1 / 3Museum of Play and Art (MoPA) Geelong
📍 Geelong, VIC
MoPA Geelong occupies a 1962 heritage building with two levels of interactive play, an outdoor garden with water play, and structured events every 30 minutes including painting, craft, story time, and dance parties. Cafe and parking on site.
We had a fantastic time at MoPA. It was so fun watching my daughter explore and gravitate toward things I never would’ve predicted. She loved the rubber duck water play area outside and could’ve stayed there all day! Upstairs, the kaleidoscope turners were another unexpected hit. The dance party was super engaging, and I was genuinely impressed by how good the storytime session was. I’d expected a standard storytime, but the audio-visuals and great storyteller elevated it into something special. Even the baby soft play area, which doesn’t look like much at first glance, turned out to be brilliant, a safe, cosy space that kept my 9-month-old happily entertained for a good hour. The only thing to be aware of is that there seems to be just one nursing room that also has a baby change station inside it. It’s great that it exists, but I did feel a bit like I was hogging the space when I needed about 20 minutes to nurse my baby. Every staff member we met was warm, welcoming, and genuinely lovely.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for families with children aged 1–8 who want a mix of free play and guided activities under one roof. The 30-minute activity cadence gives the visit natural structure without feeling regimented. School holiday periods are noticeably busier — weekday visits outside school terms offer a calmer experience.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →1,131 Google reviews
Sarah
3 months ago
“We had a fantastic time at MoPA. It was so fun watching my daughter explore and gravitate toward things I never would’ve predicted. She loved the rubber duck water play area outside and could’ve stayed there all day! Upstairs, the kaleidoscope turners were another unexpected hit. The dance party was super engaging, and I was genuinely impressed by how good the storytime session was. I’d expected a standard storytime, but the audio-visuals and great storyteller elevated it into something special. Even the baby soft play area, which doesn’t look like much at first glance, turned out to be brilliant, a safe, cosy space that kept my 9-month-old happily entertained for a good hour. The only thing to be aware of is that there seems to be just one nursing room that also has a baby change station inside it. It’s great that it exists, but I did feel a bit like I was hogging the space when I needed about 20 minutes to nurse my baby. Every staff member we met was warm, welcoming, and genuinely lovely.”
Anita Hamilton
2 months ago
“We finally had a chance to visit MOPA Geelong today with our grandkids - it didn’t disappoint, in fact it exceeded our expectations. Set in one of Geelong’s iconic buildings (the Wintergarden) MOPA is clean and colourful, laid out beautifully, and has many enticing and engaging spaces and activities. Our twin granddaughters (who are almost 4) were able to choose what they wanted to do and remain involved for as long as they wanted. Our 7 month old granddaughter was equally captivated by the space, colours, activities and people. The staff are very welcoming and the organised activities (craft, story time and dance party) balanced out the free play activities very well. We will definitely be returning to MOPA Geelong and might even look into visiting the other venues!”
Ginette Emerson
a month ago
“We had the best 2 hours at Mopa. So much to see, play and explore. Loved the different events on every 30 mins with painting the car, decorating sunglasses, story time and a dance party. Also loved the banana bread. We'll be back for sure again soon!”
lauren Emil
2 months ago
“We loved our stop at MOPA! I have 4 kids 1 - 8 yo and they all found lots to do. Book ahead.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Museum of Play and Art Geelong runs structured activities every 30 minutes throughout the day — painting a car, decorating sunglasses, story time, and dance parties sit alongside free play zones. The water play area in the outdoor garden is a consistent favourite. The building itself is the heritage Wintergarden, with two levels of colourful, well-maintained spaces. A cafe serves food and drinks, including banana bread that gets frequent mentions in reviews. Booking ahead is recommended.
