An iconic tower for history buffs, the Coop’s Shot Tower is a historic bullet factory in Melbourne fully encased in a massive glass and steel cone.

 

and . Built in 1889, the Coop Shot Tower was one of the the most famous shot ball production towers in Melbourne. During the 1940s, the Coops Shot Tower was known to be the tallest tower in Melbourne however not long after, the Coops Shot Tower was soon overcrowded by gargantuan skyscrapers and other urban giants. Rather than being torn down and destroyed, the Coops Shot Tower was saved from demolition in 1973 and the city of Melbourne decided to safeguard this historic gem and incorporated it into Melbourne Central in 1991 underneath a 84 metre (20 storey) high conical glass roof around the tower. This cone was built by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa.

 

During the era in which it was built, it was very common to have such structures as the process of creating these little lead balls would explain the time and age it lived in. The shot balls were created by letting droplets of molten metal fall through the length of the tower into pools of water that would then instantly form them into a spherical shape. During its peak, the Coops Shot Tower would produce about six tons of shots in a week. Fortunately the need for fire power changed as time passed by and the location expanded into other metal works. Due to the hidden place being refused of demolition and now safeguarded, the Coops Shot Tower has now turned into 164-foot landmark. The place consists of 327 steps to the top floor that produced six tonnes of shots weekly until 1961 before firearm regulations were altered for the better. The Coops family managed the Coops Shot Tower and Clifton Hill Shot Tower.

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Inside the Coops Shot Tower is the The Shot Tower Museum hidden inside a R.M. Williams store and DJI (D1 Store), a tenant in the tower. Furthermore, the tower is also listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Along with its age old architecture, the museum is also kept up to date with advanced technologies such as gesture-controlled displays being installed in the historic tower.

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Opening hours: 10am - 7pm Saturday - Wednesday, 10am - 9pm Thursday and Friday.

Entry: free

Location: Level 1 in Melbourne Central, Shot Tower Museum is located within the R.M. Williams store.
Public transport: Right above Melbourne Central Station. The Melbourne Central Station/State Library of Victoria Tram Stop (routes 1, 3, 3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72), Elizabeth St/La Trobe St Stop (routes 30, 35 and the City Circle) and Melbourne Central Stop (routes 19, 57, 59) are tram stops located just outside Melbourne Central.

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