» National Museum of Australia :: Australia Travel Destinations

National Museum of Australia

Filed under:

Canberra Attractions

National Museum of Australia

The National Museum of Australia doesn’t look like a museum and it certainly doesn’t feel like a museum. The new museum uses state-of-the-art technology and hands-on interactive exhibitions so visitors can actually experience the stories of Australia.

See 20,000 years of environmental change come to life in the rock art of Kakadu in Tangled Destinies. Celebrate the icons of Australia – including kangaroos, the Hills Hoist and Vegemite – in Nation. Share your own story in Eternity – stories from the emotional hear of Australia. Image yourself at Sydney Cove after the arrival of the First Fleet in Horizons. Immerse yourself in Indigenous dance and music as you enter the First Australians gallery.

The National Museum of Australia has a number of areas specially intended for children, as well as its own stylish, waterfront restaurant, Axis, with spectacular views over Lake Burley Griffin, two cafes and a museum shop offering a unique collection of arts and crafts, books, music and learning toys for kids.

Start your experience with Circa, a state-of-the-art rotating theatre, which explains the Museums key themes. Also discover what the permanent galleries have to offer:

Tangled Destinies Explore how human history is written on the land, and how the opportunities and limits of our environment have shaped our life and agriculture.

Eternity Experience the stories of 50 Australians using the themes of joy, hope, passion, mystery, thrill, loneliness, fear, devotion, separation, or chance.

Horizons The history of immigration from convict transportation to the White Australia policy to the successful integration of millions of post-war migrants.

Nation Celebrate popular Australian symbols, from the kangaroo to our own special version of English, to Vegemite, right down to a genuine 1950s kitchen.

Gallery of First Australians This gallery investigates the overarching themes of identity, cultural diversity, spirituality, family and connections to country. The gallery also aims to explore a diverse range of Indigenous responses to cultural interactions, from conflict to cooperation and coexistence.

National Museum of Australia
Acton Peninsula
Acton ACT 2600
4.9 kms from the city centre

Hours: 9am-5pm daily (closed Christmas Day)
Cost: General admission is free. Fees apply to guided tours and special exhibitions.

Related Travel Information

Coolgardie Pharmacy Museum, Coolgardie

Coolgardie Pharmacy Museum, Coolgardie Coolgardie's Pharmacy Museum is surprisingly interesting. Said to be one of the best historical pharmaceutical displays in Australia, Coolgardie's pharmacy museum houses an extensive collection of 18th and 19th century medicines. Numerous advertisements and antique tools of the chemists trade or on display. A Coolgardie local named Ronnie Potter manages the museum . Ronnie is certainly one of Coolgardie's characters and he definitely is very knowledgeable about medications and the history of the goldfields. For those of you on prescription medications a short visit to this museum could prove very addictive. Opening hours 7-30 am to 4

Boulder Pharmacy Museum, Kalgoorlie

Boulder Pharmacy Museum, Kalgoorlie Boulder's Pharmacy Museum is located within a chemist shop that has been continuously operating for over 100 years. The museum's collection includes a vast array of medicines and original pharmaceutical bottles dating from the 19th century. Essential medical tools dating from the period are also on display. If you find this display interesting we recommend you pay a visit to Coolgardie's Pharmacy museum. Boulder's Pharmacy museum is open from 8-50 am to 5-30 pm Monday to Friday, and 8-50 am to 12-30 pm on Saturdays.

Goldfields War Museum, Kalgoorlie

Goldfields War Museum, Kalgoorlie Military history enthusiasts will definitely find the Goldfields War Museum worth a visit for an hour or two. Exhibits within the museum include a large number of armoured vehicles, weapons, uniforms and an extensive collection of wartime relics and memorabilia. Of particular interest is the photographic collection which documents the widespread participation of the Goldfields community in every campaign from the Boer War to Vietnam. Other displays include a large number of moving letters written by Australian soldiers to their loved ones, with many of the detailing the daily hardships of a soldier's life. Opening hours for

The Kalgoolie - Boulder Museum

The Kalgoolie - Boulder Museum For those of you who enjoy museums, Nullarbor Net definitely recommends a visit to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Goldfields museum. Located at the top end of Hannan Street the museum is open daily from 10am to 4-30 pm. The entrance to the museum is impossible to miss, marked as it is by a huge headframe from the Old Ivanhoe mine. Entry is by donation and for family and school groups the museum represents possibly the best value on the goldfields. Highlights from the museum include displays of restored miner's cottages, a large chunk from the Mundrabilla meteorite, fine

Katanning Historical Museum

Katanning Historical Museum This Museum was the first permanent school in Katanning and was opened in 1899. The town was growing rapidly at this time, and it was soon outgrown. The school was moved to the site of the present Katanning primary school. The display are numerous.