National Dinosaur Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
National Dinosaur Museum

Established	1993 (1993)
Location	6 Gold Creek Road, Nicholls, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

The National Dinosaur Museum is in Canberra, Australia. It is Australia's biggest place to see prehistoric creatures. The museum opened in 1993. It has become one of Canberra's most popular spots for visitors.

The museum takes you on an amazing trip through time. You will learn about how life on Earth changed. There is a special focus on dinosaurs. You can see cool exhibits both inside and outside. These include life-size dinosaur models. There are also real and replica skeletons, bones, and fossils. You can even see crystals and meteorites. The museum is thought to have the largest fossil display in the Southern Hemisphere.

It's a fun and educational place for everyone. There is a gift shop to find cool souvenirs. You can also explore the Dinosaur Garden. There are many great spots for photos. About 100,000 people visit the museum each year. This makes it a top attraction in the Australian Capital Territory.

The museum helps schools with their learning. It offers guided tours for student groups. These tours focus on a "touch and feel" experience. The National Dinosaur Museum also hosts birthday parties. They even have "dances with dinosaurs" and events for young children. During school holidays, you can even have dinosaur sleepovers! The museum often posts about its events on its Facebook page.

The National Dinosaur Museum offers a great learning experience. They also have online resources. For example, the Kids Dino News Blog keeps young dinosaur fans updated. Besides being a fun place to visit, the museum also does research. They have published many scientific papers.

Museum History
Museum Awards
Gallery
See also

Museum History

The National Dinosaur Museum opened in 1993. It has been improved and updated many times since then. The museum shows displays about Earth science and dinosaurs. These displays always include the newest discoveries.

In September 2011, new directors were chosen. These included local and international scientists. Major updates happened in April and May 2012. Twelve moving dinosaur models were added. Many life-size models were also put on display. You can see them both inside and outside the museum.

New exhibits were added in 2012 and 2013. These included Australian dinosaurs. There were also displays about Earth sciences, like meteorites. You could also see glowing mineral displays.

In 2017, the museum's director, Tom Kapitany, went to a big conference. It was about museums along the Silk Road. The Geological Museum of China and the National Dinosaur Museum started working together. They now share ideas and science. In 2017, some dinosaur models at the museum were damaged by vandals.

In April 2023, the National Dinosaur Museum turned 30 years old. People from Canberra and visitors were invited to celebrate.

Museum Awards

The National Dinosaur Museum has won many awards. It won the Tourist Attractions category at the Canberra Region Tourism Awards in 2023 and 2024.

The museum was also a finalist for the Australian Tourism Awards in 2023 and 2024. These awards show that the museum offers a great experience. They also show its important role in Australia's tourism.

In December 2023, Director Tom Kapitany and the museum received special thanks. This was for their help at an international museum meeting.