Watch the kids faces twist in confusion when you tell them the next part of the itinerary is going to gaol! The most imposing building of the entire town of Beechworth is the historically significant and well preserved Old Beechworth Gaol.

This facility was in operation from 1864 right up to some time in the 90s and is now open to the public for tours thanks to the local community. There are lots of tales that these walls could tell and your expert guide will share many of the good, bad, but mostly ugly as you make your way through iron bars into the exercise yard, the empty hallways and the tiny prisoner cells.

The gaol is pretty much exactly how it was the day the joint closed and holds so much history from the Victorian High Country that they can barely clean the place, in case the paint may be damaged in the process.

You can enter the cells and see just what the conditions might be like to be a prisoner - just like the famous Ned Kelly and many members of the Kelly family - in this prison.

Some parts of the tour are for mature ears only (especially when discussing the gallows and eight executions that took place within these walls) but parents are given the heads up for this part of the chat and given the opportunity to explore the rooms instead.

Special mention to the cafe that operates on site here with its rustic furniture and plenty of snacks for the kids. They also hold movie screenings under the stars in the old Gaoler’s Courtyard as part of the Granite Outdoor Cinema in the warmer months.