A Travel Guide to the Old Melbourne Gaol, A Darker Chapter of the Colonial Australia 

The Old Melbourne Gaol has a lot of beautiful attractions you should visit. The site has a glorious historical building, ghastly architecture and well preserved death cells. The site has terrifying surroundings, an appalling graveyard and a gruesome hanging site. It also offers some of the best guided tours. If you are an adventure lover or a history geek, then I recommend you should visit this magnificent historical building. And you will adore every single sight about it.

Are you planning to visit the Old Melbourne Gaol? I am here to help you. I have been living in Melbourne’s CBD, near the Old Melbourne Gaol, for many years. And I have visited this place a lot of times. In this detailed travel guide to the Old Melbourne Gaol, I have shared my personal experience about the Gaol that will help you to enjoy your visiting experience to the fullest. So, are you excited? Let’s dive in!.

The Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the most glorious and historically significant sites in Melbourne. The Gaol is located in the heart of Melbourne. It is on Russell Street, a short walk away from the central business district (CBD) of the city. The Gaol is a very important historical site. It was a place of brutal punishments, tortures and executions for some of the most notorious criminals of Australia. If you adore adventures and history, then I highly recommend you visit here. And you will remember this spooky yet enlightening experience for the rest of your life.

The Gaol was established in the mid-1800s. It was operational as a prison until 1924. During this era, it was a house of thousands of dangerous convicts, criminals and bushrangers. One of the most famous prisoners here was Ned Kelly. Today, you can explore the well preserved cells, gallows and other artifacts of the past here. The surrounding area of the Gaol is also very rich in historical and cultural significance. Must explore it too. And it will greatly enhance your knowledge about the history and punishment culture of the ancient world.

The Old Melbourne Gaol is a very important part of Australia’s heritage. The place has many well preserved historical sites and artifacts. So when you are exploring this site, I recommend you respect the historical artifacts and the preserved environment here. You should follow all the guidelines in the Gaol. Don’t touch the remains of the site and enjoy your visit to the Old Melbourne Gaol to the fullest.

You can visit the Old Melbourne Gaol anytime of the year you want to. But the best time I recommend you visit here is during Melbourne’s warmer months. The warmer months in Melbourne are from November to March. During this season, the weather is more pleasant. The days are longer. So you will have plenty of time to explore every important part of the site. This season is the peak tourist season here, so you should be prepared for larger crowds in the Gaol. 

If you want to experience the Old Melbourne Gaol in a less crowded and quieter season, then I recommend you to visit here in the cooler months. The cooler months in Melbourne are autumn (April to May) or spring (September to October). These seasons will offer you a more peaceful atmosphere. The weather in these months is mild. Melbourne is not that much crowded. New buds are coming out. The parks and the gardens of the city are in their full bloom. Visit here and you will love the enchanting beauty of Melbourne.

I am a local in Melbourne. I have been living here for quite a long time. I have visited The Old Melbourne Gaol many times. And based on my personal experience, I will be giving you some of the best pro tips. Trust me, these tips will be very helpful for you when you are visiting the Gaol.

One of the best tips that I will give you while visiting here is to start your day early. The Old Melbourne Gaol is a very popular tourist attraction. The visitors started gathering here in large numbers as the day progressed. There is an unbelievable rush especially during weekends and school holidays. 

So I suggest you should start your tour early in the morning. It will allow you to explore the site with fewer people around. It will also give you a chance to explore the Gaol in a quieter and more immersive way. And this will enhance your visiting experience to the next level.

The Old Melbourne Gaol is open daily for the visitors. But the opening hours of the Gaol can be varied. Usually, the site is open from 10 AM to 5 PM, but you can enter inside up to 4:30 PM. I recommend you to check the official website of the Gaol for opening hours before you plan your visit here. It is very important because the opening hours can change, especially during public holidays and special events.

When you are visiting the Old Melbourne Gaol, then I urge you to dress comfortably. Inside the Gaol, you will have to walk through narrow corridors and up and down stairs. You will also be exploring multiple floors of the cells. So I suggest you bring comfortable shoes with yourself for the best walking experience. 

If you are here in the cooler months, then the prison cells and exhibits can get more chilly. So I recommend you to bring a light jacket with you in winter. And these outfits will let you enjoy your experience of visiting here to the fullest.

Before you arrive here to the Old Melbourne Gaol, I recommend you to book all of your tickets online. You can book these tickets online from the official website of the Old Melbourne Gaol.

Actually the Old Melbourne Gaol can get very busy sometimes. The place is more crowded especially during school holidays and weekends. So you should buy your tickets in advance. And this will help you in saving your time and skipping the ticket queues. You should also book the guided tours in advance. These tours are once in a lifetime experience and they fill up very fast. So book your tickets online and have a smoother experience in the Gaol.

The prices of tickets for the Old Melbourne Gaol are very reasonable and affordable. The general admission ticket for adults is around AUD 30. The admission ticket for the children will cost you around AUD 17. There are concession pricing tickets and family packages too. These tickets make touring the Goal a more affordable option for larger groups. 

The Gaol also has special ticket packages. These packages are offered to you if you want to join a ghost tour or other themed events. So I recommend you check the different ticket options before you book them. And then buy all of your tickets online. It will make your visiting experience more seamless and enjoyable.

The guided tours of the Old Melbourne Gaol are once in a lifetime opportunity. So I strongly recommend you join all of these guided tours. In these tours, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the brutalities that once happened here. Your guides will also tell you about the notorious prisoners here and the conditions they lived in. They will tell you the tales of famous criminals like Ned Kelly. And it will enhance your visiting experience to the next level. 

Some of these guided tours are included in your general admission ticket. But, there are some specialized and themed tours too. These tours include the Night Tours, the Ghost tour or Escape from the Gaol Tours. You will have to book them depending. I suggest you should book them online. And be ready to have a thrilling and unique experience in the Gaol.

There are different guided tours in the Old Melbourne Gaol. But one of the best among them is the Ghost Tour. This is my personal favorite guided tour in the Gaol. I have been through it many times, and I never get bored for a single second. If you also want to enjoy a bit of spine-tingling history, then I urge you to experience it once. 

This tour takes place at night. The guide, a small lantern in hand, navigates you through the dark cells. This adds an extra layer of thrill and eeriness to the breathtaking experience of visiting the Gaol. I highly recommend you book this tour online in advance, so that you don’t miss it. And you will never forget the wonderful experience for the rest of your life.

If you want to enjoy your Gaol visit to the fullest, then I urge you to purchase the Prison Explorers Pass. This pass will give you more access to the City Watch House and the Old Magistrates’ Court. If you have this pass, then you can walk in the footsteps of Melbourne’s most dangerous criminals. You can also explore the inhumane cells where they were held. And you can learn more about the justice system in the early days of the city. Moreover, the price of the pass is less expensive as compared to buying individual tickets for each attraction. So buy it. And trust me, you will love buying this pass and it will enhance your visit to the next level. 

If you are visiting the Old Melbourne Gaol, then you should not forget your camera. Must bring your camera with yourself. The Gaol is a very important historical site. This site is full of historic architecture, artifacts and atmospheric spaces. All of these are excellent for capturing some of the best photos. 

The old stone walls of the Gaol, iron bars and preserved prison cells will provide you the best opportunities to capture the dark and brooding mood of the Gaol. If you are taking the Ghost Tour, then you should keep your camera with yourself. It is because you can come across something spooky and you can capture it on your camera. Capture every important moment. Keep them with yourself. And they will not let you forget this wonderful visiting experience for the rest of your life.

The Old Melbourne Gaol is easily accessible from Melbourne . It is actually located in the heart of Melbourne. You can get to the Old Melbourne Gaol by a car, public transport or a tour.

If you are an international traveler or coming from another city within Australia, then I recommend you to take a flight to Tullamarine Airport (Melbourne Airport). Melbourne airport is the main gateway to the Gaol. The airport is about 25 kilometers (16 miles) away from the Old Melbourne Gaol. Once you land here, then you will have several options in hand for entering the city. 

Many well known international and domestic airlines offer flights to the Melbourne Airport. You can book any of these flights from around the world. Board on the flight. And it will drop you off in the Melbourne Airport. Some of the well known airlines offering flights to the city include:

Qantas Airways

Virgin Australia

Jetstar

Rex Airlines 

Emirates

Cathay Pacific

Air New Zealand

AirAsia

Scoot

Once you reach the airport, then you can rent a car, opt for public transport or a guide. Choose any option among them. And it will drop you off at one of the most significant historical sites of the world.

You can drive your car from Melbourne to the Gaol. It is an easy and a flexible option. If you don’t have a car, then you can rent one for the tour. The Gaol is located at 377 Russell Street, in the Central Business District (CBD). If you are coming from another city, then you will have to follow the main highway coming to Melbourne. 

Once you reach the city, you will find a lot of navigational boards leading you to the CBD. Actually you will not have any problem with the navigation in Melbourne. In the CBD, you will find a lot of sign boards leading you to the Old Melbourne Gaol. Follow them. And you will reach this breathtaking historical site with ease.

The best option I recommend for getting into the Old Melbourne Gaol is the public transport. The public transport system of Melbourne is extensive and well connected. 

The best option among public transport is to take the tram. There are multiple tram stops near the Gaol. The tram will drop you there. Now you can go on a short walk along Swanston and LaTrobe Streets. And you will reach the site in a few minutes. You can also take a tram that runs near the RMIT University or Queen Victoria Market. Both of these places are also very near to the Gaol.

If you prefer to take a train, then I recommend you to drop by the Melbourne Central train station. This is the closest train station to the Old Melbourne Gaol. From there, you will have to walk for about 5 minutes. And then you will reach one of the most spectacular sites of ancient Australia.

There are a lot of astounding things you can find in the Old Melbourne Gaol. But some of them are a must see. I recommend you to explore all of these things. And you will not regret watching them. 

Ned Kelly is one of the most famous criminals in the history of Australia. Mr Kelly is immortalized at the Old Melbourne Gaol. Ned Kelly was  executed in 1880. After his death, his mask was created as part of a phrenological study. 

The mask was first built to understand the criminal behavior of Ned Kelly by studying the shape of his skull. But this mask is nowadays displayed in the Gaol’s museum for the general public. The mask offers a horrible and chilling reminder of Kelly’s notoriety. A lot of people visit the Gaol to see this mask. And this artifact is still one of the most exquisite emblems in Australia’s criminal history.

Another most significant thing I recommend you to explore in the Goal is the cells. The cells of the Old Melbourne Gaol provide a horrifying and haunting insight into the harsh conditions that prisoners here endured. 

You should go through the narrow corridors and peer into the small, dim and cramped cells. Here, the most notorious criminals and ordinary citizens were held. Some of them were used to be in solitary confinement, while others in the hubs of third degree. Each of the cells will tell you its own story, with the other being dangerous from the first one. Must explore them. And they will make your hair stand at the end.

The Gaol has a brutal history of executions. The execution area of the Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the most harrowing and dreadful parts of the site. Between 1842 and 1929, 133 people were executed here. These people include the famous Ned Kelly too. 

Nowadays, the execution area has a replica of the gallows where these gut-wrenching hangings took place. I suggest you should explore the execution area. You can stands in the execution area, and imagine the final moments of the prisoners condemned to death. The grim and eerie atmosphere of the site will send chills through your spine. And you will remember that place for the rest of your life.

Your visit to the Old Melbourne Gaol is not going to complete without experiencing the Watch House. The watch house is located next to the Gaol. This House was actually a holding place for the prisoners waiting for their trials. 

In the watch house, you can also participate in an interactive experience where you will be “arrested” here. After being arrested, you will be gone through the actual processing and holding procedures that the real prisoners underwent. This hands-on experience is very interesting and informative. It will give you a real taste of what it was like to be incarcerated in Melbourne during the 19th and 20th centuries. And this will enhance your visiting experience to the next level.

The gallows tree is a gruesome and ghastly element of the Old Melbourne Gaol. This tree was once used to hang special prisoners convicted of serious crimes. The presence of this tree is a dreadful and horrifying reminder of the brutal punishments that were carried out at the Gaol. 

I urge you to explore the tree and the area around it. The area around the tree is also preserved as a part of the Museum. Visitors can visit the tree so that they can have a glance on the harsh justice system of the era. And the appalling atmosphere around the tree makes them tremble for a moment.

When you are in the Gaol, I suggest you explore the punishment cell as well. The punishment cell is also known as the “dark cell.” These are tiny and windowless rooms. These cells were used for solitary confinement and harsh discipline. 

The prisoners placed here were subjected to total darkness for a large period of time. It was a form of psychological punishment. The specific purpose of these rooms was to break the spirits of the inmates. They served as one of the most feared areas of the Gaol. Must visit these dark rooms. Stand here. And you will feel a horrible sensation going down your spine.

When you are here in the Gaol, then I recommend you explore the women’s wing too. This wing of the Gaol provides significant details about the treatment of female prisoners during the 19th century. 

The conditions and punishments were harsh and brutal for women too. Many of these women were in jail for the crimes of poverty, such as theft and prostitution. This wing shares the details about the different challenges these women faced. The wing includes their artifacts, personal stories and exhibits about their lives. Must visit it and you will not regret it.

Another haunting and serene space I urge you to visit, within the grim surroundings of the prison, is the Gaol Chapel. This chapel was for prisoners to attend the religious services. It was  a very important part of prison life at that time. The chapel has a very simple design. The main purpose of the chapel was to play a key role in the rehabilitation and moral correction of the prisoners. Visit it and you will like it.

You should explore the Gaol Museum too. The museum at Old Melbourne Gaol has a collection of artifacts, exhibits and stories about the life of the prisoners. You can explore different types of amazing exhibits that tell about the lives of prisoners and the history of crime. The museum also has different types of ancient items. These items include clothing, tools and other documents. All of these things help to paint a clear and visible picture of what real life was inside the Gaol. Explore it and you will learn more about a darker chapter of Australian history.

You should explore the Goal Cemetery too. It is the place where most of the prisoners who were executed are buried. The site is equally haunted and dreadful. It tells an untold story that has the most significant information about the history of Australia. Visit it. And you will remember that melancholy and sombernes for years. 

The Old Melbourne Gaol offers some of the most amazing guided tours. I urge you to take these tours. And they will increase your knowledge about the history of Australia up to a greater extent. I suggest you should book these guided tours online in advance. Trust me, you will not regret the amazing experience you will have in these tours.

If you want to explore the Old Melbourne Gaol at your own pace, then you should opt for the self-guided audio tour. When you enter the Gaol, you will get an audio guide that offers detailed information about the various parts of the Gaol. 

This tour has amazing stories about the infamous prisoners and the harsh realities of prison life. It will tell you the tales of the history of crime and punishment in Melbourne. And you will be loving each one of them. This audio guide is available in different languages. So go for a language you better understand. And enjoy your audio guided tour  to the fullest.

Another important guided tour I suggest you should join is the Women & Children of the Gaol tour. This tour focuses on the stories of the women and child inmates of the Gaol. These women were in the Gaol for crimes related to poverty and social circumstances. The authorities used to incarcerate children too, sometimes, alongside their mothers. In this tour, you will learn about the harsh realities and punishments endured by these prisoners.

Another must to experience a guided tour in the Old Melbourne Gaol is the Hangman’s Night Tour. It is one of the most popular and chilling experiences you should have in the Gaol. 

The tour is led by a costumed guide portraying the Gaol’s infamous hangman. The guide will walk you through the dark corridors and cells, recounting the gruesome history of executions. The guide will tell you about the life stories of the 133 prisoners hanged at the Gaol. But, this tour is not for the faint-hearted to be honest. I recommend you to go for it if you enjoy spooky and eerie historical adventures. And you will not regret it.

I urge you to experience the Escape Artist tour too. This tour will take you through the daring escaping attempts made by prisoners to break free from the Gaol. These attempts range from digging tunnels to bribing guards. It is both fascinating and interesting. The tour will show you the extent to which prisoners would go for a chance at freedom. The guide will tell you the dramatic stories of their near-success and failure. If you are an adventurer, then you are going to love the tour as it’s both thrilling and insightful.

Adjacent to the Gaol is the City Watch House. There is a guided tour to this site too. I recommend you join this tour. And you will love it. In it, you will be “arrested” and processed just like the real prisoners once were. You will go through a mock-up of this entire experience. This will give you the real glimpses into the rough and often overcrowded conditions of the watch house. Must go for this guided tour. And you will not regret joining it.

If you are a ghost lover or love a good ghost story, then I strongly recommend you to join the “Ghosts? What Ghosts!” tour. This is my personal favorite guided tour. The tour offers a spine tingling journey through the Old Melbourne Gaol after the dark. This tour focuses on the paranormal history of the Gaol. It explores the eerie legends and ghost sightings in the Gaol reported over the years. 

In the Ghost tour, you will have to go through the dimly lit corridors and cells. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours. Your guide, a lantern in hand, will tell you the stories of ghosts. These stories are haunted enough to send a shiver down your spine. The tour is perfect for you if you are a thrill seeker looking to add a supernatural twist to your visit. Believe me, you will remember this tour for the rest of your life.

I have been to the Old Melbourne Gaol many times. And based on my own experience, I will give you some practical information. This information will help in making your Gaol’s trip more enjoyable and easier.

The Old Melbourne Gaol is a very famous historic site. You can access most of its areas with ease. But, some areas are not that easily accessible for all visitors. The Gaol does have ramps that assist you while entering into many areas. However, many parts of this building has narrow stairs and uneven floors. 

Moreover, the Gaol is more than a century old. So some sections are very challenging for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues. So I recommend you to check with the staff if you have specific accessibility needs. They will assist you in a far better way. And it will help you a lot in roaming around with ease.

Old Melbourne Gaol has most of the basic facilities for visitors. These facilities include restrooms and a small gift shop where you can buy historical souvenirs related to the Gaol’s history. But it lacks some facilities as well. For instance, the site does not have its own vehicles’ parking. So you should park your vehicle in the public parking facilities nearby in the city. The Gaol is also close to public transportation. So you can go for this option too.

The Old Melbourne Gaol has no food or drink outlets within. But, the site is in the heart of Melbourne. So you should not worry about this thing. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants within a short walking distance. I recommend you to go there and enjoy your meal before or after your visit. They offer some of the most delectable foods. Try the local dishes and you will not regret it.

When you are visiting the Old Melbourne Gaol, then there are some spectacular must see attractions close by. I recommend you visit these attractions too. And, they will enhance your visiting experience to the next level.

I urge you to visit the Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. They are just a short walk from the Gaol. The Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This site is one of the world’s oldest remaining exhibition pavilions. The site is surrounded by the beautiful and peaceful Carlton Gardens. The gardens have beautiful fountains, flowerbeds and wide paths for walking. I suggest you should have a stroll over here. And you will remember the incredible experience for years.

Another must visit nearby attractions is the Melbourne Museum. The museum is right next to the Royal Exhibition Building. This museum is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere. It has different wonderful exhibits for all ages, from dinosaurs and ancient fossils to Australian history and Aboriginal culture. I recommend you to visit the museum. And have a sip from the natural history, culture and science of the ancient world.

You should visit the iconic State Library of Victoria too. It is a short tram ride away from the Gaol. This library is more than just a place for books. The architecture of the library is no doubt marvelous. I suggest you should explore the stunning La Trobe Reading Room, which has a spectacular domed ceiling. The library has some of the rarest books, historical documents and artwork. Visit it. And it will boost up your Gaol’s tour to the next level.