RMIT’s main campus and the surrounding CBD have a real late-night study culture - assignment crunch weeks see hundreds of students migrating between the campus library, the State Library, and a dozen 24-hour cafes. This is the honest list: what’s open at 11pm, what’s open until 6am, and what kicks you out at midnight.
RMIT Swanston Library: 24/7 in Crunch Weeks
RMIT Library at Building 8, Swanston Street, runs 24/7 access during exam periods (typically last week of each semester through the exam fortnight). Out of crunch weeks, hours are 8am-midnight Monday-Friday, 10am-10pm weekends. Swipe access with student ID required after hours. Free wifi, free printing credit, group study rooms (bookable 2 weeks ahead). Quiet floors on level 5+, collaborative on lower floors.
State Library of Victoria: Until 9pm Most Nights
State Library of Victoria on Swanston Street (10 minutes from RMIT main building) is open until 9pm Monday-Thursday, 6pm Friday-Sunday. The dome reading room is the quiet study space; level 3 mezzanine is similarly silent. Free wifi, free toilets, free water. No food allowed inside. Open to anyone (no library card required) but spaces fill on assignment-due weeks.
24/7 McDonald’s Russell Street
McDonald’s on Russell Street (corner Little Bourke) runs 24/7. Power outlets at most tables. Ordering minimum is technically a coffee, in practice a $1 cone gets you a 4-hour stay. Loud, fluorescent, but functional for 2am crunch. Not great for actual deep focus.
State Library Plus 24-Hour CBD Cafes
Wei Cafe and Pancake Parlour on Lonsdale Street run 24-hour late, cheap meals. Hudson’s Coffee at Melbourne Central runs until 10pm. Brunetti at Lygon Street (Carlton) runs until midnight Friday-Saturday. None are silent; all permit 4-hour stays for $10 of orders.
RMIT Building 80 Common Areas
Building 80 (the cheese-grater on Swanston Street) has 24/7 atrium common areas with power outlets and tables. Less formal than the library; permits group conversation. Free wifi via RMIT student login. Closed only during scheduled cleaning.
Group Study Rooms (Pre-Book)
All RMIT libraries have bookable group study rooms - 2-hour blocks, free, accessed via the RMIT Library website 2 weeks ahead. The Carlton library (Building 13) and the Brunswick campus library are alternatives if Swanston is full. Off-campus alternative: Melbourne Library Service venues (City Library on Flinders Lane) free with a free Melbourne library card.
What’s Closed by 11pm
Most CBD cafes shut by 5pm. Specialty coffee places shut by 4pm. Most non-fast-food restaurants by 10pm. The 11pm-2am gap is harder than people expect - this is when most assignment crunches end up in McDonald’s or campus libraries.
What This Means for You
For deep focus pre-11pm: RMIT Library or State Library. For 11pm-6am crunch: RMIT 24/7 (in exam weeks) or McDonald’s Russell. For group work: book RMIT study rooms 2 weeks ahead. The 11pm-2am gap is real - either commit to McDonald’s or go home and finish in the morning. For nearby food, see cheap eats near RMIT; for student bars after the assignment, student bars near RMIT.
Jack Carver covers Melbourne food, drink, and city life for MELBZ.
