My visit to the Australian Museum

A 'Visual Story' is a step-by-step guide designed to help those with autism or sensory sensitivities to plan their visit to the Australian Museum. This Visual Story will illustrate how to access the AM building, what to expect upon arrival and what you might experience throughout the different spaces.


Museum Reopening 2020
Museum Reopening 28 November 2020 General visitors and members Image: Alistair MacDougall
© Australian Museum

I will be visiting the Australian Museum

Visitors enter the Australian Museum via the Museum Walk ramp entrance
Visitors enter the Australian Museum via the Museum Walk ramp entrance. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

I will use this Visual Story to prepare for my visit.

The Australian Museum (AM) inspires understanding and conservation of our natural and cultural worlds.

The AM is open from 10am-5pm every day of the year. It is closed on Christmas Day.


Symbols I will see in this Visual Story

The AM has low, medium and high sensory areas. These are indicated on the AM Map.

Sensory Symbols

If I have sensory sensitivities, I can bring items that help me to feel comfortable and relaxed, like:


Visual Story headphone symbol

Noise reducing headphones

Visual Story hat and sunglasses symbol

Hat or sunglasses

Visual Story fidget symbol

Stimming or fidget toy or device


These symbols will help me prepare for spaces that might have bright lights, smells, loud sounds or be very visual.


Visual story bright lights icon

Bright lights

Visual story smell icon

Smells

Visual story noise icon

Loud sounds

Visual story visual icon

Visual


These symbols represent the following general information that can be found on various levels of the Museum.


Visual Story information symbol

Information

Visual Story ticket symbol

Tickets

Visual Story life symbol

Lift

Visual Story bathroom symbol

Toilets

Visual Story accessible bathroom symbol

Accessible toilets


Behaviour symbols

These rules help to keep the museum displays and everyone safe.


AM walk icon

I will walk through the AM, so I don’t slip or bump into anything or anyone.

AM touch icon large

There are some display objects that I can touch. Some things may feel rough, smooth, bumpy, soft or hard.

AM sit icon

If I need a rest I can take a seat. Or if I am hungry I can use the seats at the cafes to eat.

AM no touch icon

If there is a ‘Please do not touch’ sign, or when objects are behind glass, this means I won’t be able to touch because they need to be kept safe.

AM no food drink icon

I will not take any food or drink into the galleries and exhibitions. This will help preserve the collections.

AM tissues icon

I will cover my nose and mouth with a tissue or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing.

AM sanitise icon

I will make sure my hands are clean before and after I touch something. There are hand sanitising stations and toilets where I can wash my hands throughout the AM.

Visual Story queue symbol

Sometimes the AM is very busy. I might have to wait in a queue for my turn. I can play with something I have brought from home while I wait.


Where can I find the Australian Museum?

AM Entrance

Museum Walk ramp to the entrance.

Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Visual story sound icon small

The AM’s main entrance is located on the corner of College Street and William Street in central Sydney, across the road from Hyde Park and opposite St Mary’s Cathedral.

The entrance is on College Street, which is a main road and can be noisy with traffic.

To plan how I will get to the AM, I can visit the Parking and Public Transport webpage.

I will know when I am there because I will see the sandstone building with the AM logo.


Entering the Australian Museum

Museum Walk Crystal Hall exterior
Daytime exterior of Museum Walk and Crystal Hall, the Australian Museum's main entrance. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Visual Story queue, sound, fidget symbols

First, I will walk up Museum Walk ramp to the entrance.

A security guard will greet me and help me if I need it. Sometimes the AM is very busy. I might need to wait for my turn.

I can play with something I have brought from home while I wait.


Fotoware Image
Australian Museum, 30/11/2020 Image: James Horan
© James Horan Photography PTY LTD

AM info and tickets icons

Next I will enter Crystal Hall.

If I have pre-purchased a ticket to a program, event, or exhibition, I will show staff my ticket (printed or on device) as I enter.

I can purchase ticket/s to special exhibitions at the Admissions desk.

Staff wear a black uniform and have a name badge.

I can collect a map of the AM to help me navigate and explore.

Staff can answer my questions or help me if I get lost.


Australian Museum Map

Museum Reopening 2020
Museum Reopening 28 November 2020 General visitors and members Image: Alistair MacDougall
© Australian Museum

I can pick up an Australian Museum map from the front desk. This map shows the locations of:

  • Exhibitions and galleries
  • Cafes
  • Visitor facilities

I can explore the online map here. I can check the AM website before I visit to see what exhibits I will be able to explore.


Acknowledgement of Country

AM Acknowledgment of Country
AM Acknowledgment of Country Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

AM touch icon small

I will see the Acknowledgement of Country inside the main entrance. The land on which the Australian Museum stands is Gadigal land.

The painting of the Sydney Shield in Crystal Hall pays respect to the Custodians of this land.

I am welcome to look at and touch this wall.


Lifts

AM lift A ground
AM lift A ground Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Visual Story lift symbol - 100px

There are three lifts I can use to go to different levels of the AM. I can use the lifts if I am unable or prefer not to use the stairs.

I will need to press the arrow button to use the lift. Once inside, I will press the number button for the level I want to visit.

  • Lift A has access to all levels
  • Lift B has access to UG and Level 1, 2, & 4
  • Lift C has access to B and UG

Cloaking Room

Cloaking room
Admissions team assisting visitors at the cloaking room. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

Visual Story touch and queue symbols

If I have a bag or jacket that I would like to store during my visit, I can take them to the cloaking room on Lower Ground (LG).

If there is a queue, I will wait patiently for my turn. I can play with a stim or fidget toy/device from home, whilst I wait.

I will be greeted by a member of staff who will take my belongings and give me a number tag.

When I am ready to collect my things I will need to hand over the number tag in order to get my belongings.

I must remember to collect items at least 10 minutes before the museum closes.


Toilets

Project Discover Architecture High Resolution Images
Project Discover Architecture - Reopening High Resolution Images December 2020 Image: Brett Boardman
© Australian Museum

Visual Story toilets and headphone symbols

If I need help finding the toilet, I can:

  • Look for signs
  • Look on the map
  • Ask a staff member

The closest toilet to the entrance of the AM is on the ramp, behind the shop on Level G. This is an accessible toilet.

Alternatively, many toilets, including an all gender toilet, are located near the Cloaking Room on Level Lower Ground (LG).

There are toilets on every level of the Australian Museum, including a Changing Places accessible adult change facility on Level 2. I will need to ask staff to access this room.

The hand dryers are very loud. I can wear my noise cancelling headphones in the bathroom if I find the hand dryers too loud.


Places to eat

Billabong Waterhole - The Fresh Collective
Recharge with a range of hot and cold food and beverages at our family-friendly café, Billabong Waterhole. Image: Anna Kučera
© The Fresh Collective

AM smells and noise icon

I can buy pre-made food like sandwiches, salads and drinks at the Billabong Waterhole Café on Level 2. It is open 10am to 4.30pm daily.

This area is very bright so I may want to wear a hat or sunglasses here. If it gets loud, I can wear my noise cancelling headphones or earmuffs.


Hintze Hall Kiosk - The Fresh Collective
Located on Level Upper Ground (UG), Hintze Hall Espresso Bar is your first stop for excellent coffee, hot and cold snacks. Image: Anna Kučera
© The Fresh Collective

I can buy hot and cold snacks at the Hintze Hall Espresso Bar on Level Upper Ground. It is open 10am to 4:30pm.

I can also bring my own food and eat it in Hintze Hall where there are tables and chairs available.

I am not allowed to eat or drink in the exhibition spaces. This helps keep the displays safe and clean.


Gift shop

Teenager in Museum Shop
Teenager in Museum Shop Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Visual Story shop and visual symbols

The AM Shop is near the entrance and exit to the AM on Level G. I can visit the AM Shop when I start or finish my visit.

The shop has all sorts of things for sale, such as mineral specimens, books, Australian animals and dinosaur toys. The putty and sensory toys are popular. Some of the soaps and toiletries for sale have a strong smell.


Suggested route to see all the Exhibitions

  1. Hintze Hall

    Level UG

  2. First Nations Gallery - Garrigarrang: Sea Country

    Level UG

  3. Wild Planet

    Level UG

  4. Westpac Long Gallery: 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum

    Level G and Level 1

  5. Minerals

    Level 1

  6. Burra

    Level 2

  7. Wansolmoana

    Level 2

  8. Surviving Australia

    Level 2

  9. Dinosaurs

    Level 2

  10. Birds of Australia

    Level 2


Beginning my AM journey

Project Discover Architecture High Resolution Images
Project Discover Architecture - Reopening High Resolution Images December 2020 Image: Brett Boardman
© Australian Museum

AM walk icon small

I want to go to the galleries and exhibitions.

I can use the ramp around the back of the shop or the stairs.


Hintze Hall

Family in Hintze Hall
Kids and families in Hintze Hall. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

  • High sensory: busy areas, with a mix of multimedia, loud noises and/or low lighting.

AM sit food noise icon

Once I have travelled up the ramp or stairs, I will enter Hintze Hall on Level UG, which is the centre of the AM. I can access many exhibitions from here.

I can buy hot and cold snacks at the Hintze Hall Espresso Bar on Level Upper Ground. It is open 9am to 8.30pm Monday to Wednesday and 9am to 4.45pm Thursday to Sunday.

I can also bring my own food and eat it in Hintze Hall where there are tables and chairs available.

There are bins nearby where I can put my rubbish.


First Nations Gallery: Garrigarrang

Visitors looking at an exhibition
Visitors to Garrigarrang - Sea Country Gallery Image: Stuart Humphreys
© Australian Museum

  • High sensory: busy areas, with a mix of multimedia, loud noises and/or low lighting.

Visual Story touch, noise symbols

I will walk into Garrigarrang: Sea Country from Hintze Hall or Wild Planet. I will see Ghost Net sculptures hanging from the ceiling. These sculptures were made using fishing nets which litter the waters of northern Australia and Torres Strait.

This exhibition is dimly lit and has some LED strip lights underneath the displays.

There are TV screens with audio that might be loud. Some displays in this exhibition talk about death. If I find this overwhelming, I can leave this space and explore somewhere else.


Wild Planet

Nights at the Museum 18 February 2021
The American Bison is the largest land animal in North America and once roamed the continent in millions. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

  • Medium sensory: light areas with few people, some audio and visual noise.

AM lights, sound, touch icon

I can find Wild Planet from Garrigarrang: Sea Country, Hintze Hall, or walk through from Westpac Long Gallery.

In this exhibition I will see lots of animals and animal skeletonsin glass cases. This exhibition can get loud when there are many people. I may want to wear my noise reducing earmuffs or headphones.

There are bright lights and a lot of reflective glass in this exhibition. I may want to wear sunglasses or a hat in this space.

I can also listen to the exhibition audio description on my headphones and mobile on this free Audio Guide.


Westpac Long Gallery: 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum

Westpac Long Gallery
The Westpac Long Gallery. Image: Daniel Boud
© Australian Museum

  • Low sensory: quiet, well lit areas with fewer people and low noise levels.

Visual Story stairs, sit, headphones symbols

This exhibition showcases 100 treasures of the AM alongside the stories of 100 of Australia’s most-influential people. I will walk down stairs to enter the exhibition from Wild Planet, Level UG. This gallery is a sensory friendly space. It is quieter, calmer and darker in this exhibition. There are comfy seats I can sit or lie down on if I need to.

I will see collections of objects. Some are very old, some are very rare, some are beautiful, others mysterious. All tell fascinating and unexpected stories – about the Museum, about Australia and its region, or about the wonders of the natural world. I can also listen to the exhibition audio description on my headphones and mobile on this free Audio Guide.


Westpac Long Gallery Stock Shots
Westpac Long Gallery 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum stock shots. Visitors to the gallery explore the entanglement cabinets and the interactive displays. Image: James Horan
© Australian Museum

Am stairs and touch icon

I can walk up the stairs or take the lift to Level 1 and continue exploring the 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum. I can discover the stories of 100 extraordinary people who have shaped Australia and made it the country it is today.

Scientists, explorers, and pioneers; entrepreneurs, athletes, and artists; politicians, an outlaw and a saint.

I can touch the screen to learn more about the people I see on the screen. There is a sign on the right hand side of the screen which explains how I can use them.


Minerals

Minerals Marketing Photography June 2023
Minerals Marketing Photography June 2023 Collected over almost 200 years, the Australian Museum’s rocks and minerals collection is one of the largest in Australia, featuring more than 80,000 specimens from across Australia and the world. Be dazzled by the finest examples from this incredible collection and immerse yourself in the world-leading mineralogy research of the Australian Museum Research Institute. This immersive experience unlocks these extraordinary stones so that everyone can enjoy their striking colours, shapes, fragility, rarity, symmetry and origins. Learn how minerals are made and discover rare specimens including remnants of cosmic fireballs and minerals that glow in the dark. Witness some of the oldest rocks and minerals on Earth, including visitors from outer space, and discover what they can reveal about the early days of our solar system. Lose yourself in sparkling gemstones reflecting all the colours of the spectrum and the rare earth minerals that are essential today in modern battery and catalytic converter technology. Image: Anna Kučera
© Australian Museum

  • Medium sensory: light areas with few people, some audio and visual noise.

AM stairs, visual and touch icon

I can access Minerals from 200 Treasures, or I can walk up the stairs (or take the lift) to Level 1.

This exhibition is a sensory friendly space. It is quieter, calmer and darker. I can learn how minerals are made and see minerals that glow in the dark.

This exhibition has touch screens and games I can touch and play to learn how minerals are made.


Burra

Burra Photoshoot July 2022

  • High sensory: busy areas, with a mix of multimedia, loud noises and/or low lighting.

Visual Story high sensory, seat symbols

I can enter Burra by walking up the stairs or catching the lift to Level 2.

This is the AM’s learning and play space which explores the migration journey of Burra the eel. There are lots of things for me to touch and play with including screens, tactile displays, dress up and books.

There are multimedia walls and floors. This area may be filled with children and can become noisy when busy. I may like to wear headphones if I become overwhelmed.


Wansolmoana

Vaka (Canoe) 'Tai Tokelau' made entirely from the Kanava tree in Tokelau featured in Wansolmoana, Australian Museum's Pasifika Gallery.
Vaka (Canoe) 'Tai Tokelau' made entirely from the Kanava tree in Tokelau featured in Wansolmoana, Australian Museum's Pasifika Gallery. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

  • High sensory: busy areas, with a mix of multimedia, loud noises and/or low lighting.

Visual Story stairs, noise and no touch symbols

I can enter Wansolmoana by taking the ramp from Billabong Kiosk or by taking the stairs from Garrigarrang on Level UG.

In this exhibition, I will experience the diverse and dynamic culture of Pasifika people through stories and objects across the region.

The lights are set lower, however there are touch screens with audio that might be a little loud – especially if more than one screen is playing at a time. I may like to use my headphones.

Apart from the touch screens, I am not allowed to touch objects in this exhibition.


Surviving Australia

Kids Surviving Australia
Kids Surviving Australia Image: Daniel Boud
© Australian Museum

  • Medium sensory: light areas with few people, some audio and visual noise.

AM visual and touch icon

I can find Surviving Australia on Level 2, via Wansolmoana or Dinosaurs.

I will discover the secrets of Australia’s weird and wonderful wildlife including giant megafauna from the ancient past.

I can touch these models if I would like to.

Content warning: There are displays of snakes and spiders in this exhibition. I can leave this exhibition if I feel scared.


Changing Climate

Changing Climate display
Discover the Changing Climate display in the Surviving Australia gallery. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

  • High sensory: busy areas, with a mix of multimedia, loud noises and/or low lighting.

AM visual and touch icon

I will find Changing Climate within Surviving Australia on Level 2. Here I can learn how Australia has been impacted by the climate crisis and what I can do to help.

There is a large screen in this space that I can interact with. When I have finished with the screen I can wipe it down using a screen wipe which is next to the screen. This will help make sure there are no germs.


Dinosaurs

Dinosaur gallery
Dinosaur gallery Image: Stuart Humphreys
© Australian Museum

  • High sensory: busy areas, with a mix of multimedia, loud noises and/or low lighting.

Visual Story high sensory symbols

I can access Dinosaurs via Surviving Australia or Birds of Australia on Level 2, or up the marble stairs from Wild Planet. I will walk among dinosaur skeletons and life-size models, as well as the fossil teeth, skulls and claws of these ancient creatures.

There are many fossil displays I can touch in this exhibition. This exhibition has unexpected loud sounds such as dinosaur roars and thunder that I may get frightened by. I can wear my headphones. There is a flashing strobe light when the thunder sounds that I may wish to wear my hat or sunglasses for.

This exhibition also has models which show death and a model of a dinosaur autopsy, that I may find scary. I can choose not to see this exhibit.

I can also listen to the exhibition audio description on my headphones and mobile on this free Audio Guide.


Birds of Australia

Birds of Australia Gallery 2018
The Birds of Australia exhibit is on the 2nd floor of the Westpac Long Gallery. Image: Abram Powell
© Australian Museum

  • Low sensory: quiet, well lit areas with fewer people and low noise levels.

I can discover Birds of Australia on Level 2.

In this exhibition I will come face to face with familiar and unfamiliar birds alike, from the iconic cockatoos and budgies to the stunning Regent Bowerbird and adorable Little Penguin.


Exiting the Museum

Australian Museum exit
Australian Museum exit. Image: -
© Australian Museum

Visual Story stairs and walking symbols

If I followed the suggested sequence in this Visual Story, I will have now visited every exhibition in the AM.

To exit the Museum, I will need to walk down the stairs or catch the lift to Level G.

The exit is next to where I entered the Museum.