mcg museum tour

MCG Tour & Australian Sports Museum

Tickets for MCG Tour & Australian Sports Museum in Melbourne 🎫 Ticket for 1 adult (16+) - includes:

• Guided tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
• Admission to the Australian Sport's Museum

Highlights 🏏 Explore the Australian Sports Museum and iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground with a guided tour 😲 Discover exclusive areas of the MCG that are usually reserved for players ⚽ Enjoy the immersive exhibits and galleries of the Australian Sport's Museum 💡 Soak up insider knowledge and trivia from your guide General Info 📅 Date and time: various dates and times available  ⏳ Duration: 2 – 3 hours  📍 Location: Melbourne Visitor Hub 👤 Age requirement: 16+  ♿ Accessibility: this experience is wheelchair accessible ❓ For this event, all sales are final and tickets can’t be refunded, changed or modified. For more information, please refer to our T&Cs Description See the best of Australian Sport with a guided tour of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and entry to the Australian Sports Museum! Experience the tradition and heritage of the MCG as you discover the inner sanctum, walk across the pitch and enter the changing rooms used by cricket legends over the years. You’ll then have unlimited time to explore the museum with its exciting, interactive and ever-changing exhibits featuring the latest technology. Get your tickets now for MCG Tour & Australian Sports Museum in Melbourne!

Getting there

Melbourne Visitor Hub

90-130 Swanston Street Corner Little Collins and, Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia, 3000

Select date and session

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• Attractions

MCG Tour and Australian Sports Museum Melbourne

by mumslittleexplorers · February 1, 2023

Melbourne is the sports capital of Australia and one of the most popular attractions is of course the iconic MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sports Museum. So much to see and do for all ages.

MCG Tour Melbourne

A tour of the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground is a must do if you are a sports fan. Home of the AFL, cricket and many huge concerts and events nothing can match the tradition and heritage of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The tour goes for 75 minutes and the tour guides are volunteers and are passionate about all sports and the MCG. They can tailor your tour to your particular interests whether it be cricket or AFL, or another.

You will explore the inner sanctum of the MCG to gain an insight to Melbourne’s sporting culture.

Learn about past and present players of the games, check out behind the scenes where the players run out onto the field,  and even head into the changing rooms.

You even get to walk onto the MSG itself where all of the legends play!

Sports Museum Melbourne

After your MCG tour it’s time to explore the Australian Sports Museum. This is not your usual museum though, it is an interactive walk through celebrating Australian sports!

You can check out the memorabilia of past and present players and learn about the greats of our most popular sports.

The kids will particularly love the interactive areas where they can challenge themselves at a bit of footy, cricket, basketball, horse racing and more.

There is even a giant Sherrin football climbing wall!

Address: Melbourne Cricket Ground Brunton Ave, Richmond VIC Opening Hours 10am – 5pm 7 days Closed on game days Website for more information

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Become a Volunteer MCG Tour Guide

Mcg tours showcase the importance of the club and the ground in the fabric of melbourne and along with the australian sports museum have become key attractions in melbourne’s tourism industry, receiving more than 100,000 visitors annually., want to be part of the mcc’s volunteer team, the history of mcg tours.

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Golden Ring Tours

An opportunity to travel in time and experience the medieval towns of the Russian province

Home / Russia travel Destinations / Golden Ring Tours

Golden Ring Tours Immerse in Russian heritage, architectural masterpieces & stunning landscapes.

Golden ring tours overview.

Our Golden Ring Tours take place close to Russia's capital Moscow, yet seemingly a world away, adventuring to the beautifully preserved ancient cities of the Golden Ring route is a must. The cities of the Golden Ring are perfect destinations for travellers seeking the idyllic, provincial Mother Russia of old. A must short detour when Visiting Moscow. Scattered across a rural landscape of rolling hills, flower blanketed meadows, rivers and streams. The cities of the Golden Ring were considered political backwaters by the time Soviet industrialisation took hold, escaping much of the urban progress that rapidly engulfed Moscow and its surroundings. Consequently, many locals to the Golden Ring still lead a largely traditional existence, living in tight-knit communities where the ancestral izba (wooden farmhouse) is the centre of daily life.

 Golden Ring Russia, Travel Highlights:

• Regarded as open-air museums, be enthralled by many of the Golden Ring’s ancient settlements and architectural masterpieces . These include the UNESCO-listed monasteries and onion-dome cathedrals in Yaroslavl, the white stone monuments of Vladimir (the Golden Gates, the church of Boris and Gleb), and the medieval wooden houses and windmills in Suzdal.
• Our Golden Ring Tours facilitate immersion in the colourful culture of provincial Russia. Towns such as Ivanovo and Kostroma still maintain a largely traditional way of life. When you visit the Golden ring, be sure to try the delicious traditional Russian cuisine, admire time-honoured handicrafts and unearth ancient relics of the Soviet times.
• Discover the sacred places of the orthodox religion at their many cathedrals, churches and historical monuments like the Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius, the Holy Assumption Cathedral and the Cathedral of Transformation.
• Uncover the age-old allure of Russia by delving into the rich history and legends of the Golden Ring. From Russian princes and knights to the early Tsars and Mongol invasions, you will experience something straight out of a fairytale.
• Admire the stunning natural landscapes of the Golden Ring dominated by rippling meadows, lush green forests and winding rivers used to link fortified towns in the middle ages.

Many Golden Ring cities date back to at least the 10th century, and played a vital role in Medieval history, associated with the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church, the reign of Tsars and the Mongol Invasions. When you go on a Golden Ring tour, you will notice that virtually every town is a living museum, made up of ancient forts, towering monasteries, imposing palaces and magnificent cathedrals. Recognised for their artistic merit as an important place in history, four sites on the Golden Ring circuit have gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status, including the 1,000-year-old city of Yaroslavl.

Explore Golden Ring Tours

Golden Ring at a Glance

Take a short detour from Moscow to discover the age-old allure of Russia. Travelling from the capital to the countryside, where golden spires and the onion-shaped domes of colourful monasteries dot the horizon, explore the historic and enchanting towns of Suzdal, Vladimir and Sergiev Posad.

Golden Ring - Reflections of Russian Heritage

The tour will take you to the eight cities of the Golden Ring, starting from Vladimir. The 'classical' route will take you to the fascinating sites of ancient cities. Get to see calm, slow, peaceful life in rural Russia and enjoy its architectural gems, culture and history.

Moscow, St Petersburg and Golden Ring Rendezvous

This tour of Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Golden Ring explores the places that shaped Russia’s history – past, present and future. Uncover Moscow’s ongoing revolutionary spirit, before journeying back in time to rural, medieval Russia. End in St Petersburg, a city of royal splendour and undeniable romance.

A custom tour made to order

We understand sometimes our set departure dates do not align with your ability to travel at that time, or you just want to travel bespoke. We got you covered.

Go custom — gives you the choice & flexibility of creating your own bespoke itinerary, using our tours for inspiration.

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U of I Locations: Moscow (Main Campus)

From the moment you step on campus, you’ll understand why the University of Idaho has been named the most beautiful college in the state . Iconic buildings are connected by tree-filled green spaces, walkable paths and welcoming plazas. Don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with a friendly smile and wave from a peer or professor, especially on the historic Hello Walk.

Our community extends way beyond campus. Moscow is a tight-knit town of about 25,000 people, full of vibrant activities, businesses and events that love to welcome college students. You’ll find incredible opportunities for recreation and exploration in the surrounding area, too.

Want to see it all for yourself? Plan your campus visit today .

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Whether you live in the residence halls , a fraternity or sorority or off-campus, you’ll be minutes away from your classes and places to study and play.

There’s always something to do: grab a snack in the Idaho Student Union Building , check out a book from the U of I Library 's more than 2 million holdings, take in the beauty of nature in the Arboretum and Botanical Garden , watch a play in the Hartung Theater  or a game in the ICCU Arena , take a fitness class in the Student Recreation Center , catch a Vandal Entertainment -sponsored concert and so much more.

A True College Town

Venture only a few minutes off campus and you’ll be in downtown Moscow. It’s no wonder Seattle Magazine called it “a college town with a soul that shines through year-round” — the calendar is packed with festivals, cultural events and community gatherings like our award-winning farmers’ market on Main Street.

No matter what you like to do, you’ll find an activity to fall in love with . Experience a local art museum or theater production, dance to a live band at a street fair or a local coffee shop, dress in period garb for the Moscow Renaissance Fair or enter a local 5K run or bike race. Volunteer opportunities abound with local nonprofits that support the arts, sustainability, youth and children, the LGBTQ community, health care and more.

And did we mention food? You’ll find a huge co-op with natural and organic options, cozy pubs and coffee shops with Pacific Northwest vibes, locally owned restaurants with cuisines from around the world, and funky hole-in-the-wall spots for affordable college-town snacks.

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Gain outdoor skills and connect with other adventurous students through the U of I Outdoor Program . Want to take your own excursion? Rent equipment through the Outdoor Rental Center .

Falk in Australia: ‘We Made Memories That Will Last a Lifetime and Bonds That Will Last Forever’

From mid-May through early June, 19 students from Syracuse University–including 14 from Falk College–spent the start of their summer in Australia for the “Australia: Sport, History and Culture” class taught by David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management Rick Burton .

For nearly three weeks, the students traveled from the Melbourne Cricket Ground to Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney, Australia’s largest city. As part of their immersion trip, each student was required to contribute to Aussie 24 , a blog that captured their day-to-day experiences.

The entire blog is worth a read, but here a few daily excerpts to get you started:

Rugby lessons in the park

Day 3: Julia Cronin ’26 (sport management major)

Our group walked to Victoria University, where we met with  Matthew Klugman, who taught us about the history and rules of Aussie Rules Football and the social impact of the game. After a captivating lecture, our group got lunch and headed to Flagstaff Gardens Park with Damian Hecker (“Damo”) to try out Aussie Rules Football. We started out with drills and then played a scrimmage game. I even surprised myself and scored a goal.

Later, we watched the St. Kilda Saints vs. Fremantle Dockers at Marvel Stadium (in Melbourne). We all got dinner at the stadium, and many tried the famous Australian meat pies and kangaroo meat! Our group understood the game much better after getting the chance to play it ourselves in the park earlier. Unfortunately, St. Kilda (Professor Burton’s favorite team) didn’t pull off the win but the game was so fun to watch nonetheless.

Day 6: Finley Dermody ’27 (sport management)

This morning, we started our day with a walk to the Twenty3 Group’s office, where we met with CEO  John Tripodi. He gave us a presentation on the (marketing) company that he started himself. It was fascinating to hear about his journey.

Next, we heard from Raphael Geminder ’82, G’84, a Syracuse alum and chairman of the (packaging company) Pact Group, who flew in from Europe to speak with us. Geminder shared his experiences at Syracuse University and talked about sustainability initiatives at Pact. He talked about the circular cycle compared to the linear cycle, as well as the importance of a good role model over a good job.

We walked to the Melbourne Museum and had the chance to explore the museum prior to the official tour. We then had a guided tour at the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre. The tour was very educational and gave us a deeper understanding of Aboriginal culture and history.

Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.

Day 9: A nna McDonald ’26 (sport management)

The trip to the Great Barrier Reef took about two hours through rough ocean waters. On the way there the boat crew taught us about the marine life we might see, proper scuba diving and snorkeling techniques, and told us what to expect from the day.

Arriving at the reef was beautiful, from the boat you could see some of the corals and the water was very blue. I got the opportunity to scuba dive for the first time, and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I got to see some many different types of fish and all the corals. After the first dive we ate lunch and had the opportunity to dive or snorkel again. This time I just snorkeled, which was just as cool.

Day 12: Leda Rossmann ’26 (history)

We arrived in sunny Sydney very excited for warm weather since it’s been pretty rainy in Melbourne and Cairns. We drove to Bondi Beach to visit the legendary Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club. The pools are saltwater and freezing cold. I was so excited to jump in. I was a competitive swimmer for most of my life so the water is one of the most calming and nostalgic places I can be.

Our bus driver took us on a guided tour of the Sydney sights. We saw The Gap and heard the story of Don Ritchie, who saved at least 180 people who were going to jump off the rocks. We also saw Lady Macquarie’s (rock) Chair, where she would look into the harbor to watch for ships bringing news of her family during the early colonization days. We saw some of Vivid Sydney, a light/art show in the harbor with lights into the sky and on the bridge and art projected onto the Opera House and other buildings.

Walking the Great Ocean Road.

Day 15: Doug Capdeville ’24 (communication and media studies)

After spending time on the beach and listening to a presentation about the local surf club, we headed to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks rugby facility. There, we learned how to play rugby. The staff was super friendly and taught us the basics, which was really fun. We even got to try out some drills ourselves.

After that, we sat through a lecture by the Sharks’ staff. They talked about the team, their strategies and what it’s like to be part of the rugby community. It was really interesting to hear about the behind-the-scenes stuff.

The day ended on a high note with an exciting Sharks game, which was about an hour away from the rugby facility. The atmosphere was incredible—fans were cheering and the energy was off the charts. The game was intense and really fun to watch. From the beach to learning rugby and experiencing a live game, it was a day filled with awesome memories.

Day 17: Thomas Wildhack ’26 (sport management)

After an unforgettable two weeks, the final day had arrived. Fortunately, we had had another free morning, which gave some of us the chance to fit in one last adventure, and others to catch up on some much needed sleep.

I had previously found out that not only was June 1 the first day of winter, it was also the first day of whale season. Humpback whales would begin a great migration from Antarctica up the coast of Australia in search of warmer waters. I figured that whale watching would be a great way to go out on a big splash. Once we made our way into the ocean, it didn’t take long to find some activity. A few whales were splashing around, and swam over to the boat to show off their skills. I thought the whales would be scared of the boat, yet I learned many whales are incredibly curious creatures and often approach boats.

We finished off the trip with one final group dinner at the Great Southern Bar. We reflected on our favorite moments of the trip, and took one final group photo. All of us couldn’t believe how fast these last few weeks went by. We made memories that will last a lifetime and bonds that will last forever.

Visit the Falk College website for the full story with daily excerpts. To learn more about other experiential learning trips, academic programs and career opportunities in the sport industry, visit the Department of Sport Management website.

Matt Michael

• West Campus Construction Update: June 17-29 Friday, June 14, 2024, By Jennifer DeMarchi
• Military spouse reimbursement offers “essential financial relief” Thursday, June 13, 2024, By Vanessa Marquette
• ’Cuse Collections and Sheraton Hotel Donations Help Support Local Community Wednesday, June 12, 2024, By Lydia Knox
• All judges are political, except for the ones we like Wednesday, June 12, 2024, By Ellen Mbuqe
• Falk in Australia: ‘We Made Memories That Will Last a Lifetime and Bonds That Will Last Forever’ Tuesday, June 11, 2024, By Matt Michael

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Ukrainian Activist Traces Roots of War in ‘Centuries of Russian Colonization’

One Ukrainian researcher and podcaster is a leading voice in efforts to rethink Ukrainian-Russian relations through the prism of colonialism.

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By Constant Méheut

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

On a recent afternoon in Kyiv, a professor of literature and a stand-up comedian ​got together to talk about Russian colonialism, a subject that has become ​a preoccupation among Ukrainian activists, cultural figures and bookstore owners.

​The moderator of the discussion, which was recorded for a new podcast for Ukraine’s national public broadcaster, was Mariam Naiem, a graphic designer and former philosophy student who has become an unlikely expert on the topic.

“This war is just the continuation of centuries of Russian colonization,” said Ms. Naiem, 32, ​referring to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “It’s the same playbook.”

Russia’s long cultural and political domination of Ukraine, first through its empire and then the Soviet Union, had left an indelible mark, the podcast guests agreed, as they lamented being more fluent in Russian poems and films than in their own nation’s cultural treasures.

The goal of the podcast, Ms. Naiem said, was to solve this problem and “talk about our personal and social path of decolonization.”

It may have seemed an odd moment of cultural introspection in a war-battered country with urgent problems like how to repel Russian troops advancing along the front line .

But Ms. Naiem and many Ukrainians say that to understand Russia’s war in Ukraine — and its trail of razed cities , displaced children and looted museums — it is crucial to examine how Russia has long exerted its influence over their country.

The daughter of a Ukrainian mother and an Afghan father, Ms. Naiem is emblematic of a new generation of Ukrainians who, since Moscow invaded in February 2022, have been trying to rebuild their identity free of Russian influence. Much of this effort has focused on examining Russia’s history in Ukraine and highlighting its colonial imprint.

They have read famous theorists of decolonization like Edward Said and Frantz Fanon, talked of “decolonizing Ukraine” in Harvard lecture halls and gone on book tours around Europe to press their case.

Ms. Naiem has emerged as a leading voice in this movement. She studied philosophy at the Kyiv-based Taras Shevchenko National University and has also done a stint as a researcher with Jason Stanley, a professor of philosophy at Yale University.

Last year, she hosted an award-winning podcast on the theoretical foundations of Russian colonialism. In addition to the new podcast she is currently recording, she is now writing a book to help Ukrainians “decolonize” themselves, she said.

“She has seriously influenced me intellectually,” Mr. Stanley told Babel.ua , a Ukrainian online news outlet, last year. He added that she convinced him that Ukraine’s post-colonial history was not being studied enough and that “it should be changed.”

That is not an easy task. To call Russia a colonial empire is to challenge decades of scholarship that has shied away from viewing Russia’s history through a colonial prism. Russia’s shared history with Ukraine is complex and less marked by relations of racial hierarchy and economic subjugation typical of colonialism, many scholars have argued.

But Ms. Naiem and others say Russia’s centuries-long efforts to impose its language on Ukraine, occupy its territory with settlers and rewrite its history from Moscow’s perspective are all hallmarks of colonialism.

Ms. Naiem said it took the war for Ukrainians to take stock of this legacy and finally begin to “decolonize” themselves. She cited the example of the many people who have switched from speaking Russian to Ukrainian .

“This is exactly a decolonial act,” she said.

While many Ukrainians have devoted their time to raising money for the army or rebuilding destroyed houses , Ms. Naiem’s activism has been more intellectual, focused on deconstructing Russian influences, including those that shaped her.

She was born into a Russian-speaking family in Kyiv in 1992. Her father was a former education minister in Afghanistan who left Kabul after the Soviet invasion in 1979. She has two brothers, Mustafa , a leading figure of Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan revolution, and Masi , who lost an eye fighting Russian troops in 2022.

When she grew up in a newly independent Ukraine in the 1990s, the country’s cultural scene was dominated by Russian music, TV shows and books.

At school, classes were in Ukrainian, but “it wasn’t cool” to speak it in the playground, she said. Russian literature was also “cooler” than Ukrainian literature, she recalled thinking, “more mysterious, more complicated.” Some of the novels she read belittled Ukrainians as uneducated people.

“Turgenev pushed me to consider myself more Russian than Ukrainian,” Ms. Naiem wrote on Instagram two years ago , referring to the 19th-century Russian novelist. “Because I didn’t want to be that funny Ukrainian.”

It took Ms. Naiem many years, and many new books, to shake off these views.

During the pandemic, she buried herself in “ Imperial Knowledge: Russian Literature and Colonialism ,” a book by the Polish American scholar Ewa Thompson that argues that writers like Pushkin and Tolstoy helped legitimize Russia’s colonial ambitions.

“I realized that centuries of colonialism had seeped into my mind,” Ms. Naiem said.

After the Russian invasion, she wrote about her research on her Instagram page , which is followed by 22,000 people, arguing that Russia’s efforts to erase Ukrainian culture and identity are rooted in a long history of colonialism.

Her posts attracted attention and persuaded her to spread the word further. In addition to her podcasting, she has given interviews to Ukrainian media on colonialism and filled her Instagram page with more posts , questioning, for example, the place of Mikhail Bulgakov, a Kyiv-born Soviet writer who ridiculed Ukrainians, in Ukrainian school curricula.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

On a recent afternoon at a music festival in Kyiv, a passer-by thanked her for her efforts, one of several people that day who told her they had learned a lot from her podcasts.

Still, much of her time remains spent trying to convince people that talking of Russian colonialism is relevant.

Volodymyr Yermolenko , a Ukrainian philosopher, said the topic had long been viewed with skepticism.

Unlike Western colonies, which were often far-distant, overseas places, Russian colonies were adjacent territories, he said. Russian colonialism also never made racial exclusion a core policy, he added. Instead, it was based on the no-less violent “idea of sameness,” meaning that the colonized should surrender their identity and adopt the norms of the colonizer.

Mr. Yermolenko said colonial motives were evident in President Vladimir V. Putin’s claim that Ukrainians and Russians were “one people.”

“People long didn’t want to hear about Russian colonialism,” Mr. Yermolenko said. “Only now are we kind of seeing the first steps of intellectual debunking.”

Since Russia’s invasion began, some scholars have described it as a “ colonial war ” or one of recolonization . President Emmanuel Macron, who himself has had to confront the legacy of French colonialism , has accused Russia of being “one of the last colonial imperial powers.”

Ukrainian authorities have also launched efforts to break free of Russian influences, such as toppling Soviet-era statues and banning Russian place names . But they have stopped short of calling it a process of “decolonization,” to Ms. Naiem’s frustration.

“We’re doing the cake without the recipe,” she said. “We need the recipe.”

Still, she is pleased that a discussion about Russian colonialism has taken root.

On a recent afternoon in central Kyiv, Ms. Naiem stepped into a large bookstore and stared at a long table covered with recently published books.

“Let’s see how many are about colonialism,” she said.

“This one, this one,” she said, as she grabbed book after book — one on Russia’s dominance of Ukrainian cultural life, another about rebellious Ukrainian writers of the 1960s — and piled them up on a corner of the table.

After a few minutes, the pile had grown to 21 books.

Constant Méheut reports on the war in Ukraine, including battlefield developments, attacks on civilian centers and how the war is affecting its people. More about Constant Méheut

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