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Welcome to The Nursery Information Portal

The Nursery lets members design their very own race day experience for memories that will last a lifetime. Make it as grand or as casual as you wish and have fun playing host to friends, family and colleagues, with your own personal style and taste. You can choose to do it all yourself or let our accredited hirers and caterers take care of everything for you.

You and your guests will enjoy the wonderful atmosphere that is The Nursery, along with comprehensive racing coverage, betting facilities, live entertainment and easy access to all amenities.

 PEDESTRIAN PASSES  | IMPORTANT INFORMATION  |  MAP  |  ACCREDITED CATERERS  |   ACCREDITED HIRERS   |  ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT  |   FAQS 

Pedestrian Passes

All guests entering The Nursery will require a Nursery Pedestrian Pass which will provide access to The Nursery and General Public areas of Flemington Racecourse.

The Nursery Sites and The Nursery Super Sites accommodate up to 25 members and/or guests on all days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.  

VRC Members, Annual Guest Card holders and Daily Guest Ticket holders do not need to purchase a Pedestrian Pass as they can simply scan their VRC Membership card or ticket for access. A Pedestrian Pass does not give your guest access to the Members Enclosure. If your guest wishes to enter the Members Enclosure (The Club Stand and The Grandstand) or The Birdcage, they will require a Daily Guest Ticket.

Purchase your Pedestrian Passes using your Membership Barcode for the following days:

Victoria Derby Day

Crown Oaks Day

TAB Champions Stakes Day

Important Information

Please review the Race Day Information factsheet carefully for additional information related to The Nursery Car Parks.    

Race Day Opening and Closing Times

Race Day

Vehicle Gates Open

Vehicle Gates CLOSE FOR ENTRY

LATEST VEHICLE EXIT

pedestrian entry closed

Car Parks Closed

Howden Victoria Derby Day

7:00am

9:15am

10:30am

7:00pm

7:30pm

Crown Oaks Day

9:30am

11:00am

11:30am

7:00pm

7:30pm

TAB Champions Stakes Day

9:00am

10:30am

11:00am

7:00pm

7:30pm

Vehicles will be allowed access to The Nursery after 8pm subject to Victoria Police approval to collect belongings from your car site.  

​​​​​​​Please be reminded that all vehicles left overnight must be collected by 10am the following morning or risk being towed.  


Vehicle access to The Nursery

To access The Nursery, please enter Flemington Racecourse via Members Drive off Epsom Road and enter through the gate at the end of Members Drive. 

All Nursery traffic entering via Flemington Drive will be directed by Events Staff towards Members Drive. Please ensure you have your Nursery pass visible for Events Staff.

 

The Nursery Car Pass and Guest Tickets

Please ensure your Car Pass is affixed to your windscreen or available on your phone ready to be scanned at the entry gate.  Additionally, please have your Membership Cards, Annual Guest Cards and/or Pedestrian Passes for everyone in the vehicle easily accessible for the Event Staff to scan as you enter.   

PLEASE NOTE: Each site accommodates only one vehicle. Members who have booked car park sites on multiple days must ensure the correct Nursery Car Pass is displayed for each day.

Activities and Entertainment

Get ready for an unforgettable Melbourne Cup Carnival in The Nursery! Enjoy comprehensive racing coverage on our big screens, live entertainment, easy access to amenities and a vibrant atmosphere as you cheer for your favourites and place your bets. 

On Howden Victoria Derby Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day, dive into an exciting lineup of activities, including: 

 

HOWDEN Victoria Derby Day TAB Champions Stakes Day

Lawn Games

Face Painting

Soft Play

Roving Entertainment 

Phar Lap Club Scavenger Hunt 

Kids Dance Workshop 

Friend in Me Sensory Lounge 

Ice Cream Truck - free for kids!

Coffee Van 

Kids Carousel

Lawn Games

Face Painting 

Soft Play  

Roving Entertainment 

Phar Lap Club Scavenger Hunt 

Kids Dance Workshop 

Friend in Me Sensory Lounge 

Ice Cream Truck  - free for kids!

Coffee Van 

Sports Activities 

Dodgeball 

Pony rides 

Accredited Caterers

Cirka Catering

Cirka Catering

Anything from a traditional car boot hamper filled with all your favourites, to a grazing BBQ menu cooked at your site by one of our chefs - we offer tailored packages so you can relax and have a fantastic day at the track.

EXPLORE PACKAGES
Curtis Stone Events

Curtis Stone Events

Let Curtis Stone Events handle every detail of your day – from effortless garden parties to show-stopping race day feasts. Their bespoke catering packages include everything from crafted menus and expert service to on-site chefs and live cooking stations, so all you need to do is arrive and enjoy.

EXPLORE PACKAGES

 

Accredited Hirers

Harry the Hirer

Harry the Hirer

For over 30 years, Harry the Hirer has crafted unforgettable Melbourne Cup Carnival experiences in The Nursery. Style your Carnival day with bespoke hire packages for your Nursery or Nursery Super Site. Choose from curated packages or create your own.​

Valiant

Valiant

Choose from our curated packages for all space sizes on our easy-to-use online hire shop or contact our team for a more customised package. Valiant will take care of full installation and collection, meaning all you need to do is show up and enjoy the day! 

Please note: Valiant will be servicing standard Nursery sites only. 

To view available packages, see below and select the 'VRC package' option under Collection filter.

EXPLORE PACKAGES

FAQ's

As The Nursery car park site holder, please ensure you download the car pass/es from the email sent from VRC Membership. This car pass must be affixed to the windscreen or available to be scanned upon gate entry on the race day. Only one car pass can be used per car and will be scanned upon entry. Car Passes cannot be used more than once unless the pass has been scanned out of The Nursery before re-entering.  

Guests require a Pedestrian Pass or Members ticketing and must scan their pass upon entry and exit of the site area. 

Passengers of vehicles entering Car Park areas must have either their VRC Membership Card, a Pedestrian Pass, a VRC Member Daily Guest Ticket, or Annual Guest Card. Attendants will be checking tickets upon entry.

Limited parking will be available for Nursery site-holders in a dedicated car park in the far-east section of The Nursery (outside the fence line). This is on a first come, first served basis while space is available. Nursery patrons will be able to enter and exit this car park at any stage to retrieve items from their car. 

General Admission parking is also available to members who do not hold Members Reserved or Unreserved parking passes for the 2025/26 racing season. Please note VRC does not guarantee the availability of the spaces in the General Admission or Members Unreserved Car Park.  

Unless a site has been purchased within The Nursery to park your car, your car MUST be parked outside of the Nursery fence line.  

VRC Members (site holder) and guests who hold an Annual Guest Card, Daily Guest Ticket or Pedestrian Pass, can assist in setting up the site, along with VRC Accredited Caterers and Hirers.  

Please note, no vehicle larger than 5.5m (length) x 2.8m (width) will be permitted entry into Flemington Racecourse at any point, and trailers are not permitted at any time. VRC Accredited Caterers and Hirers will be permitted to bring vehicles into the site area.   

Unless a site has been purchased within The Nursery to park your car, your car MUST be parked outside of the Nursery fence line.  

Car Park sites in The Nursery are a blank canvas for you to create you own vision. However, there are restrictions in place for what you can bring to your site across Melbourne Cup Carnival in 2025:

  • Gas-powered BBQ’s only
  • Maximum of two structures per standard site (3m x 3m of coverage for entire site & roof height up to 2.5m)
  • Structures must be anchored securely to the ground and no sides or flooring
  • No heaters or hay bales can be placed in the site
  • No branding or logos permitted on structures/umbrellas
  • Signage, posters, banners, and any other promotional material is not permitted
  • No beer barrels/kegs of any size
  • Generators are strictly prohibited

Super Sites: Strictly no flooring or annexe structures can be placed within your site.

Members will be permitted to return to their car park site with their vehicle after 8pm*. Members may leave their vehicles and property at the racecourse overnight, at their own risk. All equipment and property must be collected prior to 10:00am the following day or risk being towed. 

The VRC accepts no responsibility for any equipment or property that you take into or leave at the racecourse, at your site or in the general Car Park area. 

*Subject to Victoria Police approval

If you are planning on exiting Flemington before 8pm, we recommend you park your vehicle in the designated Nursery car park which sits outside of the fence line. You will be able to access your vehicle throughout the day, but it will provide you with the flexibility to leave at a time that suits you without impacting the safety of patrons still enjoying their time in The Nursery.