This guided tour provides an excellent introduction to the Museum, exploring highlights from our permanent exhibition galleries.
Talking Blak to History in our First Australians gallery features powerful objects and stories that speak to the aftermath of colonisation, of survival and resilience.
On the hour between 10am and 4pm Join a free 10-minute host talk in our Great Southern Land or First Australians galleries or the Garden of Australian Dreams.
10amThis guided tour provides an insight into the stories and meanings hidden in the Museum building, design and landscapes. Please wear appropriate footwear for walking outside.
3–4pmTake a guided tour with one of our hosts to learn about First Nations peoples, their history, culture and connection to country.
Daily 75-minute sessions: 9.15am, 10.45am, 12.15pm, 2pm, 3.30pmThis fun, immersive play space is designed for children of all abilities aged 0 to 6 years. Every session includes free, child-led activities in our mini makers corner.
Explore stunning objects and rich multi-sensory experiences as you discover the story of the vast, vibrant Australian continent. See how the continent has transformed into one of the most diverse and resilient places on Earth – and how these changes can guide us in the future.
Fridays to Sundays and daily in school holidays – 25 Sep to 8 Oct and 15 to 31 Dec (closed 15 Oct and 25 Dec)Experience one of the greatest international scientific endeavours in history as you step onto Australia’s future site of the incredible Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope in an immersive 360-degree virtual reality cinema experience.
Fridays to Sundays and daily in school holidays – 25 Sep to 8 Oct and 15 to 31 Dec (closed 15 Oct and 25 Dec)Explore a day in the life of Antarctic scientists in this immersive virtual reality adventure, brought to you by the National Museum of Australia and the Western Australian Museum.
First Tuesday of the monthExplore the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre in a quiet hours session for visitors who prefer a quieter experience. These sessions offer reduced noise and sensory experiences.
Daily at 9am, 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pmTraverse the vast, vibrant Australian continent on this tour of the Museum’s environmental history gallery, Great Southern Land.
Belonging: Stories from Far North Queensland is the second in a three-part exhibition series that captures generations of First Nations cultural knowledge shaped by a profound relationship to Country. Featuring works from Cardwell, Badu Island and Aurukun.
22 Oct 23Experience the joy and wonder of stories with award-winning children’s book authors and illustrators from around Australia. Join our special guest author or illustrator for story time, then head over to the Workshop for a unique creative activity.
The Dyara Indigenous Arts Hub features handmade products sourced from around Australia. Dyara is the Ngunnawal word for bowerbird – a name chosen to reflect the hub’s eclectic collection of items. You’ll find paintings, jewellery, weavings, sculpture, homewares and fashion by First Nations artists and designers including Judy Watson, Cedric Varcoe and Alma Nungarrayi Granites. Come and explore the range in our Gandel Atrium.
Take a break in the Museum’s Garden of Australian Dreams at the 1950s-inspired coffee caravan, Betty. Enjoy hot and cold drinks and a variety of tempting treats while you listen to tunes and relax in the retro deck chairs.
Listen, dance, sing and laugh with Gregg Dreise (Kamilaroi and Euahlayi) as he shares his knowledge of Country in this interactive workshop. Gregg will also be signing his books after the workshop. Bookings essential.
26 and 27 Sept 23 | Sessions: 10–11.30am and 12.30–2pmJoin Waterwatch on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin and discover our region’s unique aquatic life. Fish for water bugs and learn about their habitats, then create your own water bug using recycled materials.
In the Great Depression of the 1920s and 30s, high levels of debt and the collapse of wool and wheat prices left Australia particularly vulnerable. Join us to review Joan Beaumont's impressive narrative of resilience by Australia's democratic institutions and people. Exclusive to Friends. Join Friends
Join us to hear how designers are working with nature to develop new materials in response to the pressing global challenges of environmental degradation and resource depletion. Bookings essential.
From 28 September 2023Voyage: Experience the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings of Southeast Asia is a digital installation bringing to life a stunning selection of botanical and zoological watercolours from the National Museum of Singapore.
From Thur 28 Sept (excludes Mon 2 Oct public holiday). Sessions: 10–11.30am and 12.30–2pm Dive into Australia’s waterscapes and explore the hidden world of the platypus, one of Australia’s most iconic and elusive native animals. In this workshop, you will visit the platypus exhibit in the Great Southern Land gallery, then capture the platypus and their world in your own unique work of art.
Join Dr Kirsten Wehner, the Museum’s inaugural James O Fairfax Senior Fellow in Culture and Environment, to hear the ways in which the program explores how Australian lives are intertwined with our environment and how we can make new stories about coming together to care for our living places. Exclusive to Friends. Join Friends
Join us as more than 100 of Australia's finest MG sports cars built between 1923 and 1955 gather to celebrate a century of MG production. Visitors can walk among the cars, marvel at their technical design and talk with owners. Organised by the MG Car Club Canberra.
You may also like
The National Museum of Australia acknowledges First Australians and recognises their continuous connection to Country, community and culture.
