National Gallery of Victoria Museum

Address: 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3006, Australia (NGV International)

Website: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au

Hours: Daily 10:00am-5:00pm; open late Wed until 9:00pm

Admission: Free entry to the permanent collection; special exhibitions ticketed (typically AUD 15-40)

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is Australia’s oldest and one of its largest public art museums, based in Melbourne and founded in 1861. It operates two principal sites: NGV International on St Kilda Road and the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square.

NGV International houses the international, decorative arts and historical collections and is located opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Ian Potter Centre presents Australian art, including Indigenous and colonial works, and stands on the north bank of the Yarra River at Federation Square.

The NGV’s holdings exceed 70,000 works and it stages a steady programme of temporary exhibitions, major touring shows and public events. Over time the gallery expanded from a single 19th-century collection to a multi-site national cultural institution with renovated buildings and new exhibition facilities.

Both sites are in Melbourne’s central precincts - NGV International on St Kilda Road in the cultural boulevard near the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square adjacent to the CBD and Flinders Street Station - making them easily reachable on foot or public transport.

• Founding and collection: Founded in 1861, the institution holds a collection of more than 70,000 works spanning international and Australian art.
• Admission: General collection galleries are free to enter; major travelling exhibitions and special-ticket shows require paid admission.

What to See#

• NGV International (St Kilda Road): The St Kilda Road building housing the international and historical collections, designed by Sir Roy Grounds and located opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens on the south edge of Melbourne’s CBD.
• Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia: The Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square opened to display the Australian art collection and is located on the north bank of the Yarra River in central Melbourne.

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International) is on St Kilda Road in Melbourne’s Arts Precinct, Southbank. From Flinders Street Station it’s about a 10-15 minute walk across Princes Bridge/Federation Square. Several trams run along St Kilda Road with stops directly outside the gallery (including the City Circle free tram service that stops at the Arts Centre/Federation Square area).

If driving from central Melbourne the gallery is under 2 km south of the CBD; follow St Kilda Road and use nearby public parking or the Arts Centre car parks and then walk a few minutes to the NGV.

• Book tickets for major temporary exhibitions in advance-general admission to parts of the NGV is free but blockbuster shows sell out, and morning weekday visits tend to be the quietest.
• Start at the St Kilda Road (NGV International) galleries and then, if you want Australian art, factor in a separate visit to the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square; visitors often miss that NGV's collections are split across two nearby sites.