Austenitic stainless steel is an excellent construction material for structures required to withstand accidental loads such as seismic and/or fire events due to its appropriate mechanical properties, including high ductility, considerable strain hardening and good fire resistance. In recent years, a considerable amount of research has been devoted to the understanding of the structural performance of single isolated stainless steel members. However, new trends in the design philosophy moving from current member-based methods to direct system-based approaches will require more experimental evidence on more complex structural systems such as frames, which are currently scarce. With the aim of contributing to the advances in this field, one of the first known extensive experimental programmes on austenitic stainless steel frames is presented in this paper. The experimental programme comprised several sub-programmes, in which the performance of stainless steel structures at different levels was investigated. This paper describes a series of tests on austenitic stainless steel cross-sections and members, which were utilized in the planning and analysis of the subsequent frame tests. The paper also outlines the complex experimental set-up adopted for the stainless steel frame tests, including the implemented loading schemes, auxiliary elements and instrumentation, through a detailed explanation of the different issues encountered in the process of their definition. The knowledge gained and the experiences reported in this paper could assist researchers in planning similar experimental programmes. •An experimental programme on austenitic stainless steel RHS is described.•Tests on coupons, stub columns, beams and columns are presented.•An experimental set-up for frame tests is presented.•Load schemes and protocols for frame tests are defined and discussed.•Auxiliary arrangements for frame tests are described.