Melbourne Cricket Ground’s museum celebrating the rich history of Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) has reopened following its $700,000 renovation.
The 400-square metre MCC Museum, which has been closed since August 2019, is home to more than 700 artefacts, featuring items such as the ball used when Australia won its first Test on English soil, the 1960 and 1964 VFL trophies won by Melbourne FC, a cricket shirt worn by Warwick Armstrong in the 1920s and a large architectural model of the MCG.
The $17m redevelopment of the Australian Sports Museum has been led by Arete Australia, a fit-out division of Kane Constructions, over the last two years.
MCC president Michael Happell said the museum’s re-opening was a continuation of the club’s commitment to showcasing the history of sport through storytelling.
“It is a really special feeling for us to finally be able to re-open up the world-class facility that is the MCC Museum as part of continuing to welcome back our members and visitors to the MCG,” Happell said.
“The project is a key component of a major focus in our strategic plan – ensuring that we treasure and celebrate what is most important to the Club, and that is its members. We are always looking to foster the sense of the belonging that the membership instills.
“Re-opening the MCC Museum and the award-winning Australian Sports Museum means that there are now some really compelling reasons for everyone to visit the MCG.
“You don’t have to be a history or sporting buff to enjoy the experience, we feel there is something for everyone at the MCG.”
Members and their guests can access the MCC Museum free of charge on MCG event days, provided they have a match ticket to enter the ground. Non-members can also access the MCC Museum as part of their ticket to, and experience of, the Australian Sports Museum on non-MCG event days.
The first MCC Museum was established in 1969 and it was an integral part of the MCG Tours itinerary until the old Pavilion came down in 2003. It was then re-opened in its current location on Level B1 of the Members’ Reserve in 2006.
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