Museums & Landmarks in Southbank

Southbank's museum choice is narrow: Tripadvisor's category for the suburb turns up only three results, and both places listed here sit inside the precinct that area guides describe as a hub for Melbourne's performing arts venues. They have a lot in common. Both are small, both are wheelchair accessible, and both suit children of around eight and up far better than toddlers.

Australian Music Vault is inside Arts Centre Melbourne, free to enter with no booking required, and currently closed temporarily. Tripadvisor names it among the three Southbank museums it features, calling it a fabulous small collection of all things Australian music; one visitor there praised the costumes, another wished it were bigger. Google reviewers keep returning to the amplifier room, an immersive projection that holds older children and teenagers, while younger kids tend to drift given the exhibition-heavy format. Plan for 30 to 45 minutes. Exhibitions rotate often, so once it reopens a return visit will show new material.

Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) at Hamer Hall is the paid option that is open now, with a high but small review count. Its DIVA exhibition, opened in December 2025, centres on costumes and props, and reviewers describe the curation as high quality. The catch for families is the sound: several reviews call the layered background music overwhelming, so sensory-sensitive children may find it hard going. It suits kids with a real interest in theatre, fashion or music history who will read the stories behind the objects. A thorough visit runs 45 to 60 minutes, and there is parking.

Neither fills a day. Pair whichever you pick with a walk along the Southbank promenade or a nearby gallery.