Australian Museum

Permanent education space
Open daily

Burra

Be transported on an immersive journey through the eyes of burra (eel) in the Australian Museum’s new learning and play space.

Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays
11.30am, 1pm

Waranara tour guide in the Garrigarrang Gallery

Waranara Tours

Expand your understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures on this unique tour of objects from the Australian Museum's exhibitions, led by a First Nations guide.

Wednesdays 7 and 14 June 2023
5pm - 9pm

Vivid Sydney

Celebrate Vivid Sydney at the Australian Museum in June.

Sunday 11 June
Films: 2pm - 3.50pm
Panel: 3.50pm - 4.35pm

Your Planet: Climate and Environment Shorts

Eleven short documentaries showcasing people and communities creating solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing our environment.

Second Saturday of the month: June – September

Eureka Talks Series

A monthly series of conversations featuring the winners and finalists of the nation’s most prestigious science awards, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

5pm - 9pm every Wednesday

Nights at the Museum

Why not visit us after dark?

Permanent exhibition
Open daily

Dinosaurs

How well do you know your dinosaurs? Discover the amazing creatures that ruled the world until 65 million years ago in this exhibition that brings the Mesozoic era to life.

School holidays

Discover science and culture through a diverse program of interactive workshops for kids aged 5 to 16 years at the Australian Museum this school holidays!

Programs and events

Virtual excursions
Educator-led tours

School programs and excursions

Book school excursions at the Australian Museum, Sydney, that inspire and engage students of all ages.

Book now

Minerals

Be dazzled by over 1800 spectacular rocks and minerals in our new Minerals Gallery.

Permanent exhibition

Located at the entrance to the Australian Museum

Wild Planet

Delve into this audio guide of Wild Planet and learn about extraordinary animal adaptations and the importance of preserving Australia's biodiversity.

Audio guide

Play now

Museum Shop

Come and explore our exciting range of products inspired by the Museum's collections. All proceeds help fund our science, education and exhibitions programs.

Shop for beautiful objects

Bayala Nura: Yarning Country

Explore and celebrate Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through a rich diversity of objects and stories of living culture. See more than 250 fascinating objects from Indigenous communities around Australia.

Permanent exhibition
Open daily

Highlights of exhibits
Accessible audio description

Audio guides of exhibitions

Delve into the Australian Museum exhibitions and enrich your understanding of our collection on display through our self-guided audio guides.

Listen now

Latest news

Discover our research behind the scenes, read stories from our collections and learn about the latest fieldwork findings and acquisitions.

Read our News Stories Listen to our Podcasts Visit the Media Centre

Kim McKay, frank Talbor and Anne Hoggatt

From the Director: Coral reefs in hot water

This year we celebrate 50 years of the AM’s LIRS, a globally-recognised research station devoted to understanding the incredible scale and structure of the Great Barrier Reef which can be seen from space.

By Kim McKay, Director & CEO, Australian Museum

50 years of research on Lizard Island

Founded in 1973, the Lizard Island Research Station has studied reef ecologies and the impacts of climate change for fifty years.

29 May 2023

Sick Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea). In winter 2021, sick frogs were often lethargic, sitting out in the open during the day, and had dark, patchy skin.

Frogs need your help again this winter

In winter 2021, Australia’s frogs suffered a mass mortality event. As temperatures drop, we are worried it might happen again – we need you to help monitor our frogs.

25 May 2023

Australian Museum wins prestigious National Awards

Sharks, Burra and Progress Shark all win at Museums and Galleries National Awards.

18 May 2023

Dr Richard Major and Emily Cave on Norfolk Island expedition

The beautiful birds of Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is home to many beautiful birds – however, Norfolk Island also has an unenviable extinction rate when it comes to its bird fauna. To understand more, our scientists studied the endemic and exotic birdlife of Norfolk Island during the recent Australian Museum-led expedition.

17 May 2023

Related species of skeleton shrimp from Australia and Far East Asia

An unusual find of thousands of skeleton shrimp on commercial fishing nets in the Gippsland Lakes, south-eastern Australia has led to the revision of a species from Far East Asia, review of previous records, and recognition of a new species.

8 May 2023

FrogID users out at night to record frogs, including the Endangered Sloane’s Froglet (Crinia sloanei) with the FrogID app.

Collecting better biodiversity data through citizen science

Will people record calling frogs, everywhere, all at once?

5 May 2023

Opalised Pliosaur Umoonasaurus demoscyllus - Eric the Pliosaur

What was Eric's last supper?

What did the most complete, opalised vertebrate fossil in Australia eat? In an Australian first, PhD candidate Joshua White & co-authors used a micro-CT scanner to examine the stomach contents of the Australian Museum’s ‘Eric the plesiosaur'. Learn how they reconstructed this unique reptile's diet.

24 April 2023

Happy Earth Day

At the Australian Museum, this Earth Day we hope to inspire you to think, step up and do something you’ll be proud of.

20 April 2023

Wayne Cherry collecting botany specimens, during AM-led Norfolk Island expedition, Phase 1, 2022.

Researchers discover new plant species on recent Norfolk Island expedition

A team from the Australian Institute of Botanical Science has collected about 400 plant specimens on the recent Australian Museum-led expedition to Norfolk Island, helping the community identify new weeds that potentially could cause havoc to local ecosystems.

17 April 2023

Rosenberg’s monitor (Varanus rosenbergi). This sometimes elusive reptile is threatened in some areas, and was among the species we detected via invertebrate-derived DNA in this study.

What do a cat, a dingo, and a goanna have in common? It’s in the iDNA

A cat, dingo and goanna in Namadgi National Park were the latest animals recorded via DNA from an insect’s belly. Tim Cutajar at the Australian Museum and Dr Stephanie Pulsford tell us how!

3 April 2023

Spotting fossil anomalies

Russell Bicknell, our 2021/22 Australian Museum Foundation/Australian Museum Research Institute Visiting Research Fellow, recently explored the trilobites in the Australian Museum palaeontology collection. Russell tells us more about spotting fossil anomalies!

27 March 2023

Museums around the world connect their collections in groundbreaking database to address current and future global challenges

Australian Museum is part of global study to combine more than a billion scientific objects in collections across 73 museums in 28 countries; published today in Science magazine.

24 March 2023

Nemateleotris helfrichi (left), and the newly described N. lavandula (right). Both species were previously regarded as a single species.

Gobsmacking goby fish species found in museums

An exquisite new species of goby has just been described – and it was found in a museum! A new publication co-authored by Dr Yi-Kai Tea, the Australian Museum’s Chadwick Biodiversity Research Fellow, describes these showstopping fishes and highlights the importance of taxonomic research in museums.

20 March 2023

Oliver Chalmers, former Curator of Minerals, in protective headwear while studying Australites in central South Australia

The Photographic Archives Digitisation (PAD) Project

The Australian Museum Photographic Archives host a vast collection championing biological, ecological, and ethnographic research, education, and discovery.

Where nature, science and culture intersect

We are Australia’s first museum, and have over 21 million scientific specimens and cultural objects in our collections. Learn more from First Nations people, discover thousands of animal factsheets and explore our online education resources.

Discover & Learn Animal Factsheets Journals & Publications

Minerals Gallery online publication

Discover the Australian Museum's extraordinary mineral collections and the iconic specimens on display in our new MInerals Gallery.

Object and species identification

Use our enquiry form for help with Australian animal identification, natural history and cultural object enquiries.

Identify an animal
Cultural objects
Fossils and minerals

Ask an expert

For teachers and students

Our education programs and resources spark curiosity, develop scientific understanding and enhance cultural awareness in students of all ages.

Virtual excursions
Educator-led tours
Learning journeys

Collections
Knowledge
Exhibitions

First Nations

Learn more about this land’s First Nations peoples and cultures.

What are we doing?
What is climate change?

Climate change

The Australian Museum has been involved in raising awareness and researching impacts of climate change for over a decade.

Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Extinct animals

Animal factsheets

Discover the astonishing variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, marine life and more in the Australian Museum collections.

Why we collect
Research areas

Natural Sciences

Discover the AM's extensive collections and research areas, including the name-bearing type specimens held at the Museum.

Megafauna
Fossil sites in Australia
Geological time scale

School girl looking at megafauna display

Australia over time

Learn about our evolving landscape, Australian megafauna and other extinct animals and how we use fossils to relate the animals of the past with those of today.

The Mesozoic era
Dinosaur factsheets
Australian dinosaurs

Dinosaurs and their relatives

Discover the Mesozoic era of the dinosaurs! Dinosaurs are classified as a group of reptiles, although some of their features are found in mammals and birds living today.

Stages of Decomposition
The Human story
Virtual Autopsy

Science of life

Learn about biodiversity, the scientific study of life and organisms, and the story of human evolution.

Shaping the Earth
Minerals
Fossils

Earth science

The Mineralogy and Palaeontology collections include rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils, and reveal how the earth was formed.

Museum news
Education programs
Collection information

Westpac Long Gallery Level 1 Collection Cases

Discover & Learn

We are Australia’s first museum, and have over 21.9 million scientific specimens and cultural objects in our collections. Learn more about our latest discoveries, animal factsheets and education programs.

Key 2023 Dates
Award Ceremony
Frequently Asked Questions

Get involved

Make a donation. Become a member or volunteer. Or put your passion into practice on a citizen science project. Find out how you can get involved with the Australian Museum.

Become a Member Make a Donation Contact Us

What will you help us discover next?

By making a tax-deductible donation this end of financial year, you are helping us continue to ask “Why?” and share our science with generations to come.

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

Rewarding excellence in Australian research & innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science

Members events

As an exclusive benefit of membership, Australian Museum Members are invited to attend a custom-made program of workshops, talks and experiences for adults and kids.

Programs and events

Free mobile app
Record frog calls

FrogID

FrogID is a national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to Australia’s frogs.

Support our research
Help save the reef

Life at Lizard: Waging war on the Crown-of-Thorns starfish

Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation

Proudly supporting science at the Australian Museum's Lizard Island Research Station and elsewhere on the Great Barrier Reef.

Get involved

Work at the Museum

Discover the exciting roles in research, exhibitions, education and communicating the relationship between people, culture and the natural environment.

Research
Exhibitions
Communication
Scholarships

DigiVol
FrogID mobile app
Australasian Fishes

Andrew Trevor-Jones, citizen scientist for Australasian Fishes

Citizen science

See our citizen science projects and discover how you can get involved and contribute!

Get involved

Awards & Fellowships

The Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) offers several different and exciting fellowships to visiting students and researchers.

Postgraduate Awards
Research
Fellowship

Media releases
Photography & filming
Media contact

Media Centre

Discover the latest news about the Australian Museum and Australian Museum Research Institute. The Media Centre also provides information, images and expert comment on scientific and cultural research, exhibitions and wider Museum activities.

Organisation
Governance
Our history
Future plans

About the AM

The Australian Museum has been inspiring exploration of nature and culture for more than 190 years. Learn more about what we do, our extraordinary collections or our fascinating history.

Our Organisation Our History Museum Collections

About the Australian Museum (AM)

Learn more about our organisational structure, what we do, the passionate people who work at the Australian Museum and our fascinating history.

Biodiversity & geodiversity
Collections-based research

Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI)

AMRI brings together scientific expertise and world-class research infrastructure to increase our knowledge of the world around us and inform environmental decision-making for a better future.

Reef research
Planning a trip
Fellowships and grants

Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station

The Lizard Island Research Station is a world-leading supplier of on-reef facilities for coral reef research and education. Located on the northern Great Barrier Reef, 270 km north of Cairns in Queensland, Australia.

Aviation wildlife strike
Conservation genomic projects

Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics

Our primary focus is on ecological applications such as species identification, individualisation, conservation and small population management.

Lord Howe Island
Solomon Islands
Historic expeditions

Expeditions and fieldwork

Learn about past Australian Museum expeditions and field work from around the globe that have contributed to our collections and research.

What are we doing?
Achieving climate neutral

Sustainability

As a leading natural history and cultural institution, the Australian Museum (AM) has a responsibility to educate, inspire and act on environmental sustainability.

Strategic plans
Annual reports
Protected loans

Policies and Reports

Review the Australian Museum's policies, plans and publications.

Future plans

The AM has an ambitious vision for the future with new galleries, blockbuster exhibitions and transformations scheduled over the coming years.

Visit the Australian Museum in Sydney

Visit Australia’s first museum in the heart of Sydney to discover Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, our collection of Australian dinosaurs, and the deadliest of down under animals. See you at the Australian Museum.

General enquiries: +61 2 9320 6000
Media: +61 2 9320 6181

Contact us

Contact information for customer feedback, members team, school and group visits, website feedback, booking venues and functions, touring exhibitions and media contacts.

More information

Australian Museum collections

The Australian Museum has spent more than 190 years building a vast collection of over 21.9 million objects and specimens alongside an enviable reputation for world-leading science.

Natural Sciences
Cultural collections
Museum Archives