Old Treasury Building
Old Treasury Building
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Sitting at the top end of Collins Street in the Melbourne CBD, the Old Treasury Building is widely regarded as one of the finest 19th century buildings in Australia. The Old Treasury building was designed by nineteen-year-old architect JJ Clark and built between 1858 and 1862. The Old Treasury Building hosts the original gold vaults where gold bullion was stored during the gold rush era, as well as rare and historic documents from Public Record Office Victoria highlighting key moments from Victoria’s history. Come and explore the intriguing gold vaults!
Tours are available on the last Sunday of the month for $15 per person. Tickets through the Old Treasury Building website.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Old Treasury Building and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
5,195 within 5 kms
Attractions
1,434 within 10 kms
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
501 reviews
Excellent
237
Very good
213
Average
42
Poor
8
Terrible
1
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,783 contributions
Jun. 2023 • Solo
The Old Treasury Building was built in 1869 to store the copious amounts of gold flowing from the Victorian goldfields. The Great Australian Gold Rush dated from 1851. Apart from the gold, it was also an office for the Victorian Treasury. These days, visitors can inspect the vaults; there are also a number of exhibitions, including the changing role of women and the evolution of work. Entry is free.
Written 30 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review 619jeffry! Glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 3 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,783 contributions
Dec. 2022
The Old Treasury Building is one of Australia's finest public buildings remaining from the 19th century. It is built in Renaissance style, from sandstone. After over a century's exposure to Melbourne's variable climate and industrial pollutants, the exterior of the Old Treasury Building will be shrouded in scaffolding to allow for restoration to proceed in the first part of 2023. The interior will remain open. The Old Treasury Building is at the "Paris End" of Collins Street, Melbourne's main commercial thoroughfare. By the way, entry is free.
Written 3 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review 619jeffry! Hopefully the beautiful exterior will be revealed again soon!
Written 5 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ModernDayTimeTraveler
Chicago, IL354 contributions
Nov. 2022 • Solo
In Melbourne for the first time for work and had a little time to kill. I always for local history museums if I can and this did not disappoint! I spent just over an hour here and was really impressed with the variety and quality of information. The volunteer who greeted me was incredibly friendly and shared some extra details about the building and the exhibitions. The best part is that it’s FREE! I definitely left with a better understanding of how Melbourne came to be and some important moments in its history. The replica gold nugget in the vault looks too big to be true. Could you imagine being the prospector who dug that up?!
Written 28 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review ModernDayTimeTravel! Glad you enjoyed your visit. The nugget is indeed a wonder to behold!
Written 5 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JoanieM620
Grantsburg, WI195 contributions
Oct. 2022
I was expecting a museum about the Treasury/money. This is so much more. The history of Melbourne is on display here, presented in a very interesting way. A very interesting way to spend an afternoon.
Written 17 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review JoanieM620! Glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 5 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael-4551
Caloundra, Australia5,458 contributions
Aug. 2022
Visited on Monday 29th August. I have always admired this building and made the most of the opportunity to have a look inside, it didn't disappoint, Personally I found there was too much information to read, more inter active displays would have been better.
Written 28 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review Michael-4551! We pack a lot of information into a small space! Glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 5 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FinAus traveller
Espoo, Finland41 contributions
Jul. 2022
Interesting for a short interesting stroll through a museum. Entrance is free. The old safes were fascinating and some of the history described of the time when it was still in use.
Written 31 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review FinAus-Traveller! Glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 17 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,783 contributions
May 2022
In 1851, the Great Australian Gold Rush took off. Soon, torrents of the precious metal were pouring into Melbourne. It was decided that a Treasury Building, with vaults to hold tons of gold, was required. Had the massive vaults been filled, the value would have been astronomical. Alas, the gold boom was tapering off by the time the Treasury Building was completed. Even so, the Treasury Building remains one of Australia's finest buildings constructed in Renaissance style. Entry is free.
Written 10 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review 619jeffry! The vaults are indeed impressive! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 20 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Roving520738
3 contributions
Mar. 2021
This museum always has interesting exhibits, often about lesser known aspects of the history of Melbourne and Victoria.
Written 22 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review Roving520738! I hope you have been able to view our latest exhibition 'Lost Jobs: The Changing World of Work'.
Written 20 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Traveller
Melbourne, Australia15,739 contributions
Jan. 2022
This place has reopened for the public to visit, after extended closures due to Covid-19 lockdowns.
My wife and I visited a few days ago, midweek at 10:30 am, after visiting The State Parliament Building. There were very few visitors during our entire visit. This is excellent for social distancing.
We found it interesting to view the various exhibits inside this museum, especially the gold vault in the very large basement.
My wife and I visited a few days ago, midweek at 10:30 am, after visiting The State Parliament Building. There were very few visitors during our entire visit. This is excellent for social distancing.
We found it interesting to view the various exhibits inside this museum, especially the gold vault in the very large basement.
Written 6 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review Global_Traveller_301! It's been exciting for us to be open, I'm glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 20 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
adenoz
Melbourne, Australia313 contributions
Jul. 2021
A beautiful building, inside and out. There are always ever-changing, interesting exhibits to see. Go down into the bowels of the building and literally stand on over a million dollars worth of gold.
Written 10 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review adenoz! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit.
Written 20 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingOld Treasury Building: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Old Treasury Building
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Old Treasury Building:
- Complete Melbourne Walking Tour (From AU$100.94)
- Live like a Local: A Self-Guided Audio Tour (From AU$8.25)
- Melbourne Self-Guided Audio Tour (From AU$24.29)
- Great Ocean Road Highlights Tour - 2 Days, 1 Night (From AU$721.82)
- Rooftop Bars and Ripping Tales of Melbourne (From AU$90.73)
- Hotels near Old Treasury Building:
- (0.06 km) Views of the MCG, Spacious Apt, AC, Juliet Balcony, Netflix, Alcaston House
- (0.06 km) Spring on Collins – An elegant Suite on Collins Street
- (0.16 km) Sheraton Melbourne Hotel
- (0.16 km) The Hotel Windsor
- (0.17 km) Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
- Restaurants near Old Treasury Building:
- (0.06 km) Treasury Cafe
- (0.15 km) Afternoon Tea at The Hotel Windsor
- (0.16 km) No35
- (0.18 km) Lupino Bistro and Bar
- (0.09 km) Mamasita