WHY YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE THE FUN NATIONAL DINOSAUR MUSEUM IN CANBERRA

While we were holidaying in Australia’s capital, our darling daughter was going through an I-Love-Dinosaurs phase, so we figured we just had to visit the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra while we were here. I’ll level with you; I wasn’t particularly excited about visiting this place because, as fascinating as dinosaurs are, they’re just not something I would go out of my way to see.

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NOW THAT’S HOW TO MAKE AN ENTRANCE

On the way in, you’ll pass by a fun outdoor area that’s home to an enormous T-Rex stood over crumpled cars. Just behind the big guy, you’ll see his smaller dino-friends rampaging through the city streets, having a great time gobbling up any humans they encounter. It was a really cool entrance, and I was totally getting some Jurassic Park vibes here, so enter at your own risk!

Once we got to the entrance of the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra, it was guarded by a black replica skeleton wearing a face mask. Just another reminder that we were still in the midst of a pandemic. It was a pretty funny way to lighten the mood, considering the times. We’d pre-paid online and booked a time slot, so check-in was simple, but hopefully, this will all be a thing of the past by the time you visit.

Before heading upstairs to look at the exhibits, you might want to browse through the gift shop on the ground floor first. It sells everything dinosaur-related, and Aria just loved it. We ended up buying her a fake dinosaur egg-shaped ball which she carried with her everywhere for the next few weeks! Also, as if there wasn’t already enough fun for the kids, there’s a great children’s play area just to the left as you walk in.

JURASSIC WORLD

The ascent up the stairs to begin our tour was actually quite exciting. Everywhere you looked was lined with tropical greenery and jungle plants. Giant Jurassic-type birds and animals were hanging down from the ceiling. At the top of our climb, we were greeted by some gigantic fossilised bugs, which were so enormous they certainly made me glad they were are no longer in existence. I don’t do well with creepy crawlies, especially Australia’s version of the eight-legged variety! Once I managed to make my way past the supersized bugs, I came across a massive replica of a Stegosaurus. Next to it was a full-size model skeleton, which really put into perspective how big they were. I still find it incredible that these creatures were walking around this very earth millions of years ago! Even as an adult, I still sometimes imagine them living amongst us. I think I’ve been watching too much Jurassic Park!

EWWW BUGS!

Make sure to check out the fossilised Trilobites, though I doubt you’ll miss them as they’re massive. They look absolutely terrifying! All I can say is ewww! Luckily for us, they’re extinct now, but imagine a dirty, great, big centipede (about fifty times the size of today’s kind) that has mated with a scorpion, and then you’ll get a sense as to what they looked like (shudders). Another hideous creature I came across was the Mixopterus Kiaeri, which was enclosed in a fossil on display. This one looks like an actual scorpion – but on steroids! I swear if I saw anything like that on a beach today, I would never visit the seaside ever again!

If you continue on to your left, you’ll come to the discovery section, which tells stories of past archaeologists and how they came across their finds. Also, in this section, they have a replica thigh bone of a dinosaur, and I swear it was almost as tall as me! How cool is that?

OCEAN CREATURES

Just around the corner, you can explore the past creatures from our deep, dark ocean and see what once used to swim in its depths. One of the things I found most shocking was posing inside a set of shark jaws from the Jurassic period. I mean, living in Australia, there’s always the threat of shark attacks, but seeing the size of these jaws really gave me the Heebie Jeebies!

Aria enjoyed walking around the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra and would even point to certain dinosaurs and tell us their correct names. What a clever girl! So I now actually know some of their names, thanks to her. However, 10-minutes later, she was bored with the big fish, so it was off to the kid’s play area for her and Daddy. I continued around on my own, admiring plenty more displays of fossils and animatronic dinosaurs, which were all really cool. One of them made a blood-curdling roar every 5-10 minutes, but I overheard the lady at reception saying that they’ve turned the ‘roar’ noise down as it was scaring the kids. I mean, is there supposed to be a time when dinosaurs weren’t scary? Crank up the volume already!

ICE AGE

Once I was done, we all headed through the gift shop to check out the small, but still interesting, Ice Age section. The display consisted of large replica mammals from the time period, as well as heaps of rock formations that were available to purchase. It’s definitely worth a look.

Once outside, before we headed back to the car, we stopped by the fun-looking Dinosaur Garden, which had a path to follow around. Everywhere we looked, we were surrounded by dinosaurs in various menacing positions, looking like they were going to pounce on us. It’s an entertaining way to wrap up your visit. This was probably Aria’s favouite part of the whole museum. Oh, and getting a new dino ball! Classic Aria!

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, overall, I thought the museum was great fun, but it’s definitely centred around kids, and there’s not a heap of stuff geared towards adults unless you really love looking at enormous bugs and bones! It’s also a little pricy for budget travelers like us. However, Aria loved it, and that’s what is most important.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND AT THE NATIONAL DINOSAUR MUSEUM IN CANBERRA?

Most people will spend at least one hour here, which is enough plenty of time to explore all of the exhibits, as well as the Dinosaur garden. However, if you’re someone like me, who wants to spend some time reading all of the exhibits, I would suggest two hours.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO VISIT THE MUSEUM?

At the time of writing this blog post, the price is as follows:

–  A$18  Adult (17+ Years Old)

–  A$11  Child (4-16 Years Old)

–  A$13  Concession (Student ID / Senior card required)

–  A$50  Family (2 Adults, 2 Children or 1 Adult, 3 Children)

WHAT ARE THE OPENING HOURS?

The Museum is open 10-5 PM, with the last entry usually around one hour before closing. Check the website if you plan to visit over the holidays, in case times change.

WHERE IS THE MUSEUM LOCATED, AND HOW TO GET HERE?

Located in the Gold Creek area of Canberra, which is around a 20-minute drive from the city centre. It is possible to catch the bus, which takes about 45 minutes, but it does involve changing buses halfway there.

DO YOU NEED TO PRE-BOOK?

Yes, currently booking is essential due to the pandemic. The museum is now a timed and ticked affair for the foreseeable future, which means you’ll select an allotted time when you purchase your tickets.

WHAT OTHER ATTRACTIONS ARE CLOSE TO THE NATIONAL DINOSAUR MUSEUM IN CANBERRA?

The Museum is located in an area of the city called Gold Creek, and there are many things to do which are nearby. One of my favourite places to visit while in Canberra is Cockington Green, which is located across the road from the Dinosaur Museum. Read about it here. Also within the vicinity is the Canberra Reptile Zoo and the Walk-in Avery.

Thanks for reading my post today on my visit to the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra. As our daughter had only ever seen dinosaurs on TV before coming here, it was great to see her walking around and looking at the exhibits, to learn all about these ancient creatures. I hope I’ve inspired you to visit here in the future with your children, as there’s plenty here to keep them entertained for a couple of hours.

However, if dinosaurs are not your thing, it’s probably not the best place to be spending your money, especially if you’re traveling on a budget. But if your kids love dinosaurs, this place has to be on your Canberra itinerary.

Are you planning a trip to the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra in the future? Do your kids love dinosaurs as much as my daughter once did? Let me know in the comments section below.

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