Block Arcade Tour Open House Melbourne 2014

Block Arcade Tour Open House Melbourne 2014

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Posted 2014-07-22 by Carole Kellyfollow

Sat 26 Jul 2014 - Sun 27 Jul 2014

Block Arcade Tour – Open House Melbourne 2014





There's a good chance that most of us at some stage have wandered through the magnificent Block Arcade off Collins Street in the city. However, during Open House weekend, tours will take you behind the scenes.



Led by some very knowledgable guides, you will be taken up the narrow internal staircase to some of the fascinating rooms and their stories above the arcade. You'll vist the JFK Boardroom and Study, an unusual telephone box and some amazing leadlight windows. Crossing over an external walkway on the roof, you are able to view the busy arcade from above.





This 19C heritage listed shopping mall was built between 1891 - 1893 to resemble Milan's famous Galleria and was refurbished in 1988. It is one of the country's best examples of Victorian Mannerist architectural styles and contains features such as grand mosaic floors, glass coned roofs, wrought iron balustrades and marble and stone carvings.





Despite its grand and gracious appearance, this lady has a seedy past. Named for the 19th century common occurrence of walking the block, this area was once the haunt of drug dealers and prostitutes. However it is now part of the Golden Mile Heritage Walk.



If you are tempted by the incredible range of cakes artistically displayed in the window of The Hopetoun Tea Rooms, you will need to make a booking early, especially during Open House weekend. It gets very, very busy with good reason.





The many small shops trading in the arcade have retained their elaborate designs and offer commodities ranging from tea and cake, jewellery, soaps and perfumes, teddy bears and golliwogs. You'll find a Master Tailor, a colourful range of alpaca clothing chocolates and collectable coins. There are shops selling herbs and spices, glassware and an extensive range of toys.





There are several small cafes with mouth watering menus lining the lanes leading out from the central core of the arcade. You'll also find Haigh's chocolates and a downstairs music store stocking all of those hard -to-find and last surviving copies of nostalgic favoutires.





During Open House Weekend, tours run every half hour with a maximum of 20 people. Tours (and bookings) start outside the amazing Hopetoun Tea Rooms where you can drool over the window displays of cakes while you wait your turn. These tours book out very quickly and my advice is to arrive early to book a spot, even if you then go off and visit elsewhere before your tour starts. Please check your information beforehand in case it changes.



Cost = FREE

Open House Weekend
26th & 27th July

The Block Arcade
282-292 Collins St
(facades on Elizabeth and Little Collins St as well)

Ph: 9654 5244
www.theblockarcade.com.au

Tram routes 48, 109, 112 - Stop 5 Elizabeth Street.





#afternoon_tea
#architecture
#attractions
#cbd
#july
#free
#history
#city
#things_to_see
#unusual_events
!date 26/07/2014 -- 27/07/2014
%wnmelbourne
200893 - 2023-06-16 05:02:56

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