Held on the last weekend in July since 2008, Open House Melbourne is one of the Victorian capital’s favourite winter events. It’s that opportunity to have a peek at places that were hitherto off-limits, or available to only a few, that makes it irresistible to so many.
Growing in scope year after year, Open House Melbourne in 2025 will be one of the biggest yet, with nearly 200 buildings and experiences united under the theme ‘Stories of the City’ – diving into the oh-so human predilection for ferreting out unusual spaces or seeing what’s behind the windows of some of the most grandiose and exclusive looking private homes. Eight new residences will be featured this year, including ECHO.1, Melbourne’s first Turnkey Passivhaus Development.
With parts of Victoria’s much publicised Big Build now actually coming to fruition, some of the most popular inclusions in this year’s line-up are bound to be in the realm of public infrastructure, with first-time access to the brand new 2.5-kilometre long Veloway on the West Gate Tunnel Project and Port Phillip’s new EcoCentre available to the public.
As the program has evolved, so too has its geographical footprint. The likes of Essendon Fields Airport Terminal is one of the attractions this year, along with Mission Whitten Oval (home of the Western Bulldogs Football Club), a kayak tour down the Birrarung/Yarra to learn about the river’s First Nation’s history and ecology, a three-hour city-wide role-playing game set in the year 2050 called Reworlding Naarm, and behind the scenes tours of the city’s street art studios. Also new to the program is The Spotswood Pumping Station.
But surely one of the most popular options will be the new 21-hectare elephant habitat at the Werribee Open Range Zoo. Werribee’s safari-like experience has been drawing hordes of families and other animal lovers for over 40 years. And now that all Melbourne Zoo’s nine Asian elephants have completed the move to the wider open plains of Werribee, all that remains is for Victorians to officially welcome them to their new home.
This year’s theme for Open House Melbourne is elaborated upon by Executive Director and Chief Curator, Dr Tania Davidge. “’Stories of the City’ underscores that idea that the city is more than just bricks and mortar,” she says. “Melbourne is about people and place. Every building, street and public place in our city has a unique story to uncover, and Open House Melbourne Weekend is your best time to explore the secret histories of our city hidden behind closed doors.”
Adding to the inclusive ethos, an interactive exhibition titled Collective Narratives of Melbourne is being staged at the Bates Smart Gallery, with locals invited to visit and share their stories of Victoria’s capital city. And for photography buffs, the city’s Camera Club is also hosting a Stories of Our City photographic exhibition.
Favourite experiences from previous years are returning, with Yan Yean Reservoir Park, Citylink Control Room, Shrine of Remembrance, the Sun Theatre in Yarraville and ABC’s Southbank studios all once again opening their doors to the curious.
Other Open House Melbourne highlights
This year’s program includes:
- a one-off in conversation event about the history of Armstrong Studios with a trio of music industry luminaries: sound engineer Roger Savage (who was Oscar-nominated for his work on the 2001 version of Moulin Rouge), musician Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and producer Ernie Rose (Little River Band, Split Enz)
- backstage tours of Melbourne’s artistic and cultural institutions including Southbank Theatre, Melbourne Recital Centre, Australian Print Workshop and The Australian Tapestry Workshop
- tours of the city’s most high-profile street art studios including Rone & Callum Preston and Everfresh Studios
- backstage tours of Melbourne theatres by the Architects Registration Board of Victoria, and
- access to some of Melbourne’s most beautiful and sustainable private homes, including Naples St House by Edition Office, the Robin Boyd winner at the National Architecture Awards.
Open House Melbourne runs across Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July 2025. This year a new Access Map initiative has been created to help visitors curate a selection of fully accessible mobility-friendly and neurodiverse-considerate sites. For the full program and further information.
