Our visits to the Melbourne Museum all follow a well worn path! We get our tickets, take a quick look at the display directly behind the counter and head straight out to the Forest Gallery. We look for fish and turtles, go under the waterfall and then make our way past the frogs to the bushfire memorial.

We then go down the ramp, back indoors, past the whale skeleton and into the “Dinosaur Museum” or the Dinosaur Walk, located in the Science and Life Gallery.

The Dinosaur Walk exhibition at Melbourne Museum brings dinosaurs and other ancient animals to life. This is where the kids can look at a range of amazing skeletons – combine them with ideas from science or let their imagination run wild!

From here, we continue on to the animals, in the Evolution Gallery, which is a taxidermist’s dream! They have very cool interactive screens which you can point at an animal to find out what it is and all about it. There are also giant information touch screens that give information. Did you know that the Tasmanian Tiger was actually a relative of the wombat? You can see it if you look closely at the one on display. They have the same nose!

Alegría Says

I love the butterflies. I love all the pretty colours and learning how they grow. I also love the dinosaur bones, they are huge!

We then have a look at all of the bugs and butterflies and have a quick look at the semi-precious gems.

That usually takes us about an hour and then we go to the Children’s Gallery and Children’s Garden. This room is specifically designed for children aged 3 – 10, however both Alegría and Isaac have enjoyed it from a much younger age.

There are both indoor and outdoor activities covering a range of topics. Whether your children like puppets, building blocks, puzzles, animals, animals and more animals, lego, old-school games like hopscotch, quoits, jump rope, stilts, or running off all their energy they will find something to keep them occupied for at least an hour!

Georgina Says

There is a café onsite, however, you could pack a few sandwiches and go out to the playground for a picnic. We learned first hand you can’t eat in the Galleries – oops! Really should take notice of the signs! The playground is at the opposite end of the Museum to the Children’s Gallery – up near the café.

We love the Melbourne Museum. It is a fantastic place to spend a few hours (or longer if you don’t have to take naps into consideration), it’s perfect for all weather conditions and for those on a budget!

The Melbourne Museum have plenty of Children’s programs running, more information can be found here. You can plan your own path using the Melbourne Museum map (PDF, 81 Kb) which shows the location of the main exhibition galleries and facilities.

MORE INFORMATION

Location: Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia

Days and Times: Open daily, 10am – 5pm (Closed Good Friday & Christmas Day)

Phone: 13 11 02

Cost: Adult $12, concessions & children free

Website: http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/

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