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Non-stop art exhibitions and an endless list of music gigs and theatre shows. In summer outdoor film screenings take place on the banks of the Maribyrnong River.
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Interesting gallery with exhibitions, art history talks, adult art courses, and workshops.
One of Melbourne's Big Three horse racing venues, there are several race meetings a month in the busy season from September to March. The famous Cox Plate weight-for-age race is run here in late October each year.
Performing arts centre including drama, dance, music performances and movie screenings.
The former Moonee Ponds Courthouse houses a museum of the local area, run by the Essendon Historical Society. In June 2016, a fire damaged the building and the collection, but it was restored.
A place to spend a relaxing day. There's a rose garden, a sunken garden, a lake, a cafe, and a 50-m pool open from November to March ($5.70 pool entry). Monuments include a cenotaph remembering Australia's dead in World War One, and a cairn marking the spot where the doomed Burke and Wills expedition camped on its first night heading out of Melbourne in 1860. There's a children's playground and an island rotunda, and if you follow the website link there's a brochure for a free self-guided local heritage walk starting and ending at the park.
On the "wrong" side of the bay in terms of famous Melbourne beaches, Altona Beach is a strictly locals-only affair. However, because it is a very long, clean, sandy beach, with plenty of parking, it is known as the best beach in Melbourne's west. Altona has a thriving restaurant and cafe district nearby, centred around Pier St. There's even a big new (2024) jetty, and the esplanade is lined with mature trees which provide some shade. Accessible by train and bus, too.