A far cry from stuffy rooms full of frames, these top museums and galleries around Australia are immersive, interactive and make for an awesome wet weather activity for the whole family.
Earthquake machines and life-sized dinosaur skeletons are among the awesome attractions on offer. Assemble your troupe of tiny tots or teens and tag along to the awesome array of family-friendly exhibits.
Discover the highlights of Australia’s top museums for kids below!
Sydney's best museums and galleries for kids
The Australian Museum
Walk amongst real dinosaur skeletons and life-size models at The Australian Museum, which reopened in late 2020 after a major refurbishment. Its collections include scientific specimens of animals, fossils and minerals, as well as cultural objects such as Egyptian sculptures, ghost net art by Indigenous artists, and the Hawaiian Feather Cape presented to Captain Cook in 1778.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
From one of the windows inside the Art Gallery of NSW, you can catch a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge and sparkling waters. The gallery’s Children’s Trails are designed to engage and inspire kids as they write and draw in their trail notebooks. Many artworks also feature special labels for kids, including prompts encouraging them to think about the piece and understand it from their own point of view.
When you need a break, drop by the colourful Children’s Art Library for some quiet reading time, or visit for under-5s Storytime on Fridays. More family-friendly events include the Kids’ Clubs during school terms and drop-in workshops. Check the gallery calendar for what’s on, especially during school holidays.
Australian National Maritime Museum
Kids can explore tall ships, navy vessels and a cold war submarine at this impressive Darling Harbour attraction in the Harbour City. The National Maritime Museum‘s galleries also showcase historical artefacts that bring Australia’s deep connection to the sea alive, exploring the topics of migration, commerce, archaeology, ocean science, culture and lifestyle.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
Located on Sydney Harbour at Circular Quay, the Museum of Contemporary Art features heaps of audio-visual pieces, sculptures and sensory experiences ideal for littlies. During Art Play events kids aged zero to five years old can create their own masterpiece inspired by the museum’s current exhibits using a range of creative media. Access Social events are designed for autistic children and children with disability, with quieter sessions available. School holiday programs are also on offer.
Canberra's best museum and galleries for kids
National Museum of Australia
A mysterious bunyip, a boy from the Torres Strait who transformed into a dugong and the cat who circumnavigated Australia with explorer Matthew Flinders are among the characters kids can meet at the innovative Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre, which opened at the National Museum of Australia in 2022.
It’s a great place for children aged up to six about Australian history through storytelling and play, with a specially curated play area with five separate spaces featuring signature Australian animal stories, and a colourful infant crawl space where toddlers can make and build while their younger siblings roll, crawl and investigate.
In the main museum, you can also see Captain Cook’s navigational instruments and collections on The Olympics and bushranger Ned Kelly.
Questacon
Generations of Australians have enjoyed the delights of the fascinating Questacon science and technology museum, which opened in the nation’s capital in 1988. Highlights include feeling the force of an earthquake, seeing lightning illuminate the room and peeking inside a beehive. Younger kids will enjoy Mini Q — a custom-built play space for children up to six-years-old, including role play, space play and water play areas.
National Dinosaur Museum
Budding palaeontologists can see the largest permanent display of dinosaur paraphernalia in the country at the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra. Located in the hub of Gold Creek Village in Nicholls, it features life-like dinosaur models, full skeletons, skulls, and animatronic dinosaurs. There’s also a gift shop with an impressive array of souvenirs. If your kids are really brave, you can also book to explore the museum by torchlight on a night tour.
More museum fun: 10 best Canberra kids’ museums and galleries to visit
Melbourne's best museums and galleries for kids
Scienceworks at Museums Victoria
Curious young minds will find plenty of stimulation at Scienceworks in Melbourne. Stroll among the gigantic machines that kept the city running, enjoy electrifying theatre in the Lightning Room and drop into deep space in the Melbourne Planetarium. Your little ones can roam safely in enclosed spaces and wander through its many immersive exhibitions.
Tip: Families with a Museums Victoria membership get free admission and discounts on paid extras (including the Planetarium and Lighting Room).
ACMI - Australian Centre for the Moving Image
A unique institution in the heart of Melbourne, ACMI celebrates, explores and promotes the moving image in all its forms – film, television, games and digital culture. With a proud tradition of hosting award-winning Australian and international exhibitions, films, festivals, live events, creative workshops, education programs and resources, ACMI invites visitors to engage with the moving image. The range of constantly changing and engaging kids’ creative workshop experiences on offer at ACMI is fantastic.
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
A family visit to the NGV has your whole day covered. Enjoy free entry to the NGV Kids Exhibition, which is based on what other displays are showing in the gallery. There are also weekend workshops during the school term for 5 to 9 year-olds and 10 to 14 year-olds. Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy in the garden or Great Hall, or duck into the Gallery Kitchen for a babycino and kiddie lunch box package. Teens are catered to with the NGV Teens program, which offers the chance for older kids to meet artists and complete art-making workshops.
Brisbane's best museums and galleries for kids
Queensland Museum Kurilpa
Kids will love learning about natural history, science and human achievement at the flagship campus of the Queensland Museum Kurilpa, located in the heart of the South Brisbane Cultural Precinct. Highlights include the interactive Discovery Centre and the Lost Creatures gallery, where children can learn about Queensland’s extinct dinosaurs and megafauna.
SparkLab at the Queensland Museum
Previously known as the Sciencentre, kids can discover their inner scientist at the Queensland Museum’s SparkLab. With loads of hands-on learning activities, there are no ‘visitors’ at the SparkLab because everyone is a participant! There’s also no chance for anyone to get bored, as there are more than enough exciting incentives to join in and start discovering – hands-on!
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Onsite at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), visitors can explore the Children’s Art Centre with interactive installations. Kids of all ages are catered to with specially designed programs: Art Starters for babies 4-12 months old on Thursdays, Art Play Date for toddlers on Tuesdays and the Art Explorers program for under fives on Wednesdays. Weekend and school holiday workshops are also on offer, and if you can’t get to the gallery, the website has free resources that include educational games and make-at-home art.
Perth's best museums and galleries for kids
Scitech
See one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Planetariums – with an 18-metre domed screen and up-to-the-minute discoveries updated in real time – at Scitech in Western Australia. There are five permanent galleries to explore, including Discoverland, Kaartadjin Koorliny, Rio Tinto Innovation Central, and the Western Australian Science Zone. It also has a puppet theatre, a tinkering space and a scitech lab.
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Gallery 09 is where it all happens at the Art Gallery of WA. This space is dedicated to hosting year-round, artist-led interactive exhibitions for kids and families. Keep an eye out for temporary events and exhibits tailored to visiting families, including artist talks and hands-on activities. School holiday programs run by the gallery also include free guided tours, getting wacky photos taken with works and designing your own masterpieces.
Adelaide's best museums and galleries for kids
Art Gallery of South Australia
On the first Sunday of every month, the Art Gallery of South Australia runs their START at the Gallery program for kids aged 3 to 12 and their families. Each month, there is something new and different to try out, including children’s tours and live music performances from cool gallery visitors such as the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. School holiday workshops are another great way to experience the gallery. Throughout the year, the special NEO program for 13 to 17 year-olds hosts live music events, edgy workshops, meet-and-greets with local artists and bi-monthly parties amid the artworks.
Main image: “Born or built?” Exhibition at Questacon, Canberra
