Old Melbourne Gaol

Old Melbourne Gaol is a 19th-century prison complex in central Melbourne, Victoria, now operated as a museum interpreting colonial penal history. The site preserves original cell blocks, exercise yards and execution facilities from its operational period.

The gaol was built in the mid-19th century during Melbourne’s rapid growth and was used as a place of incarceration and execution through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After closure as an operational prison, parts of the complex were retained and converted into a museum that interprets its penal history.

The gaol sits on the northern edge of Melbourne’s central business district in Victoria, within walking distance of central city streets and public transport hubs.

• Ned Kelly connection: A well-known associate is Ned Kelly, the bushranger who was hanged at the gaol in 1880; his cell and related displays are part of the visitor route.
• Guided and night tours: The site operates as a museum with guided tours and occasional night tours that focus on the gaol's penal history and architecture.

What to See #

• Execution Yard: The Execution Yard contains the built gallows and the site where several 19th-century and early 20th-century executions took place; it is part of the preserved outdoor area of the museum complex.
• Main Cell Block: The Main Cell Block displays original cells, exercise yards and prison fittings used during the gaol's operation in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Museum exhibitions: The gaol museum includes exhibitions on criminal justice, authentic artefacts and a small interpretation area dedicated to the trial and execution of Ned Kelly in 1880.