I wasn't too interested in stopping by this playground, for one, the opening hours are after school…read morehours and generally the kids are a bit pooped and ready to rest, but two... You can't get your kids out once they are in there. This place consists of so much play equipment and guess what?!? ITS FREE! Yes I did say free. It's a community playground run by awesome people and it has so much fun stuff to play with. I can put my 7 year old in there and let him go off and eventually find him later on, all while spitting on a cup of tea and relaxing and talking to other Mums, if I like. Although I do have an almost 3 year old which requires a bit more supervision so I tend to be running through the forts and jumping over toys and other kids to keep up with the energy of a 3 year old. They also have a sand pit and one of those zip line flying things (Sorry don't know the technical name for it!) It is open during school holidays so it's defintely a great place to hang out and let some of the kids get that school holiday energy out.

I have a 4 year old son who doesn't just like to run but needs to be run and this is most certainly…read morethe best play ground in Melbourne. It was built by the community in the 1960's or 70's and there is none of that politically safe rubbish, oh my kid needs to be padded up and protected from everything type attitude stuff going on in this play ground. Your kids can be kids and climb, jump, play, throw, run, get dirty and all that other fun essential stuff kids are meant to be doing. As an adult they have a wee kitchen that you can make yourself a cup of tea, some tables and chairs and you can read your book or have a picnic while the kids run wild. I had my son't birthday there last year which cost around $180 to hire out a room type thing. I had parents come up to me after saying it was the best place they have taken their kid to for a party. HIGHLY recommend this place and am surprised there are no other reviews on this place. Mind you it is reasonable undiscovered and you almost don't want the world to know it exists, so you can keep it for yourself...

These beautiful gardens are the perfect summertime picnic spot. You'll find people lazing away the…read morehours immersed in a book or more often than not amorous couples immersed in each other. Lush, green and with plenty of space, there is also a children's playground and bbq setups. You'll regularly spot wedding parties stopping by for photos alongside locals playing frisbee and walking their pedigree breed dogs. Being situated in ritzy Albert Park, the gardens naturally house both a bowls green and a tennis court as well. Just in case you're so inclined.

A very genteel, Great Gatsby style garden…read more You will be transported to the early days of Melbourne at this well kept, peaceful oasis. The lush grass and shady trees provide the perfect place to lie in the sun or relax in the shade. If you are feeling more active why there is a tennis court ol' sport but it is for members only you understand. The waiting list is a mere 8 years or so. A quick skip across the road for a spot of lawn bowls may be more to your liking. The ankle biters will be greatly amused with the 2 play areas and you may even follow suit of the locals by holding your little ones birthday party in the grounds. There is no BBQ nor picnic tables mind so it is BYO in that regard. Loos are available but not having used them I can not vouch for their condition. Fido is welcome to stroll through the gardens but must be restrained lest he knock over one of the children. SVG may also be an ideal spot to wed your sweetheart. You can often see some intimate and beautiful weddings in the summer months. Toodle-oo.

I'm not really all that sure whether I can consider this place to be a Melbourne institution…read moreconsidering that it is a park, and I'm not sure whether you can consider parks institutions in the same way that you can consider pubs to be institutions. Still, this part certainly does have a reputation, not only because it is big, and that it has a rather large lake in the middle of it, but for four days every year they block it off just so that a bunch of cars can go for a pleasant drive around the said lake why making so much noise that you can hear it from the other side of the city, and a bunch of people come from all over the world to sit in stands and to basically wave flags while watching the said cars drive aorund the lake. Still, it is a delightful place to spend some time, and there are lots of things to do here, and lots of picnic grounds as well, and a number of sporting places, including a golf course, driving range and numerous ovals. Actually, they have a huge sporting complex here in fact. Yeah, I do rather like this place, and if you are keen for a challenge, try running around the lake.

What a peaceful place to visit and do your jogging and / or walking!…read more I really enjoyed the calmness of the location despite sporting events happening all around us. The ducks and other fowl were all over - just loved the place!

For those who love clean equipment for bubs, decent caffeine for adults, fairly quiet space (for…read morenow). This place is a must visit. The staff are welcoming and friendly, loves a chat with you and the little ones. There are different play zones for big and small kids, and story books in the cafés for your LO whist u take a well deserved break. They ask you to take off your shoes in the play area which is fantastic, but sadly don't reinforce it/ no signage (my only grip)

I was so excited to see a great play centre open up on this area... We have needed one!…read more It is open, clean and lots of space. Big issues The "toddler area" is not closed off from children of all other ages. The result is much older children causing havoc in the area, and parents of tiny babies and young toddlers becoming very nervous, then frustrated and I saw an altercation between the mum of a young girl maybe 7-12 months and the mother of a 7 year old boy who was chasing 2 other kids through the area, climbing onto the roof of the toddler play area and jumping down and using the toddler tunnel as a hurdle. Understandably as Mums of small children, my son is one, we were distressed that not one staff member addressed this issue at all. I would recommend this play centre for older kids where mums can use the opportunity to sit down and have a coffee while their kids play. It's not ideal for little ones That being said there is a "supermarket" and "animal hospital" play area on the right as you walk in, we didn't go to this area as our son is more interested in climbing, slides and bouncing balls than dolls or mock supermarkets. So I can't really comment on that area. $10 for my son and $2.50 per adult it's not a cheap afternoon by any means

(Visited 12/16/24 MO @ 12:00pm): This "river of mists" would've been welcomed on this scorching day…read morewhile out on a casual walk! A friend and I were on Day 3 of our 12-Day Southern Australia Explorer cruise with Princess Cruises, we took the local train into town, and after some initial exploration, we eventually made it to Birrarung Marr. To be honest, we knew nothing of this place until we casually came upon it. In Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung culture, "Birrarung" was the traditional name of the nearby Yarra River, and "marr" referred to the mist that sometimes settled over the Birrarung. This area was historically used for railway lines and yards in 1856. In 2000, construction of the park began and opened in 2002. The park now hosted a variety of native flora, sculpted terraces, pedestrian and bicycle paths, and was used for numerous events and festivals throughout the year. ArtPlay, a children's art center and gallery was also located on the site. Lastly, pedestrian bridges (William Barak and Tanderrum, respectively) bookend the park. Would we marvel at this public open space along the Birrarung!? PURCHASE Unless you took a river cruise, dined at a nearby eatery, or did some shopping, there were no direct ways to spend money towards the Birrarung Marr - 'nuff said. SERVICE I saw a few supposed city employees who cleaned and took care of the surrounding area. Otherwise, there wasn't anything else directly related to the Birrarung Marr - 'nuff said. PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) There appeared to be a decent amount of parking on all surrounding streets (please note any posted signs), onsite parking at the nearby Federation Square, and of course the wonderful public transportation such as the tram system which we conveniently took and then walked the rest of the way - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE As previously mentioned, this was a completely exposed outdoor area with several art sculptors https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=jFWhi7YvYd0e2r9VU2S85A while the park was decorated in Christmas cheer https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=2k72ZA4tgRzz1XZmFCJdSQ and a beautiful downtown city view https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=eBa5d7pRaKR0QezOOy6M7Q just across the river. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting (duh!) while the night stars and electric business and street lights, respectively, filled in the rest. There weren't any TVs while the sounds of construction, conversations, motorized vehicles, and more were heard in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=ch5R0TpstGK_nVzKB0Cw1Q ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Birrarung Marr was a pleasant surprise to had come upon, and it was a relaxing time as we walked from one end to the other before we left on our next adventure. I was a huge fan of public open spaces used for multiple purposes that invited people to feel comfortable, safe, and offered other options such as places to dine or simply people-watch. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00AUD / $0.00USD BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, although there wasn't anything directly you could've paid for to the park, my credit card of choice was accepted at nearly all of the surrounding businesses... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Located downtown near the Yarra River, this park area provides quiet, serenity, and the ability to…read morebike, run, or walk the pathways. Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds are conveniently located within a few minutes from this location. There are shops, vendors, and restaurants neaby to take advantage of. The city of Melbourne do a great service with this public park.