Melbourne Showgrounds
The current main arena at the Melbourne Showgrounds opened in 2006, replacing the old Arena which was previously located approximately 200 metres to the South-West. The new arena was built as part of the major Melbourne Showgrounds overhaul and is much smaller than its predecessor. The arena is a basic rectangular-shaped venue with a seating capacity of 4,300, primarily on two sides. It previously hosted baseball with the Melbourne Aces initially playing home games at the venue. $300,000 was spent to convert the arena into an elite baseball venue, however the field proved too small and the club relocated after two seasons.
The Melbourne Showgrounds are located in Ascot Vale, on Epsom Rode, next to Flemington Racecourse. It is served by its own train station that runs for selected events.
The original main arena at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds was built in the 1930's and featured several grandstands and an estimated capacity of over 15,000. It was home of Harness Racing before it moved to Moonee Valley Racecourse in the early 1980's. Then during the 80's and early 90's, the venue hosted occasional speedway events. All that remains of the old arena is one grandstand (the oldest stand).
Melbourne Showgrounds Details
