1 / 3National Dinosaur Museum
📍 Nicholls, ACT
Houses one of Australia's largest permanent dinosaur collections with full skeletons, animatronic displays, an outdoor dinosaur garden with climbable models, fossil casting activities, and a play area. Best for ages 4+.
Really good. We spent about an hour there, there is a lot of interesting things upstairs, including animatronic dinosaurs and displays. There is a garden outside you can walk thorough and a coffee deck. The gift shop was good too. The staff were really welcoming, informative and friendly!! If you’re in Canberra and have sometime it is well worth a visit. If we were local we would definitely look at the season passes!!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for dinosaur-obsessed kids aged 4 and up who engage with fossils and animatronics. Budget around one hour for a thorough visit including the outdoor garden. The play area at the exit is a strong hit with younger children. Local families return multiple times — a season pass pays off quickly.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →3,293 Google reviews
Adrian Watt
3 months ago
“Really good. We spent about an hour there, there is a lot of interesting things upstairs, including animatronic dinosaurs and displays. There is a garden outside you can walk thorough and a coffee deck. The gift shop was good too. The staff were really welcoming, informative and friendly!! If you’re in Canberra and have sometime it is well worth a visit. If we were local we would definitely look at the season passes!!”
Sharnie Dwyer
6 months ago
“I love the national dinosaur museum! It has many great fossils and models, full of educational facts and a lot of effort put into the displays. The dinosaur garden is so much fun, the statues are so cool! It’s been so creatively done and beautiful! The gift shop is also great with lots of stuff to choose from, there’s some really nice souvenirs as well as the genuine crystals and fossils.”
Emily Leahy
2 months ago
“So much fun for little & big kids! So many interesting facts & fossils! Extra bonus is the play area as you leave letting the kids play out all the information they just read about”
Abhilash Radhakrishnan
2 months ago
“A nice musueum on dinosaurs. Got a lot of information for anyone interested im dinosaurs, a small place for kids to do drawing, dinosaur models. If you are in canberra and looking for activities to do, this is one place to consider. Around 1 hour to spend. Its not a huge place but worth dropping in if you have kids who love dinosaurs. There is a smaller section for crystals.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
The National Dinosaur Museum in Nicholls, ACT, holds full dinosaur skeletons, detailed fossil exhibits, and life-like animatronic dinosaurs across two indoor levels. An outdoor dinosaur garden features large-scale climbable models. Fossil casting activities and a dedicated kids' drawing corner extend the visit. A gift shop stocks genuine fossils, crystals, and themed souvenirs. Guided tours and school holiday programs are available. No on-site cafe — a coffee deck is accessible near the garden.
