SPORTING STADIUM - AUSTRALIA The MCG is more than just a sports venue. It's a place where memories are made and childhood dreams come alive. There are fleeting moments at the 'G that stay with you forever. Ask any Victorian and they'll be aware of the Melbourne Cricket Ground's status as the home of sport.
"The MCG is a shrine...It is to this city what the Opera House is to Sydney, the Eiffel Tower to Paris and the Statue of Liberty is to New York; it symbolises Melbourne to the world. It inspires reverence."
It is also steeped in a rich history; established in 1853, less than 20 years after the founding of Melbourne, it is often described as the beating heart of this fantastic city.
It has been the home of Australian football since 1859, and was the birthplace of Test cricket in 1877 and one-day international cricket in 1971.
It was the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games, attracts up to 100,000 fans to the annual AFL Grand Final and the 'G comes to life each Christmas at the Boxing Day Test.
Other sporting spectacles to have been held there include World Cup soccer qualifiers, rugby league home and away matches and State of Origin, international rugby union and Austral Wheel Races.
But the 'G, as it is affectionately known to locals, is so much more than Australia's biggest sporting stadium. It has hosted Papal and Royal visits and housed US Marines, the US Army Air-Forces and our own RAAF during World War II. It has also been a concert venue for international and local performers, held open days, charity events, dinners and many more.
www.pearltravels.com Email: [email protected] Contact: +91-20-26830166 Nestled in Yarra Park, about a 10-minute walk from the heart of the city, the MCG is open every day of the year for events and functions and tourists and the general public alike can visit seven days a week.
Tours and Museums The MCG Tour is an absolute must on any Melbourne visit. The guided tour is the only opportunity to get an exclusive, behind the scenes peek of one of the world's most iconic sports stadiums but is also a chance to hear about the history and secrets of the 'G.
The National Sports Museum is unique amongst sports and stadium museums around the world. It brings together the history of the Melbourne Cricket Club and the MCG itself as well as more than 3500 objects across countless sports. And with an interactive sports gallery called Game On for visitors to experience the thrill of participation, there is truly something for everyone.
Nowhere in the world can you find a museum that celebrates a nation's rich sporting history like the National Sports Museum at an unmatchable venue like the MCG.
In air-conditioned comfort, the museum offers something for everybody all year round with school holiday activities, the Game On! interactive gallery, and Australia's largest collection of sporting memorabilia.
Across a multitude of sports, the museum features memorabilia from some of the country's biggest heroes and highlights moments that have shaped the traditions of Australian sport.
The NSM displays: Olympics through the years - Faster, Higher, Stronger Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum Sport Australia Hall of Fame Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Australian Football Hall of Fame Champions – Thoroughbred Racing Gallery MCG – The People's Ground Melbourne Cricket Club Museum Backyard to Baggy Green Exhibition (including a Shane Warne 3D hologram) Australian Football Exhibition (including a James Hird 3D hologram)
An interactive gallery for visitors of all ages, Game On!
The museum also boasts other displays of basketball, boxing, netball, soccer, cycling, tennis, golf, Paralympic Games, rugby union, and rugby league. Temporary exhibitions, such as Drawing a Laugh focusing on the lighter side of sport through Australian cartoons, always provide a special and new experience for visitors every time. An Olympic-themed package has been developed for education groups in 2016
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What to see at the NSM? Drawing a Laugh! Launching in late March, the NSM's latest exhibition Drawing a Laugh takes a look at the lighter side of sport with an entertaining collection of sport cartoons. The exhibition highlights how humour can be used to both reflect and shine new light on iconic moments and individuals, as well as the seemingly every-day or ordinary sporting pursuits. The exhibition's side-splitting sketches on display include work by more than thirty of Australia's greatest cartoonists, such as Mark Knight, Paul Harvey, Cathy Wilcox, Judy Horacek, John Shakespeare, First Dog on the Moon and David Squires.
Game On: A real fan-favourite, in Game On! kids can test their goal-kicking skills against AFL players, run out the batsman on a virtual cricket pitch or pedal against cycling champions. With sporting activities ranging from archery to netball, the interactive gallery is the perfect place for kids to throw, shoot, ride, race and run to their heart's content!
Road to Rio: Visitors can get Rio-ready by checking out the Faster, Higher, Stronger exhibition, which traces Australia's participation in the Olympic Games. Highlights include an Olympic timeline with each Olympic relay torch and medals and artefacts from past and present Olympians including Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe.
Symbols of Australian Sport: Launched in February, whether it's wearing green and gold, waving a boxing kangaroo flag or singing "C'mon Aussie, c’mon" Athletes and sports fans alike use national symbols to declare "I am proud to be Australian". This new exhibit in the National Sports Museum brings together some prime examples of Australia's sporting symbols and looks at the diverse ways that athletes and fans have connected to the nation over time.
AFL: For those who live and breathe for footy, the Australia's Game is not to be missed – with a selection of the greatest VFL/AFL moments from throughout the game's history. There are incredible memorabilia spanning all the way back to the original inception and development of the AFL, as well as a fantastic collection of items related to all the modern clubs.
Cricket: See the King of Spin come to life in 3D by entering the Shane Warne 'Cricket Found Me' experience, which uses simulated hologram technology to take visitors inside the MCG change room as Warnie discusses the highs and lows, setbacks and triumphs of his sporting career. Other cricketing content includes the 'Backyard to Baggy Green' display which traces the evolution of cricket over time, the Cricket Hall of Fame and special Baggy Green room which showcases a collection of the famous caps.
Champions: Thoroughbred Racing Gallery The Champions gallery features some of the most beautiful and important horseracing treasures imaginable, as well as some "gems" that have never been displayed before. Amongst the current collection is a display celebrating the ten-year anniversary of champion mare Makybe Diva achieving the prestigious feat of becoming the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup three times. Complete with her iconic blue, red and white silks as well as a number of her Melbourne Cup trophies, it's not to be missed!
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Cafe and pub culture If you have tasted Melbourne's world-famous cafe and pub culture you will appreciate the transformation the 'G has made through its own range of bars and cafes.
Venues such as the Paddock Cafe and Terrace Cafe are the equal of many of Melbourne's hidden cafe secrets and are the perfect complement to the range of beer gardens, rooftop terraces and sports bars scattered throughout the stadium.
While the steady calendar of top-class sporting events will offer unforgettable experiences for those who attend, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the MCG more often.
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