Melbourne, Australia, is home to a large number of cultural institutions, museums and historic sites, some of which are known worldwide:
| Name | Type | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Numismatic | website, banknotes and coins, moneyboxes, office machines, firearms, gold-mining equipment and uniforms | |
| Art | Contemporary art gallery | |
| Media | Film, television, digital media | |
| Aviation | Australia's aviation heritage | |
| Music | Australian music, part of Arts Centre Melbourne | |
| Sports | Horse racing, part of the National Sports Museum | |
| Art | Urban Contemporary, Street Art | |
| Art | Contemporary photo-based arts | |
| Ethnic | Heritage and culture of Australia's Chinese community | |
| Art | website, exhibits from the city's art and history collections | |
| Historic house | Mid 18th century cottage of Captain James Cook's parents in England that was transported to Melbourne | |
| Art | Georgian townhouse that houses The Johnston Collection of fine and decorative art | |
| Art | website, traditional and contemporary concepts of Eastern philosophy through painting, sculptures, calligraphy, embroidery, pottery, decorative arts and antiques | |
| Biographical | Documents the life, career and music of composer and pianist Percy Grainger | |
| Ethnic | Cultural traditions of ancient and contemporary Greece | |
| Art | Houses the Australian part of the art collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, includes paintings, sculpture, prints, photography, fashion and textiles | |
| Art | Part of the University of Melbourne, includes Australian art in all media from the early nineteenth century to the present, European art, International indigenous art, classics and archaeology | |
| History | Operated by Museum Victoria, history of immigration in Australia | |
| Ethnic | Islamic art and culture | |
| Holocaust | ||
| Jewish | Only Jewish community museum in Australia | |
| Art | Located in Fairhall, includes Georgian, Regency and Louis XV furniture, 18th and 19th century porcelain, and paintings from the 16th - 19th centuries | |
| Ethnic | website, Koorie art, culture and heritage | |
| Historic house | Original mid 19th century home of Victoria's first Lt. Governor, Charles Joseph La Trobe, operated by the National Trust of Australia | |
| Documents social history of Melbourne's western suburbs | ||
| Mary Glowrey Museum | Biographical | website Documents the life and legacy of Melbourne doctor and medical missionary Mary Glowrey |
| Maritime | Includes the museum ship Polly Woodside, 3-masted 19th century barque. Operated by the National Trust of Australia | |
| Multiple | Largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, operated by Museum Victoria, exhibits include natural history, science, art, culture | |
| Melbourne Museum of Printing | Industrial | website, Working and teaching museum of typography and printing |
| Melbourne Tram Museum | Transportation | Large collection of Melbourne's trams, housed in the former Hawthorn tram depot |
| Art | Includes the Ian Potter Centre, encompasses Indigenous (Australian Aboriginal) art, Australian colonial painting, Australian Impressionist painting, 20th century, modern and contemporary Australian art | |
| Engineering | website Operated by Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club Inc, working examples of mechanical heritage | |
| Sports | Includes the Australian Racing Museum, Australian rules football, cricket, Olympic Games, tennis, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, basketball, boxing and netball | |
| Transportation | Steam, electric and diesel locomotives, carriages, signalling and other historic railway equipment and artefacts | |
| Prison | History of the 19th century prison used until 1924 | |
| History | Museum of Melbourne history from the 1830s, | |
| Historic house | website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, prefabricated iron buildings from the gold rush era | |
| Aviation | Military aircraft, official museum of the Royal Australian Air Force | |
| History, cinema | website, Operated by the Salvation Army, includes original Limelight Department film studio | |
| Schramm's Cottage Museum Complex | History | website, Operated by the Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society includes the stone Schramm's Cottage, the Waldau Cemetery and farm equipment collection. |
| Science | Operated by Museum Victoria, hands-on science exhibits | |
| Military | Located in Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, shows the production of shot balls by freefall of molten lead | |
| Aviation | website, Operated by TAA Australian Airlines 25 year club volunteers, exhibits of Trans Australia Airlines history | |
| Law enforcement | website, social history of policing and crime in Victoria including uniforms, equipment, weapons | |
| Technology | Telephones and telecommunications equipment | |