At Museums Victoria, we have been building and researching our collections since 1854.

Without action, museum collections may be the only evidence some of these endangered species existed.

The public collections found in museums across the world are a historic record. But that does not mean everything stays there forever.

Forged in the fury of nuclear explosions, like Oppenheimer’s Trinity test and British bombs at Maralinga, atomic glass is more than a curio in museum collections.  

Explore significant collection objects over the last 170 years of the museum’s history.

With millions of objects to choose from, what are the some of the biggest things?

The Museum has been developing collections relating to migration and settlement in Victoria since 1990.

Once lost from history, the electric vehicle's time has come again.

Help us expand the reach of our education programs and open up a world of learning and exploration for members of our community experiencing disadvantage.

Following this summer’s unprecedented bushfires, Museums Victoria has begun directing its expertise, research and collections towards supporting recovery and sustainability efforts.

How the history of vaccine development shaped our ability to respond to worldwide pandemics.

The racks and collections in Museum stores contain many objects and memories this is Tim's personal story of just one.

Launching in 2022, the Museums Victoria Research Institute will elevate and highlight Museums Victoria’s research efforts, building on our strong foundations, established reputation and proven track record. 

Flavours that flipped Australian kitchens.

Help us make life-changing impacts through STEM education by inspiring the next generation of enquiring minds.

Our commitment to the inclusion of First Peoples living cultures, histories and knowledge is at the heart of all that we do at Museums Victoria.

Take a virtual visit to some of the state's bushfire memorials to reflect and commemorate.

The racks and collections in Museum stores contain many objects and memories, this is Tim's personal story of just one.

Our volunteers help to deliver a fantastic range of exciting and memorable public programs as well as assisting curators and collection staff behind the scenes.

The racks and collections in the museum stores contain many objects and memories. This is Collection Manager at Museums Victoria, Tim Ziegler's personal story of just one.

Both entrances to the Science and Life Gallery create a sense of wonder. From the massive blue whale skeleton in the Main Foyer and Walk to the theatrical display of transformation in the Evolution Gallery, there is definitely something to spark curiosity in your guests.

Participants in the one day ‘Making Futures Slam event’ on 5 September 2018 at Melbourne Museum reflect on their day and on how museum collections connect the environment, history and culture to tell stories with relevance for our future.

View Koolasuchus cleelandi in our Museums Victoria Collections.

How the naming of a new species of squat lobster has helped an Aboriginal community reconnect to its ‘sleeping’ language.

We've been blown away by the number of people who have reached out to us about Wild—here are some answers to your most often asked questions. 

An artistic collaboration with refugees and asylum seekers, Attaché Case challenges Australia’s controversial migration policy.

17 meteorites have been identified in Victoria, and some of them have changed the way we look at our universe.

In April this year the Honourable Princess Salote Maumautaimi Tuku’aho of Tonga visited Melbourne Museum's First Peoples and Te Pasifika exhibitions.

Provenance of carved boomerang uncovered.

Birds are highly visible and vocal, spectacularly diverse and fascinating to watch and study.

Captain Edward McKenna’s photographs provide a glimpse into the life of soldiers on the journey to war.

At some times in a spider’s life it is easy to tell, but at other times it can be impossible.

Have you every wondered what Christmas in Melbourne was like in the 19th century.

The largest ever study of Australian women on the land is revealing the hidden stories of women farmers.

Bringing the dead to life - sort of!

Unlike their Asian counterparts, Australian orchids like the rosy spider orchid, pictured below, are beautifully understated. Delicate and beautiful, they are not flashy like the orchids available at your local nursery.

Transcribing George Lyell's final documents.

Are all scorpions dangerous? Answers to this and other common scorpion questions. 

The story behind one of the most studied meteorites, which fell to earth near Victoria in 1969. 

Lid lifted on mystery artefact.

Understanding which fish species occur where, and discovering new fish species, is the starting point to managing marine biodiversity.

Ever wonder about the life of a museum specimen?

A rare book, that once belonged to Mary Anning, has returned to its rightful home in England.

Using 3D scanning, researchers are peeking under the preserved skin of Tasmanian tiger specimens to reconstruct its growth and development.

In addition to the development of his moth and butterfly collection, George Lyell’s letters reveal much about his personal relationships.

Hope Macpherson was a woman who broke barriers. 

‘Landmark’ study rewrites the history of seals in southern Australia thanks to fragmentary fossils washed up on a Melbourne beach. 

A journey into Australia's unexplored deep-sea Indian Ocean Territories. 

A chance discovery has led to a new mineral for Victoria, muonionalustaite, found on some of the famous Cranbourne meteorites.

At October's Nocturnal event, a multidisciplinary team of Museum workers and a guest speaker from University of Melbourne got together to present items from the George Lyell Collection to visitors.

And what they say about us.

Between 1891 and 1947, George Lyell and Gustavus Athol Waterhouse's regular correspondence shared a passion for moths and butterflies.

The First Peoples of south-eastern Australia have been making possum skin cloaks since time immemorial—today the practice is flourishing.  

Museum specimens are enabling new discoveries about extinct species, long after they are gone. 

Once lost, now found. 

Take a dive into the deep sea with the Faceless Fish. 

Whales grace the halls of many a natural history museum, but they are there for more than just show.  

Mirka Mora was all about being herself, her fashion style, her artistic practice, her friendships and creative circles, and her food culture.

Poisonous books are a legacy of fashion and industrial practices that prioritised beauty above all else. And the heavy metals left behind are still causing headaches for libraries and museums to this day.

Think you know tigers? What about those found in Australia? 

What can we learn from the first scientific descriptions of animals and the Earth’s biodiversity, written hundreds of years ago?

Some of the new finds are the first evidence of these types of dinosaurs from Australia.

If there’s one place in the world that knows about extinction, it’s a natural history museum.

Pork farm prospers amid COVID-19 lockdowns.

Discover the rock that unlocked one of the biggest mysteries of Antarctica and the incredible story of Carsten Borchgrevink, the explorer determined to get there first.

This Lunar New Year, come for a tour of the Chinese Zodiac through the Museums Victoria collection.

Professor Deirdre Coleman, Nik McGrath and Simon Hinkley join Richelle Hunt in the ABC Radio Melbourne Studio.

The Victorian dairy farmer overcoming family tragedy, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tyama: A deeper sense of knowing is a digital multisensory experience taking visitors on an immersive journey into Victoria's vibrant nocturnal world.

Impact of fires on biodiversity on a scale not seen since species records were first kept. Loss is in the ‘trillions’ of animals due to climate change crisis. 

A first of its kind museum exhibition and a must-see experience, Tyama: A deeper sense of knowing is now open at Melbourne Museum

Two Strong Sisters Connected takes you on a journey through the stories of the artists, sharing matriarchal cultural knowledge, passed down from mothers and grandmothers for thousands of generations.

Naadohbii: To Draw Water opens Friday 23 September at Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Melbourne Museum.

Gung | create, make, do, love shares a series of works from acclaimed visual artist Kelly Koumalatsos, with 24 new and existing works on display in Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum.

A new installation exploring both the magic and hardships of working life stories of well-known and everyday Victorians.

Humanity is triggering extinctions at rates not seen since the Earth’s largest mass extinction event 66 million years ago. But what if we could reverse this?

Museums Victoria Research Institute leads groundbreaking research voyage in the Indian Ocean Territories.

Meet Victoria’s top Cretaceous predator—a dinosaur that would have eaten Velociraptor for breakfast.

After 11,563 votes, the 125-million-year-old monster amphibian has been confirmed as Victoria’s fossil emblem.

What does the thought of picking up a bug do to you? It’s just a day in the life for our Live Exhibits keepers. 

We rely on bees for so much, but do you know the difference between the iconic European Honey Bee and Australian native bees? And what you can do to help them?

Museums Victoria Research Institute leads ground-breaking research voyage in the Indian Ocean Territories.

Join us online to celebrate Children’s Week with a jam-packed program curated for our little learners!

Join us in celebrating 170 years of Museums Victoria history. Share your museum memories and discover 17 decades of collection highlights.

Our organisation, in partnership with the First Peoples of Victoria, is working to place First Peoples living cultures and histories at the core of our practice.

Through a series of interconnected case-studies, you will learn about stories of first contact, self-determination, and cultural strength and diversity as experienced by Koori families in Victoria.

Celebrating the diversity of styles and stories that live within Museums Victoria’s clothing and textile collections.

A new installation sharing diverse stories of work and our collective identities, all from the museum’s rich collections.

Come on a journey of discovery with a program of talks.

An amuse-bouche of bite-sized performances curated by Melbourne Fringe, paired with talks, tours, music and adults only access to Melbourne Museum including Victoria the T. rex after-hours. 

Brace yourself and face the awe-inspiring power of our universe at Nocturnal, with adults only after-hours access to our latest exhibitions including Victoria the T. rex, talks, tours, activities and music until 9pm.

Once a month we showcase rare collections and exhibitions to give adults a chance to dance, dine and drink while enjoying a non-stop line-up of themed talks, tours, and activities.