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Melbourne Museum
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Melbourne Museum

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See all things to do
Melbourne Museum
4.5
4,223
#40 of 769 things to do in Melbourne
Speciality Museums
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
One of Australia's popular and loved museums! Perfect for the whole family, Melbourne Museum showcases Australian social history, Aboriginal cultures, science and the environment. Inside: Experience Victorian and Australian Aboriginal culture - from the time of Creation through to today; Marvel at the history and development of Melbourne; Walk through a living forest; Surround yourself with life-size dinosaurs and animals from around the world; - Enter a world of dreams, emotions, thoughts and memories in the Mind and Body Gallery; Visit the Children's Gallery for a world designed especially for childrend aged 3 0 8 years old; Be immersed in the latest IMAX films;- Discover the rich history of the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building, and that's just the start! Melbourne Museum is located adjacent to the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton and is home to IMAX Melbourne and the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Lygon Street
If you want real parmesan, cut from the block, grated over your pasta with a twist of style, this is the place. Until recently, this neighborhood was home to the notorious ‘Carlton Crew,’ a pseudo mafia who started their day with a local espresso. They are gone, but the espresso still runs strong in this Little Italy which has something for everyone. Starched white tablecloths, candles, pizza the way they do it "back home" and maybe even a bit of amore. The number of gelato choices will leave you in a state of indecision and wide footpaths, big awnings and a sea of packed tables makes this al fresco dining experience a continental buzz. Even if you’re not eating, it’s worth the stroll just for the people-watching, which, of course, is an Italian tradition.
Best nearby
Restaurants
5,200 within 3 miles
Da Guido La Pasta
940
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Mediterranean • European
Kazuki's
495
0.3 mi$$$$ • Contemporary • Fusion • Vegetarian Friendly
Piccolo Mondo
701
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Sicilian • Southern-Italian
Cutler & Co
679
0.3 mi$$$$ • International • Australian • Vegetarian Friendly
Epocha
253
0.2 mi$$$$ • European • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Seasons Provedore
477
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • European • Neapolitan
Bon Ap' Petit Bistro
198
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • French • European • Wine Bar
Marion Wine Bar
140
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Australian • Wine Bar • Vegetarian Friendly
IL Dolce Freddo
171
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La Spaghettata
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Attractions
1,361 within 6 miles
Pauline Gandel Childrens Gallery
103 ftChildren's Museums
Royal Exhibition Building
671
517 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
Carlton Gardens
156
315 ftGardens
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show
74
0.1 miExhibitions
Hochgurtel Fountain
3
514 ftFountains
Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival
7
417 ftExhibitions
Lygon Street
1,163
0.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
4
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Churches & Cathedrals
City Circle Tram
18,309
0.8 miTrams
Old Melbourne Gaol
3,226
0.4 miHistoric Sites
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
4,223 reviews
Excellent
2,531
Very good
1,288
Average
296
Poor
59
Terrible
49
Jo SB
Melbourne, Australia934 contributions
Great place to spend 2 hours
Aug 2022
Very underrated place in Melbourne.

I am not a fan of museums, but I came here since my sister was in town, and I was just amazed by the place! The ticket is only $15 for adults, and you can include other tickets for their exhibitions.

There is so much to see, but the most fun we had was in the Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs and the Milarri Garden trail.

There were also the First Peoples.

Give yourself a couple of hours to go through everything. Must-visit.
Written August 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
cjeMelbourne
St Kilda, Australia59 contributions
Toddler tour at museum
Aug 2022 • Family
Toddler tour
Justin was great with the children and remembered their names including each one. They were interested to see the dinosaurs and the eggs. Each child had a bag and could open a little bag to find the prop Justin was talking about. Very charming and Lucy’s first visit to the museum! Thank you Justin
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia11,269 contributions
Children love the Museum
Nov 2021
There are two sorts of people who visit this Museum: small children and adults. The adults are interested in science, of various kinds. Take a hint -- the kids love the dinosaur skeletions and the stuffed animals and not much else. This trip will take around an hour. Many kids are regular visitors. If you want to do some serious museum viewing taking three hours or more, leave the kids at home, or they will drive you bonkers. If possible, visit during the week.
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
40girl
Melbourne, Australia75 contributions
Disappointing
Aug 2022 • Couples
We booked tickets to Tyama & we’re looking forward to it. We struggled to find a park so relented & paid the $18 weekend rate. We got entry to the museum with out tickets & enjoyed seeing Horridus the triceratops. The Greek exhibit was just ok.
We had high hopes for Tyama, but it sadly didn’t live up to expectations. We went through in about 10 minutes finding it difficult to interact with the lighting displays. They weren’t spectacular really. It started well, but we quickly realized it was pretty basic & we just moved through quickly & out.
Not worth the $30 entry price. The lume was leaps & bound better.
Written August 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Debbie F
4 contributions
Disappointing
Jun 2022
The Triceratops exhibition was good and the other dinosaur skeletons were interesting but the Greek exhibition was lacklustre, with lots of space taken up by a small number of exhibits and the information for each exhibit difficult to find. The whole area containing the mini mega model museum and Melbourne collections was closed off to visitors, but there was no signage to make visitors aware of that until they actually got to where the entrance to these exhibitions should be. I checked the website and there is no mention of any exhibitions being closed to the public at present. I would have been very angry if I had gone to the museum specifically to see these collections, only to find they were closed.
I thought the signage at the museum very poor. It was not clear to me where to find the widely advertised Triceratops exhibition, and I would have appreciated clear and more detailed descriptions of what could be seen in each exhibit.
The museum website has no FAQ section, no maps of the museum and no detailed description of what is available to see in each section of the museum. There is no information on the website regarding taking bags or backpacks into the museum, if there is a cloakroom or lockers to store bags while you explore the museum (there are lockers).
We planned to buy our lunch at a cafe at the museum. We are vegan. There was very little vegan food. We bought hot chips (which were lukewarm at best) but all the sandwiches and wraps contained cheese and/or meat. We were really disappointed at the lack of vegan options.+
Written June 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tory C
Perth, Australia32 contributions
Boring and overpriced.
May 2022
Possibly the worst museum I have been to. I only went there to kill a few hours before flying out from Melbourne. I only stayed an hour. Maybe its good for families with young kids but for me it was a dismal place. Parking was $18 which was ridiculous. Admission took way too long and $15 per adult was a bit steep considering the quality of displays. The interesting displays were of early Melbourne develpment but seemed tucked away upstairs and a bit ad hoc in the presentation. Perhaps the people who run the place could visit the awesome Boola Bardip In Perth or Te Papa in New Zealand and learn how to create an amazing experience
Written May 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
PRM
1 contribution
Avoid
Apr 2021 • Solo
Avoid the joint Museum/IMAX ticket. Website for booking tickets was very unclear and timings overlapped badly which meant ending up with barely 30 minutes in the museum after the film finished - and then being rushed out through the museum shop at closing time. These are very separate activities - I would definitely avoid combining them in one ticket. No time to look at the museum exhibitions in any detail. Really poor experience - would definitely not go back again.
Written April 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Melissa
Melbourne, Australia220 contributions
It’s good but not the best
Jan 2020 • Family
Pricing is a big draw card for this museum. Free for children and $15 for adults makes this place very affordable for all families and a great spot to go during school holidays or wet weather days.
Although it has some great features such as the ongoing dinosaurs fossil exhibit and Australia history exhibit this museum is not one of the best around the world.
Lots of empty spaces which could be filled with more to see and do.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Irish_Harry
Palm Springs, CA477 contributions
WOW!
Jan 2020
This was a pleasant surprise. So much to see and do in this well designed museum. We learned a lot about the history of Melbourne in the process. The exhibits on Australia's bugs and poisonous 'things' was equally interesting. We were exhausted after about 3 hours but would love to return as we seemed only to have scratched the surface.The museum is free; however, there may be a fee for special exhibits.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
David B
Melbourne, Australia4 contributions
Good not great
May 2021
Took 3 kids ( all under 10) after the insects and spiders etc, they got quickly bored. Needs more interactive stations in my opinion. There are some cool visual arts as you initially walk in ( a room on your left) with 4 walls of cool visuasl matched by chiiled music. The original people exhib was also good to educate the kids about.
I have scored it average which is a little harsh but i can't score it very good.
Written May 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Melbourne Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Melbourne Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 5 Melbourne Museum tours on Tripadvisor
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