National Sports Museum, East Melbourne, Australia

The National Sports Museum is a museum dedicated to Australian sport and is located within the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. There are exhibits for sports such as cricket, Australian rules football, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, tennis, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, basketball, boxing and netball. The Australian Sports Hall of Fame is also located within the museum along with the Australian Racing Museum and the Melbourne Cricket Club museum.

The adjoining MCC Museum features exhibitions relating to the history of the Melbourne Cricket Club. On 6 October 2010, the Australian Racing Museum was absorbed into the National Sports Museum, which has now resulted in Horse Racing standing alongside other prominent Australian sports.

The National Sports Museum (NSM) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is now closed until late February 2020 while it undergoes a $17 million redevelopment.

The adjoining MCC Museum features exhibitions relating to the history of the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum
Before the National Sports Museum opened, the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum operated for 17 years before it closed. The museum was located in front of the former MCC Members Stand which opened in 1928, which was demolished at the same time as the museum. It initially opened on 22 November 1986 before closing to the public on 4 October 2003. More than 35,000 went through the museum in its final week in operation, when it was opened to the public for free in conjunction with access to the former MCC Members Pavilion.

Collection
National Sports Museum welcome donations of relevant and suitable objects to the National Sports Museum and the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum collections. We also work closely with the Melbourne Cricket Club Museum. Each of the three collections has a different area of focus, guided by its collection policy.

All accepted donations become available for use in our exhibitions, for research by appointment, or loan to other cultural institutions.

National Sports Museum Collection
The NSM collects objects relating to all sports played in Australia or by Australians.

Three specific types of material are acquired as a priority:

Objects that relate to contemporary champions, past champions and significant events in Australian sporting history
Objects that provide specific and focused examples of ‘grass roots’ participation in various sports across all eras
Objects that demonstrate the underpinning social importance of sport to Australians of all ages across all eras.

Australian Gallery Of Sport And Olympic Museum Collection
The AGOSOM collects objects relating to Australian participation at (or involvement in) the various incarnations of the Olympic and Paralympic movements.

Three specific types of Olympic/ Paralympic material are acquired as a priority:

Objects that relate to the 1956 Summer Olympic Games, for which Melbourne was the host city
Objects that relate to the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, for which Melbourne was the host city
Objects that relate to Australian athletes who have achieved success or fame at any incarnations of the Olympic and Paralympic movements

Melbourne Cricket Club Museum Collection
The MCC Museum collects objects associated with the history and development of the Melbourne Cricket Club, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground and surrounding areas. It also collects material showing the development of cricket in Australia, with a focus on Test, limited overs, and intercolonial cricket.

Exhibitions
Re-opening in late February 2020, the new NSM will push storytelling to the fore and ask ‘What makes Australia a sporting nation?’

Visitors in 2020 will encounter a vibrant and playful museum that hosts the human stories behind the highlights. Whether you want to explore, debate, compete or collaborate, there will be something in the new museum for sports fans of all ages, backgrounds, and interests.

So keep watching this space for more updates on how the museum is coming together, and information on how you can plan your visit when we reopen in late February 2020.

Melbourne Cricket Ground Tours
Gain an insight into Australia’s sporting culture while exploring one of the world’s most iconic stadiums, as you hear from our proud Melbourne Cricket Club volunteers and go behind the scenes at the ‘G.