Wembley Stadium, Eden Gardens and Yankee Stadium are considered among the greatest sporting arenas in the world, but for history, pure drama and emotion, it’s hard to look past the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Melbournians love their sport and for many, the iconic MCG, or simply "The G" as it is affectionately called by them, is the home of sport in their city, if not their state and the whole of Australia.

Although the Melbourne Cricket Ground is arguably one of the two most important cricket grounds in the world, it is much more than a cricket venue to the people of Melbourne. It is one of the great icons of this city, and even Australia. By the 1950's, Melbourne's reputation as the sports capital of Australia was so firmly entrenched that it was a foregone conclusion that the city would host the 1956 Olympic Games and that the MCG would be the Games' main stadium. The MCG later underwent a major redevelopment to prepare it as the main venue for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which were hosted by Melbourne. The present capacity (including seating and standing room) of the MCG is just over 100,000.
Apart from the magnificent sporting contests it witnesses, the stadium is home to a collection which includes some of the most priceless pieces of memorabilia in Australian sporting history, most of which are on display in the National Sports Museum. This Museum is home to the Olympic Museum, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and the Melbourne Cricket Club Museum. All are open to the public, and are included in all organised tours of the complex. Entry fees apply.
Contact: (03) 9657 8888. Website.
Location: Brunton Avenue, Richmond, within the confines of Yarra Park.
How to get there: walk from the city via Mirrarung Marr / Yarra River or through the Fitzroy Gardens / Yarra Park Gardens; by train, to Jolimont station on the Epping and Hurstbridge lines; by tram, along Flinders St trams 48, 75.