Castlemaine and Maldon make an easy day trip or weekend away from Melbourne, and there’s enough here to keep young kids happy without turning it into a march past antique shops.
Sitting less than 90 minutes north-west of Melbourne, it’s easy to reach by car or train. Maldon in particular has barely changed in over a century — it’s Australia’s first National Trust classified town — so wandering the main street feels a bit like stepping into an old photograph, minus the boredom that usually brings for kids. Between the two towns you’ve got a heritage steam railway, an excellent playground, bakeries worth the drive alone, and a couple of good pubs. We’ve visited with our kids over the years and updated this guide to reflect what’s still open.
What to Expect
Castlemaine is the bigger of the two towns, with cafes, bakeries, a botanical garden and The Mill precinct to explore. Maldon is smaller and quieter, best tackled on a market Sunday or when you’re catching the steam train in. Plan on a full day if you want to do both towns justice, or a relaxed half-day if you’re just after the train and lunch.
Here are our family-friendly tips on Castlemaine and Maldon.
Highlights for Kids
1. Victorian Goldfields Railway
This heritage steam train (diesel-hauled on total fire ban days and through summer) runs between Castlemaine and Maldon, rattling through iron bark forest for about 45 minutes each way. Excursion class is the one for families — open windows, no assigned seats, kids aged three and under travel free. First Class has the polished woodwork and the bar, but it’s not really set up for little ones.
Trains generally run Wednesdays and Sundays, plus some Saturdays during school holidays and select public holidays, though timetables shift with the seasons. Fares sit somewhere around $35–50 return for an adult in excursion class depending on when you book, with concession, child and family rates available — check vgr.com.au/timetable-and-fares before you go, as pricing has changed more than once recently. One-way trips are also possible if you can arrange a lift at the other end.
2. Castlemaine Botanical Gardens Playground
If your visit is short on time, make this the one stop you don’t skip. This award-winning playground sits under a huge old oak tree and includes a wooden bushman’s hut, monkey bars, swings, a flying fox and a log balance course, plus wide lawns for kids who just want to run. There are BBQs, picnic tables and toilets on site, and it’s all free.
Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, 2 Walker St, Castlemaine
3. The Mill Castlemaine
A reimagined 1870s woollen mill turned food and makers’ precinct, with more than 40 small businesses under one roof. There’s a coffee roastery, a bakery, an ice-cream maker and a small stash of arcade games near the entrance for when the antique browsing gets too much for little legs. Good for an hour if the weather turns, or as a lunch stop between Castlemaine and the train station.
The Mill Castlemaine, 1–9 Walker St, Castlemaine
4. Maldon Market
Held on the second Sunday of every month at the Maldon Neighbourhood Centre (1 Church St), this monthly market is stacked with local produce, home-made food and handcrafts. It’s a nice one to time your Maldon visit around if you can, with a playground and gardens nearby for the kids to burn off energy between stalls.
5. Mount of Alex
A more orderly, less overwhelming secondhand bookshop than some, specialising in rare and antiquarian titles including travel, exploration and children’s classics. It’s usually open Saturday and Sunday from around 11am to 5pm, or by appointment — worth calling ahead if you’re making a special trip.
Mount of Alex, 273 Barker St, Castlemaine, 0410 650 923
What Parents Need to Know
- Pram access: Maldon’s main street and Castlemaine’s Botanical Gardens are pram-friendly, but some of the older shopfronts (bookshops especially) are a tight squeeze.
- Public toilets: Available at Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, The Mill, and at both train stations.
- Parking: Free and generally easy to find in both towns, including near Castlemaine station.
- Food: Plenty of options in Castlemaine (see below); Maldon is thinner on the ground outside market days and weekends, so plan lunch accordingly.
- Booking: The steam train requires booking in advance online.
- Weather: Summer means the train runs on diesel rather than steam, and Maldon’s shopfronts offer little shade — bring hats and water.
Where to eat in Castlemaine
6. Johnny Baker
Now with two locations — Downtown on Forest Street and Uptown behind The Newnorthern on Barker Street — Johnny Baker is the pick for pastries, pies and coffee. Expect Spinach and Ricotta Rolls, a well-regarded Beef and Burgundy pie, and a rotating cake cabinet worth saving room for. Both spots have a bit of outdoor seating.
Johnny Baker Downtown, 46 Forest St, Castlemaine Johnny Baker Uptown, Rear 359 Barker St, Castlemaine
7. Mulberry’s Delicatessen
Now trading alongside Togs Cafe, Mulberry’s is the spot for cheese, charcuterie, gourmet frozen pasta and Jock’s ice cream — handy if you’re self-catering or want a picnic to take to the Botanical Gardens. Open Monday to Saturday, closed Sundays.
Mulberry’s Delicatessen, 58–60 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine
A Few More Family-Friendly Pubs
If you want more than one lunch option up your sleeve, these Castlemaine pubs all do a solid kids menu:
- The Bridge Hotel — beer garden and bush views right by The Mill and the Botanical Gardens, so easy to combine with a playground visit.
- Railway Hotel — handy if you’re arriving by train, just a short walk from Castlemaine Station.
- Cumberland Hotel — a small kids play corner alongside the usual pub classics, plus a seniors menu if grandparents are along for the trip.
Where to Eat in Maldon
8. The Kangaroo Hotel
Maldon’s historic pub, complete with a big beer garden out the back for kids to run around in. Note that it’s now open Friday to Sunday only, with a food van handling dinner over weekends rather than a full daily kitchen — so it’s not a reliable weekday lunch stop the way it used to be. Worth checking their Facebook page for the current food van schedule before you drive out especially for a meal.
The Kangaroo Hotel, 89 High St, Maldon
Getting There
Castlemaine is very easy to reach without a car, which makes it a good option if you don’t fancy the drive with tired kids at the end of the day.
By train: V/Line runs regular services from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne to Castlemaine on the Bendigo line, taking around 70–80 minutes. Trains run roughly hourly through the day, with extra services at peak times, so there’s no need to plan your whole day around one departure. You’ll need a myki card, tapped on and off as usual — check current times on vline.com.au before you head off, as timetables do shift. From Castlemaine Station it’s an easy walk into town, and it’s also where you’ll catch the Victorian Goldfields Railway to Maldon.
By car: It’s about 120 kilometres from Melbourne, roughly 90 minutes via the Calder Freeway and Pyrenees Highway. Parking in both Castlemaine and Maldon is free and easy to find, including right near Castlemaine Station if you’re combining a drive with the steam train.
Maldon itself isn’t on the regular train line, so if you want to see both towns without a car, catching the train to Castlemaine and then the Victorian Goldfields Railway on to Maldon is the way to do it.
Where to stay in Castlemaine
If you’re turning this into a weekend away rather than a day trip, Castlemaine has more family accommodation options than Maldon.
BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park
Right next to the Botanical Gardens, this holiday park has villas, safari tents and powered/unpowered sites, plus a games room, pedal karts and a school holiday kids’ club program. It’s an easy walk to The Mill and central Castlemaine, and one of the few local options set up specifically for families.
For self-contained houses and apartments, Stayz and Airbnb both list options across Castlemaine and Maldon — search by dates rather than relying on a single listing, as availability and pricing shift often.
40 Best Things to Do in Ballarat with Kids
Echuca Moama with Kids: The Best Things to Do for Families
Things to Do in Melbourne CBD with Kids: The Complete Family Guide
This post contains affiliate links. If you book using the links there is no extra cost to you and I earn a small commission that helps me to provide free, valuable and useful information for you!
