Melbourne Cricket Ground is Australia's largest sports stadium and an iconic part of the world's sporting history. First constructed in 1853, it hosts cricket matches during the summer and Australian Rules Football (AFL) games in the winter, with sellout crowds for the AFL Grand Final and the Australian cricket team's Boxing Day test match.
A 2000-seat wooden grandstand was constructed in 1877 for when the stadium hosted the world's first ever cricket test match, between Australia and England. By 1956 the stadium capacity had risen to 120,000 for the Summer Olympics. Commonly known as the MCG or simply the G, it has also hosted the first ever one-day cricket international. In recent years the G has been the main stadium for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Cricket World Cups of 1992 and 2015.
The MCG is considered the spiritual heart of AFL and watching a local AFL game at the stadium is one of Melbourne's iconic experiences. Various teams play at the stadium and there are matches on most weekends throughout winter. Guided MCG tours operate on days without sporting fixtures and Australia's National Sports Museum is also housed here.
There are two train stations close to the MCG and visitors are advised to use public transport on match days. Jolimont (known as MCG Station) is a five-minute walk north of the ground. Richmond is a seven-minute walk to the southeastern side of the MCG. A tram stop can also be found just outside the stadium.