Old Melbourne Gaol

Lonely Planet review

This sinister old prison and penal museum was built of bluestone in 1841 and used until 1929. The tiny cells display plaster casts of some of the 130-plus people who were hanged here. A science of the day, known as phrenology, studied the shape of the head to try to understand the criminal mind. Other displays explain 19th-century Melbourne's dire social conditions and give insight into the desperation that may have motivated the criminals.

The last sound that legendary bushranger Ned Kelly heard was the clang of the trap here in 1880. His death mask, armour and history are on display.

Night tours of the jail ham up the facts, with the ghost of a jailer talking and walking you through the space and its stories. Tours run Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. To book, phone Ticketek (13 28 49; adult/child around A$25 /around A$17 ). Tours are not recommended for children under 12.