Dinosaur Festival
Sydney’s home of bones is transformed into a six-day palaeontology party that will send you back to the Age of Dinosaurs.
Travel back 200 million years this Autumn school holidays as Sydney’s “Dinosaur Museum” is taken over by a roaring free program.
Image: Australian Museum© Australian Museum
This is a past event. Discover other exciting programs and events here.
Ages: All ages
Registration is required. Please select from the morning or afternoon session. Entry is free.
Travel back 200 million years this Autumn school holidays as Sydney’s “Dinosaur Museum” is taken over by a roaring free program featuring live experiments, performances, roaming dinosaurs, pop-up interactive activities and a closing night Dino Rave. Don’t miss this super special event all about Earth’s ancient reptilian beasts and the world they inhabited.
Download the Dinosaur Festival daily schedule
Live science: Extinction detectives
In these free interactive science demonstrations, our dinosaur geeks will show you the evidence for the demise of the “terrible lizards”.
Image: Nick Langley© Australian Museum
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Saturday 9 April | 9am | 10:30am | 11:30am |
| Sunday 10 - Thursday 14 April | 10:30am | 11:30am | 1:30pm |
Location: Hintze Hall, UG
Duration: 45 mins
Ages: All ages
They were fierce predators, monolithic in size and perfectly adapted to their environment. So what could have wiped them out so suddenly? In these free interactive science demonstrations, our dinosaur geeks will show you the evidence for the demise of the “terrible lizards”. Was it a snap change in the climate? A giant meteorite? A volcanic eruption? You be the judge.
Presented by Fizzics Education and the Australian Museum.
Galinbalganbalgang by the Wagana Dancers
Join the Wagana Dancers for a stunning, interactive storytelling performance in Wild Planet throughout the Dinosaur Festival.
Image: Supplied© Wagana Dancers
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Sunday 10 April | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm |
| Monday 11 - Wednesday 13 April | 11am | 12:15pm | 1:30pm |
Location: Wild Planet, UG
Ages: All ages
Duration: 20 mins
The dragonfly’s distant ancestors buzzed in the ears of dinosaurs hundreds of millions of years ago. To First Nations people, the dragonfly, known in Wiradjuri as Galinbalganbalgang, signifies walu-win – good health and wellness. Found gathering around the billa (river), Galinbalganbalgang remind us to come together as a family, respect the water and maintain a healthy environment.
Join the Wagana Dancers for a stunning, interactive storytelling performance in Wild Planet throughout the Dinosaur Festival.
The dinosaurs of Erth
Master puppeteers and their incredibly lifelike dinosaur friends will be roaming the Australian Museum throughout the Dinosaur Festival.
Image: Alistair MacDougall© Australian Museum
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Saturday 9 - Thursday 14 April | 10:30am-2:30pm |
Location: Museum-wide
Ages: All ages
There’s nothing on Earth like the puppets of Erth. These master puppeteers and their incredibly lifelike dinosaur friends will be roaming the Australian Museum throughout the Dinosaur Festival. Expect a baby plesiosaur, two leaellynasaura, a mega raptor, a sauropod and a giant dragonfly (ready to make friends and pose for a photo)!
Life science: T. rex Autopsy
Join us as we peel back the skin on one of the Earth's most mysterious creatures.
Image: Sarah Wilson© Australian Museum
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Saturday 9 - Thursday 14 April | 12:30pm | 1:30pm | 2:30pm |
Location: Dinosaurs, Level 2
Ages: Recommended for kids 8+ (Little ones may find this a little scary)
Duration: 20 minutes
A life-size, anatomically correct Tyrannosaurus rex lies in the Dinosaurs gallery. Join us as we peel back the skin on one of the Earth's most mysterious creatures. Things get a little gruesome as we combine biology with palaeontology and examine how this massive 66-million-year-old lizard monster may have lived...and died.
The Australian Museum is COVID Safe
To help keep our staff, visitors and community safe, the AM has COVID-19 protocols in place, including physical distancing, increased cleaning and hygiene practices. Facemasks are encouraged.
View our full COVID-19 safety information here.
