The building formerly known as the Eureka Skydeck has undergone a multi-million-dollar redevelopment and is now the Melbourne Skydeck. It's still the highest observation platform in the Southern Hemisphere and remains one of the best ways to discover Melbourne from a dizzying height, but now with several new attractions for visitors to explore.
The Skydeck now boasts a massive virtual reality theatre where visitors can sit in one of 24 award-winning Positron Voyager VR chairs that take guests on an 11-minute immersive journey through a variety of Melbourne and Victorian experiences. The journey will be complete with sounds, scents and movements that help transport the visitor to the activity. Think activities like riding on Luna Park's historic wooden rollercoaster, smelling freshly roasted coffee while exploring Melbourne's laneways and feeling the crisp ocean air on the face while swooping over the Great Ocean Road.
Get an even closer look at the city with the new augmented reality 3D model of Melbourne built to a 1:1100 scale. Six digital tablets around the model provide visitors with interactive windows into eight of Melbourne's most significant eras, from pre-settlement and beyond. It took printers 240 days to create the 184 pieces that make up the model, and 40 3D augmented reality models overlay the installation. This is now the most deeply detailed 3D model of Melbourne in the world.
The model is fun to explore as it is, but it comes alive via a new Melbourne Skydeck app that includes a virtual treasure hunt of 31 hidden markers. Visitors who find, scan and unlock all of the treasures can claim a Melbourne Skydeck gift upon departure.
To cap off your experience, enjoy a drink at Bar 88 where Champagne Bollinger will be on offer, along with a range of wines, beers, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks. If you feel peckish, the bar will also serve freshly made bar snacks, cheese plates and savoury nibbles from the kitchen of Eureka 89. Sip and snack while relaxing at the window-ledge seating and taking in the views.
If you want to put your nerves to the test, the Edge is still available for a visit. Stand on the transparent cube suspended almost 300 metres above Melbourne's streets. If that's not enough of an adrenaline boost for you, you can also walk the Plank, a virtual reality experience that ends with a thrilling virtual plunge and zipline ride.
The Melbourne Skydeck is open daily from noon until 10pm, and you can find more information and book tickets through the website.
