Museums Victoria 🇦🇺

When you explore Melbourne, Victoria, visiting Museums Victoria connects you deeply with Australasia’s rich natural, social, and cultural history. As an organisation welcoming over two million annual visitors, it operates major state attractions including the Melbourne Museum, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, the Immigration Museum, Scienceworks, and IMAX Melbourne.

Custodians of a massive collection containing over 15 to 17 million items cultivated since 1854, Museums Victoria offers you remarkable sights across geology, palaeontology, zoology, technology, society, and historical studies. Created in partnership with Elders and community members, exhibitions place First Peoples’ living cultures, histories, and knowledge right at the core, connecting you with stories spanning thousands of years.

You can also explore items linked to the Museums Victoria Research Institute or visit the library collection at Melbourne Museum, which houses 40,000 titles, including some of Australia’s rarest 18th and 19th-century scientific monographs. From early childhood learning and STEM literacy programs to groundbreaking research shaping biodiversity conservation, visiting these venues gives you an unforgettable window into Australia’s vibrant history, environment, and living heritage.

What to see at Museums Victoria

• Explore iconic venues like Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, Scienceworks, IMAX Melbourne, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building.
• Engage with First Peoples’ living cultures, histories, and ancient knowledge created in partnership with Elders and community members.
• Discover expansive state collections holding over 15 million items across zoology, palaeontology, geology, and technology.
• Visit the library collection at Melbourne Museum holding 40,000 titles, including rare 18th and 19th-century scientific monographs.

Visiting tips

Head to the Melbourne Museum to explore the working library collection that features rare 18th and 19th-century natural history books.

How long: Half day · Best time: Daytime

How to get there & what’s nearby

Museums Victoria is easy to reach on Melbourne’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Zoo. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Melbourne travel guide.