Visiting a library may not be at the top of everyone’s travel to-do lists.

Funnily enough, visiting State Library Victoria has made almost every single ‘top things to do in Melbourne‘ guide that I found while planning my trip.

One of the top reasons is that this library is full of history. Dating back to 1856, State Library Victoria is the oldest public library in Australia, and one of the first free public libraries in the world.

With 170 years of history under its belt, it’s little wonder then that everyone flocks here.

What to do and see at State Library Victoria

The library’s architecture is easily recognisable from afar. I actually visited the library twice on my 12-day trip (yes, I really did) and it was always so crowded.

Granted, many of these visitors are probably tourists. However, locals also make their way here throughout the day. But more on that later.

Phototaking at La Trobe Reading Room

The domed La Trobe Reading Room is arguably one of Melbourne’s most photographed spots. Everyone flocks straight to this majestic space to take in the view and of course to take lots of photos.

I was, however, quite surprised to see that there were really quite a few patrons working and reading here! I don’t know how they can concentrate, given that other visitors are busy posing and snapping photos.

The view from the ground floor is a bit flat, so I highly recommend going up one or two more flights of stairs for a gorgeous top-down photo. Or if you fancy, you can wait for the lift .

Unfortunately, I have to warn you that the wait is terribly long. Even a pregnant woman like me couldn’t tolerate the wait and decided that taking the stairs was a much better idea.

View free exhibitions

Now if you think all you’ll get here are beautiful photos, I’m happy to say that you’re wrong!

The State Library Victoria actually has a treasure trove of free exhibitions that you can enjoy. Yes you read that right – absolutely free!

The permanent ones showcase some of the Library’s most precious treasures from its collection of more than five million items.

We managed to view Beyond the Book: A Digital Journey through the Emmerson Collection, Melbourne Out Loud: Life through the lens of Rennie Ellis, and Searching for Sanctuary: A journey of survival by Barat Ali Batoor.

We caught some new free exhibits when we visited State Library Victoria in 2025. Suffice to say that I am just as impressed by the quality and content!

Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter

Now that we’re traveling with a kid, I finally got around to checking out the children’s section in State Library Victoria.

Spanning two floors, the ground level caters for younger children featuring reading nooks, play areas and craft makings, while the Castle offers a range of graphic novels and board games for kids 8 to 12 years.

Family facilities here include low-sensory nursing nooks, baby change tables, child-height and adult toilets and pram parking.

I initially wanted to come here mainly for baby caring duties, but we ended up staying here for hours because the space was perfect for our little one. There were many age-appropriate books that we could read with her, and the librarians also took out some toys for the children to play.

Is State Library Victoria worth visiting?

The library is deeply entrenched in history, is highly aesthetic, features a ton of free & well-curated exhibitions, and of course is easily accessible in town.

All of these would convince any tourist that State Library Victoria is well worth the time spend there. If you have little ones in tow, I can’t recommend coming here enough.

I would certainly return to check out their new exhibits in the future, though I think I can do without taking photos of the architecture again!

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DIRECTIONS

Address: 328 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

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