Behind the wide, grinning face known as Mr Moon, whose gaping mouth forms the entrance, Luna Park Melbourne has welcomed visitors to the St Kilda foreshore since 1912. It is the oldest amusement park in Australia operating on its original site, built by a syndicate who drew on the expertise of Coney Island showmen, and its survival through more than a century of changing tastes makes it as much a heritage landmark as a funfair. The park's great treasure is the Scenic Railway, a wooden roller coaster that opened with the park in 1912 and is recognised as the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in the world, still ridden with a brakeman standing at the rear of the train. Other historic features survive alongside modern rides, including a 1913 carousel with hand-carved horses, the fairytale-castle dodgem building and the Mr Moon face and flanking towers, all of which have been restored over the years. Inside the heritage gates the park mixes nostalgia with a full complement of contemporary attractions, from thrill rides to gentle children's rides, carnival games and food stalls. Its position right on the St Kilda beachfront, beside the Esplanade and a short tram ride from the city, ties it to one of Melbourne's liveliest seaside precincts of cafes, bars and weekend markets. Entry to the grounds is generally free, with rides paid for individually or through an unlimited-rides pass, which makes it easy to drop in simply to see Mr Moon and the historic structures. The park is a fixture of Melbourne childhoods and a regular backdrop for film, photography and celebrations, and it stays open year round. For visitors it offers a rare chance to ride a century-old coaster and step inside a working piece of amusement-park history rather than a modern theme park. Its heritage rides are protected, and the park is listed for its cultural significance, which means visitors are riding and walking through genuinely historic structures rather than reproductions. The grinning Mr Moon face is one of Melbourne's most recognisable images, photographed endlessly and woven into the identity of St Kilda, and the park's position by the bay means a visit pairs easily with a stroll along the foreshore or a meal on the Esplanade.

Type: Activity

Address: 18 Lower Esplanade, Melbourne, Australia

Telephone: (03) 9525 5033

Website: https://lunapark.com.au

Opening Date: 13/12/1912