Party Activities in Melbourne

Party Activities: What to Consider

Give a group something to do and the party mostly runs itself. Melbourne's activity operators cover a wide spread, from barefoot bowls at suburban clubs and putting courses along the Yarra River to pole classes, Italian cooking lessons, pony rides and virtual reality arenas. Most supply the equipment and a host or instructor, so the organiser's job comes down to the date, the headcount and what everyone eats afterwards.

Costs swing with the kind of outing. Bowls clubs sit at the low end: Bennettswood Bowling Club and Middle Park Bowls Club start from $10 per person, and Preston Reservoir Bowls Club and Moorabbin Bowls Club from $15 per person.

Mini Golf at Wyndham Harbour starts from $19 per person, Pole Divas studios from $40 per person, Go Shooting from $155 per person, and the cooking classes cost more because the group eats what it makes, with Rosa's Traditional Italian Cooking in Bundoora from $195 per person. A few operators price the whole booking instead, such as Divas Creative Studio from $400 per group and Melbourne Studio of Art from $650 per group.

A rough map of the options:

Inner South and Inner East: lawn bowls at Melbourne Bowling Club in Windsor, Toorak Bowling Club and Richmond Union Bowling Club, plus Cooking on the Bay in St Kilda and Yugen Tea Bar in South Yarra
CBD, Southbank & Docklands: PLAYit Southgate for indoor putting, Hijinx Hotel QV Melbourne for challenge rooms, Dreamskape Docklands for VR rides and High Tea at Pan Pacific Melbourne at South Wharf
Inner North and Northern Suburbs: Oxi Tea Room in Carlton, Thornbury Bowls Club, Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club, The Curium Experience, Pole Divas Reservoir and trail rides at Woodlands Trail Riding in Oaklands Junction
Eastern Suburbs: Cubetown Glen Waverley, Wetlands Adventure Minigolf in Wheelers Hill, Blackburn Bowls Club, Greythorn Bowling Club and pony parties at Valley Park Riding School in Templestowe
Bayside and the west: Holey Moley Moorabbin, White Room Studio Paint and Sip, VR Theme Park Caroline Springs, Old Man Drew, Pole Divas Moonee Ponds, Pole Divas Point Cook and Go Shooting

Each kind of outing has its own page, so it is easy to compare like with like, starting with lawn bowls and mini golf.

Young children: Valley Park Riding School runs pony parties for six to nine kids, and VR Theme Park Caroline Springs has kids packages for groups of eight or more
Work teams: Melbourne Studio of Art runs artist-led sessions for staff groups, and Dreamskape Docklands rotates small teams through hosted challenges; TRAPT Bar & Escape Rooms in the CBD runs several escape rooms at once
Hens and birthday crews: Pole Divas Ringwood, Pole Divas Reservoir, Pole Divas Moonee Ponds, Pole Divas Richmond, Pole Divas Point Cook and Divas Creative Studio teach a group class, while White Room Studio Paint and Sip takes 8 to 15 painters
Big gatherings: Middle Park Bowls Club handles up to 500 guests and Moorabbin Bowls Club up to 300

Food, drink and somewhere to sit afterwards

Many bowls clubs have a licensed bar, barbecues and a clubroom, so the game and the party share one site
Cooking with Lola in the CBD and Cooking on the Bay in St Kilda finish with the group eating the dishes it prepared
Oxi Tea Room in Carlton seats up to 16, and High Tea at Pan Pacific Melbourne takes groups of up to 70
Melbourne Golf Park Mini Golf in Albert Park packages its course for groups of 10 to 80

Questions worth settling early

Is there a minimum headcount, for example eight at Toorak Bowling Club or ten at Holey Moley Moorabbin
Is the price per person or for the whole group
Does the operator supply all the gear, or should guests bring anything
For outdoor outings such as bowls, trail rides and Wyndham Harbour putting, what happens if the weather turns

Common Questions About Party Activities

Which Melbourne bowls clubs host barefoot bowls parties for groups?

Melbourne Bowling Club in Windsor, Richmond Union Bowling Club, Thornbury Bowls Club, Preston Reservoir Bowls Club and Moorabbin Bowls Club all take group bookings, along with clubs in Malvern, Burwood, Blackburn, Doncaster, Essendon, Albert Park, Toorak and Ringwood.

Can my child have a pony party in Melbourne?

Yes. Valley Park Riding School in Templestowe runs pony parties for six to nine riders and unicorn parties for under-sixes, and Woodlands Trail Riding in Oaklands Junction takes children's party bookings too.

Where can a Melbourne group try virtual reality together?

Dreamskape Docklands has VR motion rides and game rooms with hosted party packages for up to 40 guests, and VR Theme Park Caroline Springs pairs VR games with arcade machines and a function hall.

Which Melbourne activities suit an adults-only celebration?

The Pole Divas studios in Ringwood, Reservoir, Moonee Ponds, Richmond and Point Cook run private classes for adult groups of ten or more, and the gin sessions at Here's Looking at You, Kid in North Melbourne are for adults too, and TRAPT Bar & Escape Rooms on Lonsdale Street is a licensed 18-plus venue unless a parent plays alongside a younger guest. For something outdoors, Go Shooting runs beginner clay target sessions in Quandong with all the gear supplied.

Are there high tea rooms for a party outside the Melbourne CBD?

Yes. Oxi Tea Room is in Carlton, Yugen Tea Bar in South Yarra and Old Man Drew in Ascot Vale, with Old Man Drew from $110 per person.

Is there an outdoor mini golf course in Melbourne's west?

Mini Golf at Wyndham Harbour in Werribee is an outdoor course from $19 per person, and children are welcome.

Party Activities Melbourne

Compare Activity Suppliers Across Melbourne