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Fed Square

Museums ·Melbourne ·Open now
4.46K
#6Museums in Melbourne
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About

Fed Square is an arts, culture and public events precinct at Flinders and Swanston Streets, on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD. It brings together ACMI, the Koorie Heritage Trust and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.

More photos 10

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Fed Square — Federation Square’s geometric facade beside the broad stone plaza

Fed Square — Federation Square’s geometric facade beside the broad stone plazaFed Square — Open plaza facing Federation Square’s angular stone and glass buildingsFed Square — Wide view across the plaza toward Federation Square’s faceted facadeFed Square — Seating and trees across the plaza between Federation Square buildingsFed Square — Federation Square plaza with its buildings and Melbourne towers beyondFed Square — Public square with Federation Square architecture and a large digital screenFed Square — View along the plaza beside Federation Square’s angular facadeFed Square — Sculptural metal canopy outside Federation Square’s glass atriumFed Square — Geometric canopy shading a planted outdoor seating areaFed Square — Panoramic view of ACMI’s angular facade and Federation Square plaza

What's on here

Volunteer at Palestine Cultural Festival 2026, Fed Square Volunteer at Palestine Cultural Festival 2026, Fed Square Saturday, 12:00Free Divan Australis Horizons Concert Divan Australis Horizons Concert Sunday, 17:30 Our state of mind: A community conversation about mental health care Our state of mind: A community conversation about mental health care Monday, 18:00Free Cool Topics in Neonatology 2026 Cool Topics in Neonatology 2026 11 Nov – 13 Nov21 AUD Music Free 50 Years of 3RRR feat. Courtney Barnett, Party Dozen +… Music Free 50 Years of 3RRR feat. Courtney Barnett, Party Dozen +… Thursday · All day Fed Square presents: 50 Years of 3RRR Fed Square presents: 50 Years of 3RRR Thursday · All day Talk Test Garden Open Day – November 14 Nov Test Garden Talk Test Garden Open Day – November 14 Nov Test Garden Saturday, 10:00 Low Rez Choir presents The Category Is Low Rez Choir presents The Category Is Saturday, 15:00 Show more

Why go

  • Angular buildings and glazed gaps echo Melbourne’s laneways.

Opening hours

Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
Monday00:00 – 23:59
Tuesday00:00 – 23:59
Wednesday00:00 – 23:59
Thursday00:00 – 23:59
Friday00:00 – 23:59
Saturday00:00 – 23:59
Sunday00:00 – 23:59

Don't miss

  • NearamnewThe main square’s urban artwork uses 470,000 ochre-coloured sandstone blocks from Western Australia.Main square
  • PioneersFrederick McCubbin’s painting, created in 1904, is in the Ian Potter Centre.Ian Potter Centre1904
  • Shearing the RamsTom Roberts’ painting, created in 1890, is in the Ian Potter Centre.Ian Potter Centre1890
  • Big ScreenThe public screen broadcasts events such as the AFL Grand Final and Australian Open each year.Main square
  • Screen GalleryACMI’s gallery displays moving-image works along a former train-station platform.ACMI

Know before you go

  • Fed Square is open 24 hours daily. This does not establish opening hours for its individual museums, galleries or venues.

What's inside

  • The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia occupies the building on the square’s eastern side.
  • ACMI has two cinemas for film, video and digital video screenings.
  • The five-storey Atrium is a glazed public space.
  • The Edge is a 450-seat theatre overlooking the Yarra River and the Arts Centre spire.
  • Zinc is an event space beneath the gallery building, opening onto the Yarra riverbank.
  • The buildings form a rough U around the west-facing square, with the Atrium at its eastern end.

With kids

  • The Ian Potter Centre has an interactive children’s education area and NGV Kids Corner.

Tips for your visit

  • Use the unnamed laneways and stairways to continue between the precinct, Flinders Street and the Yarra River.

Interesting facts3

1/3

  1. The Atrium’s air labyrinth can keep it up to 12°C cooler than outside while using one-tenth the energy of conventional air conditioning.

    Federation Square - Wikipedia (part 2)
  2. 20,000 Australian

    The Ian Potter Centre’s collection contains more than 20,000 Australian works across painting, sculpture, photography, fashion and textiles.

    Federation Square - Wikipedia (part 2)

  3. Three of the square’s four prominent flagpoles fly the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.

    Federation Square - Wikipedia (part 2)

Shorts

History

A consortium led by Lab Architecture Studio, with Karres en Brands and Bates Smart, won the design competition. Construction cost about $467 million, more than four times the original estimate.

  1. 2001The complex was planned to mark the centenary of Australian Federation.
  2. 2002Fed Square opened on 26 October, after construction delays and cost overruns.
  3. 2003The square received the Victorian Architecture Medal, Melbourne Prize and Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design.
  4. 2006Vaults under Princes Walk were redeveloped into a riverside bar with outdoor areas and lift access to the square.
  5. 2011Elizabeth II visited the square in October.
Show all
  1. 2019Fed Square entered the Victorian Heritage Register in August, after plans for an Apple Store were cancelled.

How to get there

  • On footFed Square is opposite Flinders Street station.

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair access at function venues The function venues include wheelchair access.
  • Public bathrooms Available at the function venues.

Sources: Federation Square - Wikipedia · Federation Square - Wikipedia (part 2) · Fed Square - World-Class Art Galleries and Perf… · Shop + Visit - Fed Square, Melbourne Australia · Plan Your Event - Fed Square, Melbourne Austral… · Federation Square - Wikipedia · checked 29 Sep 2026

Where
Swanston St Flinders St, Melbourne Victoria

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

Are there free events at Fed Square?

Fed Square hosts free events.

Can I take a river cruise from Fed Square?

Yarra River Cruises depart from Federation Wharf.

Whose Traditional Country is Fed Square on?

Fed Square acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as Traditional Owners of the land.

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