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Melbourne, Unlocked: Inside the 2025 Open House Program
Step through the doors you’ve always wondered about…
Step through doors you’ve always wondered about…
What do a disused vault beneath Princes Bridge, a 21-hectare elephant sanctuary, and a kayak tour along the Birrarung have in common? They’re just a few of the spaces waiting to be explored during Open House Melbourne 2025 — a weekend-long invitation to rediscover the city through the lens of architecture, design, and the many layered stories of place.
On Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July, nearly 200 buildings, studios, landmarks and lesser-known corners across Melbourne will open their doors — some for the first time ever — revealing the thoughtful design, forgotten history, and quiet brilliance that shape the city we move through every day.
Big Reveals, Bigger Firsts
Get your sneakers ready — this year’s program features more never-before-seen sites than ever, including public access to the epic new Veloway atop the West Gate Tunnel Project and the eco-forward Port Phillip EcoCentre. Yes, you’ll be the first to step foot (or pedal) on some of Melbourne’s most exciting new infrastructure before the rest of the city even gets a look-in.
Stories Etched in Stone (and Concrete)
Open House 2025 embraces the theme Stories of the City — an invitation to unearth the narratives tucked behind facades and within foundations. There’s poetry in the everyday: the photographic legacy of Melbourne’s oldest camera club, a behind-the-curtain look at Southbank Theatre, and a live installation at Bates Smart Gallery that welcomes your own memories into the city’s evolving archive.
From Elephant Enclosures to Street Art Sanctuaries
Ever dreamed of seeing the new elephant habitat at Werribee Zoo before the herds move in? Or wandering through the artist studios of Rone, Callum Preston and Everfresh? This is your golden ticket. You can even learn to sidewalk surf from Olympic judge Renton Millar at Prahran Skate Park (yes, really). And for a dose of design-led community spirit, Balam Balam Place offers a beautifully reimagined precinct where art, culture, wellbeing and connection come together in one vibrant, open space.
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The Homes You’ve Always Wanted to Peek Inside
We know you want to. And now you can. This year’s program lets you inside eight design-forward private homes, including the award-winning Naples Street House by Edition Office and ECHO.1, Melbourne’s first turnkey Passivhaus development. Also welcoming curious eyes for the first time are the striking No Rezzavations House by Sarah Lake Architects, the environmentally conscious Merri House by EME Design, and the artfully composed Northcote House by LLDS Architects. These homes are unmissable, offering a glimpse of how we might all be living in the future — stylishly and sustainably.
OUR TOP PICK: Step Inside a Hidden Artist’s World
Behind a 1920s Californian Bungalow in Malvern, the Duldig Studio Museum offers a rare glimpse into the intimate home and studio of acclaimed sculptor Karl Duldig and artist Slawa Horowitz-Duldig. Open House weekend’s guided tour unveils never-before-shared stories linking the family to iconic Melbourne creatives, Viennese design, and even a famed restaurant. A must for lovers of art, history and beautiful spaces.
Ghosts, Incinerators, and Architecture Icons
Open House isn’t just for the design nerds (although they’ll be thriving). It’s for the curious. The nosy. The romantics. The time travellers. One minute you’re walking through a 1930s incinerator turned art gallery in Essendon, the next you’re backstage at Southbank Theatre or stepping into Melbourne’s Abbey Road — aka Armstrong Studios, where legends from Nick Cave to Star Wars were shaped.
Designing With Country, Dreaming of the Future
This year, Open House also invites you to think bigger — with talks and immersive tours exploring Indigenous architecture, reimagined futures, and how design can help us live more connected, more conscious lives. Explore the Yarra by kayak on a First Nations-led tour or dive into a role-playing game set in Melbourne 2050, where the city has ballooned to 10 million people. (Spoiler: It’s chaotic, but gorgeous.)
Plan Like a Pro
With over 190 sites, 13 private residences, 10 places of worship, and 4 elite sporting facilities, this year’s lineup is a choose-your-own-adventure of the most epic kind. The most coveted sessions will book out, so hop onto the Open House Melbourne site and get planning.
Access Map: This year also sees the introduction of a fully interactive Access Map, designed in collaboration with accessibility experts to highlight neurodiverse-considerate and mobility-friendly sites.
Craving more winter magic? Dive into our guide to the city’s best rainy day escapes, or take a scenic drive to the regional galleries casting a creative glow across the state.
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