Museum in Australia

A visit to a museum in Australia is the best way to step into the past and understand the city’s culture. From art and history to science and innovation, museums here offer something for every interest. MakeMyTrip lists 3075 must-visit museums in Australia for 2025, making it easy to plan your trip. Exhibits are well curated, with guided tours and interactive displays that keep both adults and children engaged. Whether you’re fascinated by ancient artefacts or modern installations, each museum tells a story worth exploring. With Australia museum prices starting from INR 266, spending a few hours inside is affordable yet highly rewarding. This December, discover a new side of Australia with MakeMyTrip’s handpicked museums.

Top Museums in Australia: A Look Into the World of Art, History, Culture, and Nature Down Under

Australia is home to a large number of museums with a wide range of themes and fields of interest. The continent is also home to various national museums and houses state museums as well in cities like Perth, Sydney, etc. In these museums, you will find exhibits from diverse areas and themes, catering to different visitor interests. Australia is also home to various specialised museums, which house exhibits related to speciality interests, like the Australian National Maritime Museum.

When looking for a museum in Australia to explore national treasures and rare historical and cultural exhibits, you can go to museums like the National Museum of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the WA Museum, the Australian Museum, and others. Other top museums in the country-continent delve deeper into subjects like human history, natural history, culture, art, sports, science & technology, traditional heritage, and the like.

Explore the Diverse Museums of Australia

Art Museums

1 - National Gallery of Australia

An institute of refined visual arts, the National Gallery of Australia is known for its vast collection of artworks, comprising about 155,000 objects. These include the likes of paintings, sculptures, installations, etc. Artwork from diverse regions of the globe is displayed at this museum in Australia with a focus on French Impressionism, Renaissance, conceptual art, pop art, and various indigenous art forms.

• Address: Located at Parkes Pl E, Parkes ACT 2600, Australia. You can reach the museum via various means of public transport, including cabs, buses, etc. The nearest bus stop to the gallery is the National Gallery bus stop.
• Hours of Operation: Opens daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

2 - National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)

NGV is the oldest museum in Australia and is also one of the largest art museums. In this multi-faceted museum, you can find more than 70,000 exhibits, and about 40 exhibitions are held every year. Explore the world of contemporary as well as ancient art and visit other displays like fashion collections, design, and architecture. Look for the date and time of any exhibition held at this museum in Australia before visiting.

• Address: Located at 1080 Street, Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3006. The nearest tram stop to here is the Arts Precinct, which is just a few minutes away and makes the museum accessible.
• Hours of Operation: Open from Monday to Sunday between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm.

History Museums

1 - Australian Museum

The first museum of Australia, this one was established back in 1827 and has about 22 million art pieces on display sourced from Australia and various other parts of the world, like the Pacific. It is known for its collections across various subjects, like fossils, artefacts, minerals, and floral or faunal specimens.

• Address: Located at 1 William Street, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 2010. You can take a train or a bus and stop near College Street or William Street to reach this museum in Australia.
• Hours of Operation: Timing 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Opens from Monday to Sunday.

2 - Melbourne Museum

A museum dedicated to natural and cultural history, Melbourne Museum provides a unique insight into the life of the city from prehistory. This museum in Australia has a vast permanent collection of exhibits and is known for its popular temporary exhibitions held in its various galleries.

• Address: Located at 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton, VIC 3053. The museum is accessible via trams 86 and 96, from which you need to get down at Stop 11. From there, walk a few minutes to reach this museum.
• Hours of Operation: Open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Science & Technology Museums

1 - Powerhouse Museum

The Powerhouse Ultimo Museum is a contemporary museum of applied science and arts. In the museum, you can find various intersections of its faculties via displays and installations related to innovation, design, technology, etc. It serves as an active centre for providing engagement to communities via various contemporary designs and real-life issues.

• Address: You can reach this museum in Australia located at 500 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007, via the Sydney Light Train up to Exhibition Centre Station. From the station, this museum is a few minutes walk away.
• Hours of Operation: Undergoing renovation; timings may vary.

2 - Scienceworks

An interactive museum built to focus on the utility and projections of science and technology, Scienceworks has various innovative installations that visitors can explore. A unique museum in Australia, it allows various hands-on science experiments as well, and organises different demonstrations and tours.

• Address: Located at 2 Booker Street, Spotswood VIC 3015. Travelling by train, you can get down at Spotswood Station on the Williamstown Line and walk for about 10 minutes to reach this museum.
• Hours of Operation: Opens daily from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Cultural & Specialty Museums

1 - WA Museum Boola Bardip

An inclusive and enjoyable museum in Australia welcoming visitors across all age groups, this one delves into the world of culture and art in an innovative way. It is housed in four historic structures of brick and is a large museum facility focusing on local cultural developments over time through various artefacts and objects.

• Address: Situated in the Perth Cultural Centre at Perth, WA 6000. You can use various means of public transport to reach this museum, like buses and trains. You can also walk from the city centre to reach here.
• Hours of Operation: Opens from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily.

2 - National Sports Museum

A speciality museum in Australia, the National Sports Museum is known for its various interactive exhibits related to various sports, like football and cricket. In this museum, you can also find various displays across vast galleries which are dedicated to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and the Olympics. It has about 25,000 objects on display related to Australia’s greatest sports moments.

• Address: Located in the Melbourne Cricket Ground at Yarra Park, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, this museum has great connectivity with various public transport options. Melbourne CBD is the nearest landmark to reach here.
• Hours of Operation: Open on all seven days from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Children’s Museums

1 - The Natural Dinosaur Museum

A popular children’s museum in Australia, the Natural Dinosaur Museum is known for its unique display of dinosaur remains as well as various other animals found down under. In this museum, you can also get to know about the beginning of life with displays from prehistoric times. The interactive museum is also a great place of learning for kids.

• Address: Situated in Nicholls, Canberra, Australia, the museum can be reached easily via bus and other means of local transport, like cabs.
• Hours of Operation: Opens daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Special Events and Night Tours in Australia Museums

• Night Tours

  Various museums in Australia frequently hold night tours for visitors, allowing them a deeper insight into the unique collections housed in these museums. During these tours, one can also encounter various special activities, like discussions, exhibitions, and demonstrations. You can look for night tours at museums like the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

• Special Exhibitions

  Various special exhibitions are also held as dedicated events at some of the most popular museums in Australia, like those related to certain artists, historical periods, or highlighting special themes.

• Observatory Events

  At some museums, observatories also conduct nighttime tours that include activities like viewing the night sky with a telescope.