Photoelectric and photographic photometry of the open cluster Melotte 66 is presented. The CM diagram shows most of the characteristics of an old cluster. The giant branch is broad with its blue edge populated preferentially by stars from the outer parts of the cluster. There is no detectable horizontal subgiant sequence. The main sequence turn-off colour, two-colour diagram and the colour difference between the turn-off and the subgiants are used to estimate the age and composition. Melotte 66 appears to have reddening E(B-V)=0.17mag and ultraviolet excess d(U-B)~0.1mag corresponding to [Fe/H]=-0.3. The cluster is probably between 6 and 7x10^9^yr old. A distance modulus (m-M)o=12.4mag is derived, which implies that the cluster lies about 750pc from the galactic plane.