The Melbourne Museum is not your typical museum.
That was the first thing my daughter and I noticed when we walked through the doors.
We were used to the brick and mortar structures that put you in the mood for a walk into the past.
This modern barrage of glass and color immediately brought a smile to our faces.
The atmosphere was one of elegance but warmth, surrounded by culture and science.
History was not far behind this feeling as the Beaux-Arts Royal Exhibition Building, put up in 1880, stared at us through the glass windows.
Different Galleries and Centres in Melbourne Museum
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Of course my daughter immediately wanted to go to the Childrens Gallery where she had already spotted the giant tilted Rubics Cube. However we decided to first go to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre instead. The art of the Aboriginese was incredible but what drew our attention was the outdoor garden of native plants, most probably used for medicinal and health purposes long before medicine was available.
When we finally arrived at the Childrens Gallery, there were hands-on activities, archeological digs, dinosaur dress up and displays that were eye level for kids! What a playground of learning activities. The Touring Hall was our next stop where we saw real mummies and dinosaurs from China.
The Evolution Gallery included a skeleton of a giant wombat and the giant meateating dinosaur, Tyrannosauidae. There were many more and my daughter knew most of the scientific names of the prehistoric animals. In the Melbourne Gallery, a big Pygmy Blue Whale captured our attention in addition to the history of Melbourne since the early 1800s.
I could have done without the Bigs Alive! Exhibition in the Science and Life Gallery but this was by far my daughter’s favourite. There was also Marine Life and so many interesting facts in the Virtual Room. The Forest Gallery was beautiful with birds and reptiles, set in a Victorian forest era. We had planned on seeing all of the rooms on our one day visit but the time was fading quickly with all of the things to see and do. And you know how it is with kids, after a while it’s just been enough.
Things we missed out on were the Mind and Body Gallery and The Bunjilaka that exhibits the Indigenous Australians and the Te Pasifika Gallery along with several specific exhibitions.
The Melbourne Museum, located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere.
It has been growing since its inception in 1854.
Theatres, food, tours, 3D documentary films, an immigration museum, and much more that cannot possibly be experienced in one day.
The architects that created one city of history and science under one roof, reflected by the Royal Exhibition Building and surrounded by nature in 1994, should win an award.
We will be back again soon to spend some more time in areas we have not been able to see properly first time round.
When you are in Melbourne you should definitely go check it out as well!
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Things To Do
With the Kids: Three Melbourne Zoos | Puffing Billy | Melbourne Aquarium
Shopping: Queen Victoria Market
Museums/Galleries: Melbourne Museum | National Gallery of Victoria | Ian Potter Centre | Victoria Police Museum | Immigration Museum Melbourne | Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) | Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) | Cook’s Cottage (Fitzroy Gardens)
Going Out / Nightlife: Bars/Pubs | Restaurants | Wine Bars | Crown Casino | Arts Centre Melbourne
Other Things To Do: Eureka Tower | Rialto Tower
