When I first visited Melbourne back in the summer of 2017, State Library of Victoria quickly became my favourite place to hang out in, aside from the National Gallery of Victoria. It is so beautiful that I fell in love with it right away. I moved to Melbourne only three months after my first visit and lived in the city for almost a year. My boyfriend then and I frequented that place either admiring the library from the inside or just chilling on the lawn just outside of the library as we read poetry to each other or people-watch.
The State Library of Victoria is definitely a place to visit not only if you want cool Instagram pictures but to actually stay and read a book, study, or get work done. The Dome, or the La Trobe Reading Room, is the most photographed area of the library and the reason why I fell in love with this library. It also has a small bookstore which I personally love browsing through and an art gallery (both permanent and changing) for art admirers like me. The library also hosts many free events which is another reason to love it.
It was formerly called the Melbourne Public Library when it was first established in 1854. It is Australia’s oldest public library and is also one of the first free libraries in the world.
What’s around? Melbourne Central, RMIT University, and a hundred shops, cafes, and restaurants.
How to get there? The closest train station is Melbourne Central.
When is it open? Mondays to Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Melbourne is on our travel bucket list. The State Library of Victoria looks gorgeous! I love the architecture inside the building with the curved archways. Plus, the sheer volume of books that they have is astounding! Glad to see that you can get to this place via subway.
Melbourne has been on my travel list for such a long time. I also love libraries! So this would be a great addition to my itinerary if I ever get there.
Looks like a great place to be to read books. Bonus for those who loves getting clicked 🙂 I can totally imagine myself reading inside this beautiful library.
Pretty cool! I like how it looks. Somehow, libraries tell so much about the culture, depending on the time they were constructed. This one gives a glimpse into the last century.
A library is one of my favourite places. I simply love the look and smell of books there. And if the library is so beautiful like the State Library of Victoria, it is a cherry on the cake. I can understand why the library became your favourite place to hang out. I love the architecture of the building and the way the tables are arranged. Hope you have more beautiful moments here.
I was actually in Melbourne beginning of last year but had only 3 days of which I spent almost 2 doing a trip along the Great Ocean Road and the rest exploring Melbourne. I did not end up visiting the State Library of Victoria though and seems like I missed out on a great opportunity. The Dome looks really amazing and I can only imagine how peaceful it’d be to sit in the lawns reading a book or looking at the people passing by.
What a gem! I can definitely see how you’d fall in love with this beauty right away. I love visiting libraries when I’m abroad and will definitely have to check this one out the next time I’m in Melbourne!
Yay! Have you been to Melbourne?
Only three days?? Too short but I hope you had a great time in Melbourne.