ArtVo (Melbourne) : Review

As part of our long weekend in Melbourne I took my 9 year old to ArtVo.

ArtVo is described as a ‘trick art’ or immersive gallery.  Themed rooms have artwork painted on the walls and floors and if you follow the instructions on where to stand and how to hold the camera you can create some awesome images like this:

Although we had a lot of fun together creating images there are a few things I want to make note of if you are thinking of going.

COST

It was $46 for my daughter and I to go to ArtVo which I thought was very expensive for what it was. We did have lots of fun but I didn’t feel it was $46 of fun!

There are family tickets available which are better value and we received 25% off passes at the end to give to friends. Definitely keep an eye out for any coupons or discounts on offer.

WHEN TO VISIT

We were there on a Friday morning, in winter, and not during school holidays which meant it was quiet. Even then we found ourselves getting caught up in several rooms trying to keep out of the way of other people taking photos. Because of how and where you need to stand to take the photos it doesn’t take much to get under people’s feet.  I would hate to be there on a busy weekend or school holidays!

ASK FOR ASSISTANCE

Some paintings are easy to work out in terms of how to pose to create great effects. Some paintings totally baffled us. Although there is often a TV showing examples for a couple of the artworks in the room it won’t help you figure out the rest.

Staff do wander between rooms so be sure to grab someone at every possible chance as it makes a huge difference to your experience.

GETTING THERE

ArtVo is located in Harbourtown, Docklands. It was easy to reach via tram from the CBD and is part of the free travel zone for Melbourne trams. Catching a tram was a big highlight for my daughter!

The verdict … definitely a fun activity but perhaps for ages 7+ as younger kids would lose interest quickly.  Hold out for a discount of some sort to make the experience better value.