Melbourne Museum
Housed in a striking postmodern building right on the edge of Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Museum is one of the largest museums in the Southern Hemisphere — and one of the most surprisingly moving. From Phar Lap's legendary hide to ancient Gondwana forests, it earns a full half-day without blinking.
Highlights You Cannot Skip
The Melbourne Gallery tells the city's story from its First Peoples through to the gold rush and beyond, while the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre is a dedicated space honouring the history, knowledge and living culture of Victoria's Koorie people through exhibits, storytelling and performance — one of the most important cultural experiences in the city.
The Forest Gallery is a living, breathing indoor rainforest — a two-storey enclosed ecosystem of real trees, birds and reptiles that feels genuinely surreal. Children and adults alike stop dead in their tracks when they step inside.
Phar Lap, Dinosaurs & Rotating Shows
Phar Lap, Australia's most beloved racehorse, is preserved here in taxidermied form — a pilgrimage site for Australians of all ages. The museum also houses dinosaur skeletons and regularly rotates blockbuster international exhibitions that make repeat visits worthwhile.
A recreation of the historic Little Lon slum on Lonsdale Street and a set from the iconic Australian TV soap Neighbours add a dose of pop-culture nostalgia that keeps the whole family engaged long after the natural history galleries have been explored.
Melbourne Museum on video
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