourne
• Kids eat free in Melbourne
• School holiday activities in Melbourne
• All kids activities in Melbourne

Accessible things to do with kids in other cities

• Sydney
• Brisbane
• Gold Coast
• Perth
• Adelaide
• Cairns
• Canberra
• Hobart
• Darwin
• Sunshine Coast
• Newcastle