Museums & Science
Melbourne has a wide range of interesting museums. They are especially nice on a cold and wet Melbourne day. We've put together a post The Best Museums for Families and Kids in Melbourne which will put any museum seeker on the right path to museum enlightenment.
Scienceworks, located in Spotswood, is one of the premier museums in Melbourne for children and families. It has a combination of science themed permanent exhibitions with many hands on elements plus regular exhibitions, some of which are included with museum entry while others have an additional cost. On the same site, with separate admission fees are Melbourne Planetarium and Lightning Room.
The planetarium provides a fully immersive environment with entertaining astronomical experiences via a 16m domed ceiling, reclining seats, a 7.1 surround sound system and a full-dome video projection system. The planetarium has recently been upgraded to an even more stunning environment.
The Lightning Room offers live shows that are informative and entertaining and highlight the giant Tesla Coil which is capable of generating more than two million volts of electricity and produce lightning bolts up to three metre long.
The other major museum attraction is the Melbourne Museum in Carlton. The museum includes displays ranging from the natural environment to our culture and history. It has permanent and touring exhibitions, performances and events. It is also the location of the IMAX theatre. Exhibition galleries include Evolution Gallery, Mind and Body Gallery, Science and Life Gallery, Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Forest Gallery and Melbourne Gallery.
There are a number of free museums or requesting gold coin donation. The most extensive of these is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, which is centrally located in Federation Square which explores the world of film, television and digital culture via immersive exhibitions.
Other free museums include the RAAF Museum in Point Cook has an extensive display which includes air missiles, a mirage jet, helicopter and a boat plane. At certain times of the week an acrobatic plane does display flights.
The Victoria Police Museum in the Melbourne CBD is a small museum with some informative displays.
Melbourne is a melting pot of different cultures and this is reflected in some of the museums. The Immigration Museum in the Melbourne CBD explores the stories of people from all over the world who have migrated to Australia.
There is also the Chinese Museum in the Melbourne CBD which is home to Dai Loong and the millennium Dragon, the largest Chinese dragon in the world, the Hellenic Museum explores Greek culture and the Jewish Museum in St Kilda explores the Jewish experience in Australia.
Pick a theme or interest and there is likely to be a museum catering to it. Take the Fire Services Museum in East Melbourne which houses Australia's largest collection of fire brigade memorabilia including a display of vintage fire vehicles, sports tours and museums such as the National Sports Museum at the MCG, a Marvel Stadium Tour in the Docklands or classic cars at the Fox Classic Car Collection in the Docklands.
Art lovers are in culture vulture heaven in Melbourne. Free galleries include the Australian Center for Contemporary Art in Southbank and the National Gallery of Victoria (which has two galleries in Central Melbourne). Free sculpture parks include the McClelland Gallery & Sculpture Park in Langwarrin and Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen. Alternatively, there's plenty offree artwork splashed around the lanes of Melbourne. Check out the Melbourne Urban Street Art Guide for the lowdown on the best places to find street art.
If you want to study the science of steam check out our blog on all train related activities in Melbourne and regional Victoria TRAINS, TRAINs, TRAIns, TRAins, TRains, Trains, trains......
If you want to explore our full list of museums and science related activities then see the list of museum and science activities.
