Australian Museum

Permanent exhibitions
Special exhibitions and events

Opening Hours: Temporarily closed
Where to find us: 1 William Street
Sydney NSW 2010
Australia

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© Australian Museum

The Australian Museum (AM) is committed to protecting the health of visitors and staff and minimising the spread of COVID-19. In line with the stay-at-home orders issued by the NSW Government, the AM is temporarily closed to the public and plans to reopen Friday 1 October 2021 (subject to health advice).

Temporarily closed

Unsettled

Explore the immersive Unsettled virtual experience.

Virtual experience
Exhibition themes
References

Explore our virtual tour of Spark

In this new showcase, learn about cutting-edge technologies and time-tested approaches created by Australian innovators to protect our planet.

Virtual experience

AM Inside Out

Deep dive into fascinating stories and learning materials for inquisitive minds, everywhere.

Curated for the curious
Activities for kids at home

Museum news

Read about our latest discoveries, research expeditions and collection objects on display.

Climate change

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

What are we doing?
What is climate change?

Australian Museum Shop

Advocating for the richness of life, the earth and culture in Australia and the Pacific, the Australian Museum Shop aims to ignite wonder through thinking, learning and play.

AM Member discount

Why not join the family?

Discover even more by becoming a Member. Delve into the Australian Museum’s collections, join a vibrant community and support our groundbreaking research and cultural projects.

Become a Member

Plan your visit

In line with the stay-at-home orders issued by the NSW Government, the AM will be temporarily closed to the public from Saturday 26 June to protect the health of visitors and staff and minimise the spread of COVID-19. We plan to reopen on Friday 1 October 2021 (subject to health advice).

Admission Information COVID-19 Safety Location & Access

What's on

Discover our exciting exhibitions and program of events including Prehistoric Playground for kids and First Nations cultural programs.

Friday 13 August - Sunday 3 October 2021

Sydney Science Trail

Join us for a free online adventure filled with family-friendly science programs, presented in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

School holidays

Discover school holiday activities with our range of digital offerings that span science, culture and nature for kids of all ages.

Online programs and events

Engaging activities
How to videos

Nature Photography for Children Workshop 13 January 2021

Online experiments and activities

Fun and engaging activities and experiments for kids to try at home.

Conversations with First Nations visionaries
Live talks

Lunchtime Conversation Series Sport: Levelling the Playing Field

Listen to our recent Lunchtime Conversation Series

Listen to talks exploring the stories and pioneering work of First Nations trailblazers and visionaries.

Listen 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.

Located at the entrance to the Australian Museum

Shop for beautiful objects

Prehistoric Playground

An interactive stomping ground for dinosaur buffs.

Temporarily closed

Permanent exhibition
Temporarily closed

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.

Permanent exhibition
Temporarily closed

Birds of Australia

Meet some of Australia’s most famous and fascinating feathered residents and learn about the ingenious ways they have adapted to life on the continent they call home.

Permanent exhibition
Temporarily closed

Wild Planet

Welcome to life on Earth. Every one of Earth’s millions of species is unique, but they are all connected through evolution. Come and see life in all its glorious diversity – over 400 animals under one roof!

What's on calendar
Getting here
Functions and venues

More visitor information

Discover the richness of life, the Earth and culture in Australia and the Pacific at Australia's first museum in Sydney.

Plan your visit

Australian Museum news

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

News highlights Listen to our Podcasts Visit the Media Centre

Dr Jackson Ryan - Finalist, 2021 Finkel Foundation Eureka Prize for Long-Form Science Journalism

Meet the science journalist demystifying COVID-19 vaccines and variants

In conversation with Dr Jackson Ryan, finalist in the 2021 Finkel Foundation Eureka Prize for Long-Form Science Journalism and the 2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism.

15 September 2021

Coloured plate showing the diversity of annelids

The diverse world of Annelida: an international consideration

Annelida, a common and diverse group of marine invertebrates, populate habitats all over the world. However, many questions around their evolutionary relationships remain unanswered - AM scientists invited international colleagues to help!

14 September 2021

Dr Melina Georgousakis - Finalist, 2021 University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers

Meet the social enterprise founder connecting women in the health and medical research sector

In conversation with Dr Melina Georgousakis, finalist in the 2021 University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers.

Monday 13 September

Leon H. - Finalist, 2021University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize — Primary

Meet the junior scientist with a passion for physics

In conversation with Leon H., finalist in the 2021 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary

7 September 2021

2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes finalists

51 entries were shortlisted for 16 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

2 September 2021

Science news
What's new at the Museum
Educational insights

Eastern Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes dumerilii)

Do Pobblebonks sing to suit their surrounds? Calling all citizen scientists to help solve this mystery!

If a frog calls in a forest, would anyone actually hear it? This may sound like a philosophical question, but it is a genuine concern for frogs – like ‘pobblebonks’ – living in forested habitats. Find out how you can help using the FrogID app!

27 August 2021

More from our blog

Read about our latest discoveries, research expeditions or discover our interesting archive of blog posts.

Read our blog posts!

Kyle completing coral surveys on Loomis Reef, March 2021.

News from LIRS: Deconstructing coral colonies

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation is featured at the AM. For this month, we feature Deconstructing Coral Colonies.

19 August 2021

Cirrhilabrus solorensis is presently misapplied to several fishes, its true taxonomic identity shrouded in confusion.

One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish

Examination of historical museum specimens, in both Australian and Indonesian collections, resolve a 170-year taxonomic conundrum.

18 August 2021

A female of the new species, Mount Pu Ta Leng leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella graminicola).

Reaching new heights: A new species of frog found on the second highest mountain in Vietnam

A species new to science has been discovered by an international team of scientists, including Australian Museum Amphibian and Reptile curator, Dr Jodi Rowley. This new species of tiny frog, at only 2-3 cm in body length, can be found in the mountainous forest on Mount Pu Ta Leng, Vietnam.

17 August 2021

PhD Candidate Amber O. Brown holding a Centralian blue tongue (Tiliqua multifasciata) prior to volatilome sampling.

What’s that smell? Protecting our wildlife using volatilomes

ACWG and UTS Centre for Forensic Science PhD candidate Amber Brown, and supervising scientists Dr. Greta Frankham, Dr. Maiken Ueland and Dr. Barbara Stuart, have completed a world-first study which optimised the collection and analysis of volatilomes from live reptiles.

10 August 2021

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 Learning Resources

Object and species identification

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

Identify an animal
Cultural objects
Fossils and minerals

Ask an expert!

Megafauna

Megafauna are large animals such as elephant, mammoth, rhinocerous and Australia's own diprotodon.

Extinction theory

Animal factsheets

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

Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Extinct animals

Virtual excursions
Educator-led tours
Learning journeys

For teachers and students

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Key 2021 Dates
School Science
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

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

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

Ways to join the Foundation
Our supporters

Support the Australian Museum Foundation

The Australian Museum Foundation relies on your donation to help invest in the future of the Australian Museum

Donate now

FrogID

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

Free mobile app
Record frog calls

Cut down on waste
Worm farming

Sustainability at home

Leading a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle and saving money in the process is easy with these helpful factsheets.

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.

Support our research
Help save the reef

Get involved

Andrew Trevor-Jones, citizen scientist for Australasian Fishes

Citizen science

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

DigiVol online
FrogID mobile app
Australasian Fishes

Get involved

Become a Member

With unique benefits, special events and exclusive access, an Australian Museum Membership unlocks even more wonder.

Membership packages
Museum discounts

Join and save today

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

Postgraduate Awards
Research
Fellowship

Awards & Fellowships

The Australian Museum Foundation & Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) offers several different fellowships to visiting researchers.

Audio guide tours
Augmented reality games
Citizen science

Museum mobile apps

From our citizen science to augmented reality games, treasure hunts and audio exhibition tours, discover our mobile apps.

Download free apps

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.

Media releases
Photography & filming
Media contact

Organisation
Governance
Our history
Future plans

About the Museum

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 Museum

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.

Natural Sciences
Cultural collections
Museum Archives

Museum collections

Why do we collect things? Discover the history and future of our millions of collection treasures and research areas.

Aviation wildlife strike
Conservation genomic projects

Australian Museum Archival images 200 Treasures

The Australian Museum’s statement of reflection

Cultural institutions have a responsibility to critically reflect on history and how it influences the present.

By Nathan mudyi Sentance

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

Research and expeditions

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

Strategic plans
Annual reports
Protected loans

Future plans

As part of a $40M Blockbuster Funding agreement created by the NSW Government, the Australian Museum will be able to host and tour major exhibitions over the next four years including: Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs and SHARKS.

Policies & Reports

Review the Australian Museum's policies and publications.

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.