Thin Ice VR

VR, short for virtual reality, allows people to be fully immersed in a fabricated environment.

Visitors to the Thin Ice VR experience will wear a VR headset fitted over the head and covering the eyes. The headset will block out the outside world to make it appear and feel as if what you see through the headset is what you are experiencing in real life.

All headsets track your head movements so the image you see adjusts accordingly allowing you to 'look around’ and control aspects of the video experience.

The immersive 22min Thin Ice VR experience has been produced by award-winning studio Monkeystack. The experience follows the story of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which became one of history’s greatest stories of leadership and survival.

As part of Shackleton's crew, viewers will journey through the Antarctic, trekking between rising tridents, perilous ice peaks and steep icy descents on the quest for safer ground with Tim Jarvis AM as your guide.

The Australian Museum is offering the VR experience for your recreational enjoyment and you participate at your own risk.

Parental discretion is advised for children under the age of 8. Children under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult.

VR experiences are not recommended for people with certain health conditions, including:

• pacemaker or other implanted medical device
• severe motion sickness or vertigo
• fear of enclosed spaces
• Epilepsy

VR experiences can cause motion sickness, nausea, disorientation and dizziness in some people.

If you experience any symptoms during the VR experience, please discontinue the VR experience and notify an AM staff member.

Please seek medical advice if you have a medical condition and have questions or concerns about the suitability of participating in a VR experience.

The film runs for approximately 22 minutes. Some people may find it uncomfortable to sit for that length of time wearing VR headsets.

If visitors become uncomfortable with the headset, the film is simultaneously shown in 2D on a screen.

By booking tickets, you agree to assume the risks associated with the VR experience on behalf of yourself and any other person who will be participating in the VR experience (including any child of whom you are the parent or guardian) and acknowledge that you have read and understand this ‘risk warning’ prior to booking.

We recommend arriving 15 minutes prior to your session start time, to ensure you don’t miss out on your session.

Please allow 40 minutes for the Thin Ice VR experience, which includes the 22 minute Virtual Reality video.

If you are booked into the 10am session please don’t worry that you will be late. The Museum gates will open at 10am and you will have plenty of time for your VR experience session.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled session. Spaces in our sessions are limited and a subsequent session may not be available. The Australian Museum may, at its discretion and subject to availability, either:

• Admit latecomers during the screening for a 2D viewing, or
• Exchange your ticket for a session on another date.

Late admission or exchange may not be possible. To avoid disappointment, please arrive on time.

There are no refunds for late arrivals or missed sessions.

Refunds are not given for late admissions or change of mind. For further details please refer to the Australian Museum Ticketing Terms & Conditions

Children three years and over will be charged entry. 

If you have a big difference in binocular vision, or a high degree of myopia, astigmatism or farsightedness, it is suggested that you wear glasses to correct your eyesight when using the VR product.

Some people find that the experience is better with their glasses off, depending on your lens prescription. There will be time to adjust and get comfortable before the session begins.

Please consult with your doctor and device manufacturer before using medical devices with VR headsets.

VR experiences are not recommended for people with the following conditions: pacemaker or other implanted medical devices, epilepsy, severe motion sickness or vertigo, fear of enclosed spaces, and other medical conditions which may be aggravated by this virtual reality experience.  Please consult your doctor for advice on whether this experience is appropriate for you.

If you are pregnant or have a medical condition, please seek medical advice before any VR experience, particularly if have questions or concerns about the suitability of participating.

VR experiences can cause motion sickness, nausea, disorientation and dizziness in some people.

If you experience any symptoms during the VR experience, please discontinue the VR experience and notify an AM staff member.

The film runs for approximately 22 minutes. Some people may find it uncomfortable to sit for that length of time wearing VR headsets.

If visitors become uncomfortable with the headset, the film is simultaneously shown in 2D on a screen.

By booking tickets, you agree to assume the risks associated with the VR experience on behalf of yourself and any other person who will be participating in the VR experience (including any child of whom you are the parent or guardian) and acknowledge that you have read and understand this ‘risk warning’ prior to booking.

The VR experience is wheelchair accessible.

The VR video is available in English only.

Please seek medical advice if you have a medical condition and have questions or concerns about the suitability of participating in a VR experience.

The VR product provides an immersive virtual content experience, and certain types of content may cause discomfort.

VR experiences can cause motion sickness, nausea, disorientation and dizziness in some people.

If you experience any symptoms during the VR experience, please discontinue the VR experience and notify an AM staff member.

The film runs for approximately 22 minutes.  Some people may find it uncomfortable to sit for that length of time wearing VR headsets.

Stop use immediately and seek medical treatment if the following symptoms occur:

• seizures, loss of consciousness, convulsions, involuntary movements, direction disorders, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness or fatigue
• eye pain or discomfort, eye strain, eye convulsions or visual abnormalities (such as hallucinations, ambiguity or diplopia)
• skin itching, eczema, swelling, irritation or other discomfort
• excessive sweating, impaired balance, impaired hand-eye coordination or other similar motor symptoms. You cannot drive, operate machines or participate in activities that may have potentially serious consequences before recovering from these symptoms.

Yes, although no flash or commercial photography is allowed.

Food and beverages are not permitted in our galleries or Thin Ice VR spaces to ensure the preservation of our important collections. This includes water bottles.

Our cloaking room is located on Lower Ground (LG) and is open during business hours. The AM reserves the right to close the cloakroom without notice.

Please do not bring bags larger than A3 size, carry-on luggage, wheeled shopping carts, long umbrellas, scooters, balance bikes, tripods, selfie sticks or bulky items to the AM as you may be denied entry.

For more information on prohibited items, please refer to our Terms of Entry.

Please ensure items are collected from the cloakroom ten minutes before closing.

Due to space, potential crowding and valuable displays, we prefer prams are not taken into the Thin Ice VR and pram parking is available in designated areas throughout the Museum. However, we understand there may be extenuating circumstances for some of our visitors so can accommodate this to a degree.

More information on the Museum’s accessibility features can be found here.