The 15 best museums for history and culture in Australia

Canberra gets a bad rap compared to other Australian capital cities, so you might be surprised that it’s home to one of the top ten free tourist attractions in the world. At the Australian War Memorial, you can discover the Australian experiences of war and connect with the stories of people and events that shaped our nation. Place a poppy on the Roll of Honour to remember the sacrifice made by our servicemen and women, and stay for the moving Last Post closing ceremony at 4.30pm daily.

Funnel webs, king browns, redbacks, salties – find Australia's most deadly critters at the country's oldest museum, stuffed or behind glass – as well as some prehistoric terrors and creatures from around the globe. Laugh in mortality's face, glory in the wonders of natural history, and scare the rellies off your sofa bed and onto the next flight home. General admission to the Australian Museum is free, but it’s worth timing your visit with one of the museum’s blockbuster limited-time exhibitions. 

Museums aren’t just restricted to four walls, and you’ll find one of Australia’s greatest at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site. Just a 90-minute drive from Hobart, this is proudly Australia’s most intact and evocative convict site, with more than 30 historic buildings and ruins to explore. Stroll through the 40-hectare landscaped grounds, join an introductory walking tour, embark on a complimentary 20-minute harbour cruise where you’ll catch glimpses of the Isle of the Dead – and then come back to do it all again, with tickets granting you entry for two consecutive days. Trust us, you’ll need it.

Dive deep into the riches of Western Australia’s maritime history from the state’s dedicated sea museum, located on the water's edge in Fremantle. You can trek through time with a free highlights tour, hosted daily at 10.30am and 2.30pm, where you’ll learn about the museum’s most historic and significant objects, including the America’s Cup winning yacht, Australia II and Jon Sanders’ Parry Endeavour.

The striking loops of the National Museum of Australia’s exterior have been a feature of the Canberra skyline since the institution opened in 2001. You can delve into the rich and diverse tapestry of Australia’s history while browsing the museum’s permanent collections, which feature Indigenous art, textiles, vintage cars and Phar Lap’s heart (which weighs 6.35kg). You can come back to the NMA time and time again too, with free host talks in the Great Southern Land, First Australians or Landmarks galleries or the Garden of Australian Dreams, on the hour between 10am and 4pm daily.

There is a misunderstanding that the Sydney Jewish Museum is only meant for Jewish people to visit, or only of interest to WWII buffs. In reality, the museum’s mission is to make history accessible through the lens of the Jewish experience, and in doing so, help us to understand our present. Some 45 Holocaust survivors still regularly volunteer at the Jewish Museum and share their inspirational stories with visitors, young and old. The interactive AI-generated conversations are also not to be missed and won't be soon forgotten. 

A glorious, sprawling space filled with themed displays, interactive areas, IMAX cinemas and no end of surprises, Melbourne Museum rewards first-time visitors and repeat patrons equally. Victoria's history is vividly evoked through artefacts, art and well-carved prose. Its ancient past is rekindled in the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre; while its recent history delights visitors with the stuffed hide of Depression-era hero thoroughbred racehorse Phar Lap, still one of the most popular exhibits with young and old alike. And if you think you have seen it all, think again. The Melbourne Museum also hosts an impressive collection of rotating exhibitions, movie screenings, artist talks and after-dark events.

Reserve the whole day for a trip to this five-storey natural history museum in Adelaide. There are more than four million specimens of flora, fauna, geology and Indigenous culture to discover, with interactive and eye-opening galleries dedicated to earth sciences and biodiversity, plus the world’s most comprehensive collection of Australian Aboriginal cultural material. Time your visit around the prestigious biennial Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, which celebrates the best of science and art in the natural world. 

If you're after a big day of discovery, the MAGNT is a sure bet. This two-in-one museum and gallery houses more than 30,000 artefacts, including the body of Sweetheart, a 5.1m saltwater crocodile responsible for attacking boats; relics from the category four Cyclone Tracy that changed Darwin’s urban landscape; and bones of Melville, the Northern Territory’s 21.9m pygmy blue whale. The MAGNT is also home to the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards - the most significant award of its kind nationwide.

Science brings smiles to everyone’s faces at Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre. This playground for adults and kids alike is full of weird and wonderful spaces for you to play and discover. Feel the force of an earthquake, watch an explosive science show, make friends with dinosaurs and experience the exhilaration of weightlessness as you slide down the two-storey vertical ‘Free Fall’.

The ten-hectare outdoor museum is sort of an antipodean version of Westworld, sans the homicidal robots and hedonistic atmosphere. Sovereign Hill genuinely makes learning about Victoria’s gold rush history fun, whether you’re panning for gold in the creek or dipping your own candle. Once you step into the recreated 1850s town, you’ll find yourself surrounded by characters in historically accurate costumes, horses and carts, and attractions that reveal what life was like during one of Victoria’s, if not Australia’s, most significant historical periods. See blacksmiths take to the anvil, confectioners create old-school boiled sweets and even witness the spectacular gold pour where $160,000 of gold is melted and turned into a three-kilogram bullion.

Walk in the steps of one of 32 heroic Anzac characters as they experience the First World War at Albany’s award-winning National Anzac Centre. From recruitment and training through to conflicts in Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai and beyond, you’ll see their personal stories unfold through a mix of interactive, multimedia and audio displays. At the end of your journey, you’ll discover the fate of your character and can pay your respects at the Pool of Reflection. 

Bradman's baggy green cap, Bart Cummings' collection of Melbourne Cups, Cathy Freeman's swift suit from her gold-medal-winning run in Sydney 2000 – these items are more than mere sporting memorabilia, they’re touchstones in the forging of Australia’s national identity. You can see them up close when visiting the National Sports Museum, located across two levels beneath the Olympic Stand at Melbourne’s legendary Cricket Ground.

This hotbed of science, design, innovation and culture is big on hands-on exhibits for budding gadgeteers and button-pushers, as well as blockbuster fashion, design, pop-cultural exhibitions – and a tiny vintage cinema to boot. You can stay up late too, with the Powerhouse’s ultra-cool after-hours events featuring pop-up bars, dancefloors and intellectual fun. The Powerhouse Ultimo is currently closed for a $300 million makeover, but will reopen in a few years.

Curious kids – young and old – can get hands-on with mindblowing science experiences and experiments at Melbourne’s interactive science and technology museum. The Planetarium, with its huge domed ceiling replicating the night sky, is always a huge hit, along with Scienceworks’ mesmerising glow show, aerodynamic playground, virtual reality moon challenge and limited-time exhibits.