Take home a slice of MCG this summer and enjoy a bit of cricket.

When was the last time you visited an iconic place like the MCG? Maybe usually during India playing or perhaps it is when one of your favourite footy team played. 
The largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the eleventh largest globally by its holding capacity - one hundred and twenty-four thousand. Well! I never knew these statistics until I embarked on my sporting journey at this iconic cricket ground in Melbourne, proud to say, locally ours.

It’s a dream come true for all the cricket tragics out there, flip the story and take a trip through to the memory lane. Let the grounds speak to you and nostalgia take its shape with your personal guide. It is an opportunity to take home a slice of MCG this summer.
My guide Peter was a delight with his extensive knowledge about the place over his six years of tenure and his intermittent quiz testing of our knowledge was thoroughly entertaining,
On this tour, you can experience the excitement, and relive legendary moments, like for instance the change rooms of both Australia and its opponents, how Australian cricketer Brad Hodges's monster six is honoured by a red seat, where the ball landed in the top tier at the Shane Warne stand. 

The Highlights for me about the tour were the walk along the boundary line of the arena, as I mentioned earlier going inside the players' change rooms, and then the Shrine to Test Cricket, including a portrait of Sir Donald Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar.

A great insight about the pitches on how they work on rotation for both AFL and Cricket and how they store rainwater for the running of the day-to-day function of the stadium.
There’s a lot of walking in this seventy-five-minute guided tour, so highly recommend you wear sneakers and carry a bottle of water. Get your cameras of course your phone will do too to get one beautiful shot of the city also I will let you in a secret, a little birdy tells me that India is due to return this December and get your real photo opportunity with the players at the nets when they are practice.
At the last stop, Peter hands us a solo tour of the Australian Sports Museum, a mecca for sports enthusiasts, showcasing interactive exhibits and celebrating the diverse sporting culture of Australia. With over ninety-five different sports featured, the museum offers an engaging experience for visitors of all ages to discover the stories of our nation’s sporting history.
Must-sees inside the museum include a Shane Warne hologram and Cathy Freeman’s running suit from the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Visitors can even put their skills to the test in the crowd-favourite interactive Game On! Gallery. 
So come celebrate Australia’s unique sporting culture at the MCG Tour and visit the Australian Sports Museum, located inside Gate 3 of the MCG. Suitable for families and sports lovers of all ages, it’s a fun day out for visitors and locals alike. Cricket enthusiasts will find themselves in paradise as they explore the hallowed MCG and relive stories of cricketing heroes.

Opening Hours:
Australian Sports Museum: 10am-5pm
MCG Tours: 10am-3pm, with tours departing every 15 minutes
Please note that opening hours and tour route availability are subject to change based on the MCG events schedule. View the full opening hours here: https://tickets.australiansportsmuseum.org.au/tickets/en/home
Nandita Chakraborty