Museums do not always rank high on the list of things teens want to see in Melbourne, Australia. If you’ve like us and have dragged your teenager through a museum only to see them browsing social channels on their phone, looking bored and taking nothing in, we feel you.
The thing is you need to pick a good variety of museums with topics that interest your teens. Luckily, Melbourne’s museum scene is pretty varied, with something for everyone if you know where to go.
Since we live not far from Melbourne, we have visited multiple museums with our teens, Willow and Marley. We have put together this guide to Melbourne Museums that will have your teens interested, engaged and educated – maybe even forgetting about their phones for a bit.
To be honest, we do not know what every teen likes, but visiting museum in Melbourne with teens is a pretty cool option.
Melbourne Museum – where Museum doesn’t mean boring
Address: 11 Nicholson St, Carlton VIC 3053 – Tram route 86 or tram route 96 to Stop 11 Melbourne Museum, corner of Nicholson and Gertrude Streets.
Entry Costs: Adult $15, Senior $10, Kids free
Located in the green space of Carlton Gardens right next to the UNESCO Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum became our unexpected family favourite over the years. We first visited when our kids were little and have been back on a number of occasions.
The Melbourne Gallery tells the history of the city of Melbourne through a number of interesting exhibits and multimedia displays. Walk through a full-size model of what the small houses of Melbourne’s back alleys used to look like.
See Phar Lap, the racehorse, a national hero who beat all comers, learn about how immigration made Melbourne the city it is today and more.
The Dinosaur Walk exhibition seems like it’s for younger kids, but our oldest teen loves dinosaurs. She couldn’t believe the massive prehistoric skeletons they had on display at Museums Victoria’s site in Melbourne. Standing beneath one of the most complete Triceratops skeletons in the world makes us all feel so small.
The First Peoples exhibition was a real highlight, popular with many looking to learn about the history of Victoria’s Aboriginal communities. The immersive multimedia displays that the younger generation can relate to made it more relatable.
Parent tip: Plan for at least 3 hours here. If your teens are really into the exhibits, anywhere up to 5 hours should be allowed.
ACMI – for your screen-obsessed teens
Address: Federation Square, Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
It seems like a no-brainer to take your kids to a museum dedicated to film, TV, videogames, and digital culture. The museum that required zero convincing and was free to get into was ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image), located at Federation Square.
The Story of the Moving Image exhibition traces how screens have evolved over time, with plenty of hands-on activities. Our girls are both gamers who love the PS4 consoles, so they appreciated the video game evolution section.
They were able to discover some older games from back in their parents’ time, including everything from Street Fighter to more recent indie games.
You may be lucky enough to catch some of the amazing exhibitions that roll through ACMI at different times. They have had everything from Tim Burton movies, Pixar, Star Wars and manga displays.
Parent confession: I enjoyed ACMI just as much as the kids did. I recognised TV shows from my childhood in the Australian Television section.
The famous Hosier Lane, a popular tourist attraction known for its street art, is located just across the street from ACMI! Two great free Melbourne attractions.
Scienceworks – hands-on heaven
Address: 2 Booker Street, Spotswood, Victoria, 3015
Scienceworks, located in Spotswood, was initially met with scepticism from my daughter (Isn’t that for little kids?). By the end of our visit, she was plotting how we could come back before heading home.
The Lightning Room demonstrations were the absolute highlight – watching massive Tesla coils crackle with electricity while learning about storm science had both teens completely captivated. Check the schedule when you arrive because these 30-minute shows fill up quickly!
One of the more popular exhibits was Sportsworks, which focused on exploring health and physical sciences through interactive experiences. Our kids were not too keen on the running activity, but certainly loved the snowboarding simulator.
Parent tip: This museum is slightly out of the central city area, but absolutely worth the trip. You can easily catch an Uber or public transport via train (Werribee and Williamstown Lines) to Spotswood, allowing for a 10-minute walk to reach the museum.
Immigration Museum – surprisingly teen-approved
Address: 400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
