Correction (3 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 3 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Free first, always. Five places made this page, and only two have a Mulgrave address: Waverley Park Lake Playground and Mulgrave Farmers Market. The other three are in Wheelers Hill, so this is free things to do in and around Mulgrave.
Only two prices were printed anywhere we read. The museum says entry is free, and the farmers market asks for a gold coin at the gate. For the playground, the library and the park, the sources we read name no fee, so we say “no price we copied” and leave it there. Check the official page before you go.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Listed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A fully fenced play space beside a lake | Waverley Park Lake Playground | see below | not printed here |
| A Sunday morning market | Mulgrave Farmers Market | Entry | gold coin donation (goes to Mulgrave Primary School) |
| An indoor gallery with free entry | Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) | General entry | free |
| WiFi, a children’s collection and toilets | Wheelers Hill Library (Monash Public Library Service) | see below | not printed here |
| A big park with playgrounds and on-lead dog walking | Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands) | see below | not printed here |
Waverley Park Lake Playground — Cavenagh Boulevard (also 22 Edgbaston Way / 89 Stadium Circuit), Mulgrave VIC 3170
The Melbourne Playgrounds listing calls it “A fantastic play space which is fully fenced.” It also describes “a water play area with water pump and a winding path for water with sluice gates”. For picnics, it says: “There is a shelter with two tables, water tap and BBQs plus a shaded seating area.”
The same listing says it is a short walk to a Multi-Sports Area with a skate park, a large basketball court, an outdoor gym, two table tennis tables and a large climbing wall. OpenStreetMap tags the playground access=yes. We could not confirm toilets from the sources we read, and we found no opening hours to print.
Free first: we found no entry fee mentioned for the playground or its shelter.
Mulgrave Farmers Market — Mulgrave Primary School, 23-31 Gladeswood Drive, Mulgrave VIC 3170
The market’s own site says: “Since 2009 the Mulgrave Farmers Market has operated every Sunday”. Its home and schedule pages list the hours as “Every Sunday - 8.00am - 12.30pm”, and its Weekly Schedule page lists Sunday October 4th. Foodtree lists the same day as “Sun 4 October 2026 8am – 12:30pm”. An older About text on the market’s site gives a different closing time, so check before you leave home.
Entry is by gold coin. The market says “Gold Coin entry (all money goes to the school)”. The site describes “a kiddie’s area, music, community events and bagfuls of bonhomie”, and names stalls including Swig Coffee Roasters, Kanelle Patisserie and 2 Castles Bakery.
Listed prices (copied from mulgravefarmersmarket.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- Entry: gold coin donation (goes to Mulgrave Primary School)
Plan it: this is the Sunday-morning option. It runs 8.00am - 12.30pm, per the market’s own listing.
Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) — 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
MAPh’s site says: “Entry is free”. Its hours read “Tue–Fri 10am–5pm Sat–Sun 10am–4pm Closed Monday”. The home page lists “Bowness Photography Prize 2026 12 September to 8 November”, and invites visitors to “explore the sculpture park”.
MAPh also lists a cafe: “Join us for coffee, brunch, lunch and treats at Canteen Eats when you visit the museum.” We read no cafe prices, so food and drink are a separate cost from the free entry. This is the Wheelers Hill address, not Mulgrave.
Listed prices (copied from maph.org.au on 3 October 2026):
- General entry: free
Free first: the museum’s entry, per its own site, and the one place on this page where the entry is stated as free.
Wheelers Hill Library (Monash Public Library Service) — 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
The library’s own page lists these facilities: “* Children’s collection * WiFi * Disabled amenities and access * Toilets”. It also says “There is an onsite cafe with meals, snacks and drinks”. The same page lists hours of 09:30 AM–08:00 PM from Monday to Friday and 09:30 AM–04:00 PM on Saturday.
The library says it shares a building area with MAPh and a cafe, and that “There is a pond and a picnic area in front of the library.” The page we read does not state a cost, so we print none.
Rain backup: the library, per its own page, shares a building area with the museum above, so the two make a pair when the weather turns.
Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands) — Waverley Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Parks Victoria says: “The playgrounds at Jells Park will entertain adventurers of all ages and abilities all day long.” It also says: “Come prepared for a picnic or barbecue.” For a cuppa, the page says “T House offers a serene escape with lake views”, and it lists “A fully accessible Changing Places facility is available at the Visitor Centre”.
Dogs are on-lead here. Parks Victoria says visitors “can bring up to four dogs into Jells Park, and journey on-lead around much of this park”, and that “There are no dog off-lead areas at Jells Park, however, there is one located close by at Nortons Park.” We found no opening hours or fee to print.
Plan it: bring a picnic, and check Parks Victoria’s page on the day for notices before you set out.
Quick answers
What is actually free near Mulgrave?
The Museum of Australian Photography says “Entry is free”, and that is the clearest one on this page. Mulgrave Farmers Market asks for a gold coin, with the money going to the school. For the playground, the library and Jells Park, we read no entry fee but also no statement that they are free, so confirm on the official page.
Is the farmers market on this weekend?
The market’s Weekly Schedule page lists it for Sunday October 4th, from 8.00am - 12.30pm, and Foodtree lists the same day. Check the market’s page on the day, since an older About text on its site gives a different closing time.
Where can I take a dog?
Jells Park lets visitors bring up to four dogs on-lead, according to Parks Victoria, and says there are no off-lead areas in the park. The nearest one it names is at Nortons Park. We have not confirmed dogs at any other place on this page.
What is open on a rainy day?
MAPh lists Tue–Fri 10am–5pm and Sat–Sun 10am–4pm, and is closed Monday. The library lists 09:30 AM–08:00 PM Monday to Friday and 09:30 AM–04:00 PM on Saturday. Both share the same address at 860 Ferntree Gully Road, Wheelers Hill.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 3 October 2026: the places’ own websites, OpenStreetMap, mulgravefarmersmarket.com.au, foodtree.com.au, council pages and government pages. Facilities and opening hours change, so check the official page before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Waverley Park Lake Playground: melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/waverley-park-playground-edgbaston-way, openstreetmap.org/994820419
- Mulgrave Farmers Market: mulgravefarmersmarket.com.au/weekly%20schedule, mulgravefarmersmarket.com.au/about, foodtree.com.au/mulgrave-farmers-market
- Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh): maph.org.au, monlib.vic.gov.au/Wheelers-Hill-Library, openstreetmap.org/324207765
- Wheelers Hill Library (Monash Public Library Service): monlib.vic.gov.au/Wheelers-Hill-Library, openstreetmap.org/267461508
- Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands): parks.vic.gov.au/jells-park, openstreetmap.org/153976439
