Queen Victoria Building

Unbelievably, the grand ol’ QVB (1898) was repeatedly slated for demolition before it was restored in the mid-1980s. It’s a high-Victorian masterpiece occupying an entire city block. Sure, the 200 speciality shops are great, but check out the wrought-iron balconies, the Byzantine copper domes, the stained-glass shopfronts, the mosaic floors, the replica crown jewels, the ballroom, the tinkling baby grand and the hyperkitsch animated Royal Clock (featuring the Battle of Hastings and an hourly beheading of King Charles I). Outside there’s an imposing statue of Queen Vic herself; nearby is a wishing well featuring a bronze replica of her beloved pooch, Islay (which disconcertingly speaks in the baritone voice of former radio shock-jock John Laws). Informative 45-minute tours depart the concierge desk on the ground floor.