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 The National Dinosaur Museum is the largest permanent display of dinosaur material in Australia. In 1996 and 1997 the Museum was awarded the ACT Tourism Award for Excellence. The Museum was awarded the Australian Tourism Award for Significant Regional Attractions in 1997. We were also finalist in the 2006 Australian Travel and Tourism Awards in the family-based tourism category. We were also an Awards Finalist for the 2008 Travel and Tourism awards. We were voted one of the top 6 most Innovative Tourism Destinations in Australia!
Our Experience is your Guarantee.
Our friendly museum staff will guide you through the exhibits, and are trained to answer your questions. The Staff have backgrounds in science and education and a “passion” for dinosaurs and prehistoric life.
It may seem like dinosaurs are all extinct and there’s nothing left to learn, but every day brings new discoveries. We aim to provide up-to-date information on this evolving area of science and its impact on our understanding of today’s world. As a result no two tours of the National Dinosaur Museum are ever the same – you never know what surprises may be in store or discoveries unveiled.
Your Visit
Students will be met at the entrance of the museum and divided into groups for their guided tour. We ask that at least one teacher or adult accompany each group to assist staff with supervision and direction of students. If you wish to use worksheets during day tours please download them from our website and distribute them to your students prior to your visit. Once your groups have been organised you can prepare to step back in time and enjoy the prehistoric world.
Exhibition
The National Dinosaur Museum is not just about Dinosaurs. The exhibition covers the history of life on this planet with fossils from 700 million-year-old marine fauna through to fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Exhibition Highlights
• Easy to read, educational information panels.
• Beautiful murals depicting reconstructions of environments from the prehistoric past to enhance understanding of extinct biodiversity.
• Dinosaurs and other fossils not on display anywhere else in the world.
The diversity of the exhibition has never been stronger, with new murals and many new fossils for a more cohesive story of the past. The exhibition compares the life of all plants and animals in a chronological, easy to follow manner, suitable for everyone - not just scientists.
“eDinosauria” Prehistory Information Resource Kit (PIRK) given to schools after their visit. This resource can be used in the classroom after your visit or in advance of your next visit.
Free parking and easy Coach access to car park. Floodlit at night.
Disabled access to all areas including clean toilets.
Close to other attractions and shopping in Gold Creek Village.
Gift shop with souvenirs, and gifts for all ages. Prices set with children’s budgets in mind allowing worthwhile purchases at pocket money prices – specialising in real fossils.
Interactive Area and Hands-on Fossils.
Eating area with seating for 30 persons for self-catered meals. Please express your interest in using these facilities when making a booking.
Optional extension activities including the Australian Fossil Workshop or Fossil Casting Workshop for younger visitors. These extras incur additional charges, are subject to availability and need to be requested when making a booking. Please see ‘Group Rates’ for full pricing.
The museum is located 15km north of Canberra City centre, at the corner of Gold Creek Road and the Barton Highway, opposite Cockington Green and part of the Gold Creek Village complex. The closest accommodation, within walking distance, is the Gold Creek Tourist Resort.
Guided tours available for pre-booked groups starting from 8.00am to 8.00pm, however surcharges do apply on Weekends outside normal opening hours (10-5), this is currently $2.00pp in addition to normal rates.
We are not able to provided group programs on ACT Public Holidays.
For normal admission opening hours, see our home page.
Certificate of Currency
2013 NDM Certificate of Currency
Risk Assessments
Risk Assessments for all major ACT Attractions (including our own), and other useful group information can be found at the National Capital Educational Tourim Project (NCETP). This includes information on the PACER program. |
Bookings
Contact us to make a booking, or download a copy of our booking form, save a copy for your records and then email the file to admin@nationaldinosaurmuseum.com.au or fax to (02) 6230 2357.
We require advance bookings for all groups.
The earlier you book the more likely you will be able to book a time that suits you. Please note that if only short notice is given, you may not be able to book a tour with us, or you may be asked to combine with another group if applicable.
Please remember that your prompt arrival at the specified time will allow you to gain the most out of your visit and avoid congestion during peak periods; especially for Dinosaurs at Night tours.
All bookings are confirmed by us to the agent (if applicable) and to the School. This ensures that the timing and details of the tour are understood by all parties and helps avoid conflicts during your visit. We require that final numbers and contact details are confirmed to us one week prior to your visit.
Please Remember: Delays affect not only your tour, but also those of other groups using the facilities. Staff numbers are finely balanced to provide you the best service during the time of your visit, however those staff may also be responsible for the next group of visitors; Dinosaurs at Night bookings can be particularly tight due to their popularity.
Please note that surcharges apply to bookings made outside normal hours (10-5) on weekends. Please ask booking staff for more information.
No bookings are available on Public Holidays.
Small Groups: Please note that groups of less than 19 students (or a total value of $150.00) will be charged a minimum price of $150.00. In an effort to avoid this we try to combine small groups where possible (and with the consent of both parties). Should any group book with higher numbers, but arrive with less than the minimum on the day, the mimimum price will be charged.
Your Allocated Timeslot: Please note that you are allocated 1.5 Hours for a normal visit. This includes 1 hour for your tour and 30 minutes in which to get on/off the bus, visit the amenities, look at the interactive area and the shop. The order in which these things occur will depend on all the bookings for that timeslot, and what will give your group the best possible experience: Sometimes it is necessary for the tour to be the last component of your visit, with workshops, interactive area & shop first, so the exhibition gallery is less congested. Unfortunately due to the high demand for bookings it is not possible to allow visitors to roam back through the exhibits as this would disrupt other patrons - See Premium Tours for this opportunity.
Tour types
The National Dinosaur Museum provides two different types of tours – those at night, and those during the day. Both tour types provide excellent educational information regarding dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, but do so in different settings. Please read the following descriptions carefully before choosing which style of tour suits you best.
**Please note: any tour that begins before 5pm will be conducted as a Day Tour, and any tours beginning at 5pm or later will be Dinosaurs at Night tours. Torches are not required for Dinosaurs at Night tours . Surcharges will be applied (when applicable) as outlined at the bottom of this page.
Day Tours – give the opportunity to see all of the exhibits at the National Dinosaur Museum during a 60-minute tour with one of our experienced guides. Tours are conducted in a fun but educational style with plenty of opportunities for students to interact with suggestions, theories and questions. Worksheets have been designed to complement these tours and may be completed during the tour or at a later stage as a revision exercise (see bottom of page for worksheets in .pdf format).
Dinosaurs at Night Tours - these tours are specifically designed to increase the atmosphere and visual excitement of the visit. The 60-minute tour is conducted through a dark museum, with exhibits highlighted through spotlights and the Guide’s torch. Students get the opportunity to experience the same conditions as those faced by Australia’s Polar Dinosaurs; but as they are in the dark, not all exhibits can be viewed. Although groups have brought torches in the past these are no longer required, and actually detract from the dramatic presentation. Due to the high demand for Night Tours and their specialised nature, they are less flexible in their presentation style than tours held during the day. They offer the same information and education value, but in a different setting. Unfortunately due to the high demand for bookings it is not possible to switch the lights on and allow visitors to roam back through the exhibits as this would disrupt other patrons - See Premium Tours for this opportunity. Thanks to our sponsor Energizer for supplying our guides with torches!
Premium Tours: We are currently offering Premium Tours – a longer tour for groups that also wish to explore the museum without other groups around. We have had many groups ask us about doing longer tours or to have an extra look around the museum. Because we get so busy with school groups, this is often not possible due to groups running into each other. So we have developed a new type of tour for the groups that specifically want these conditions. The Premium tours offer a 1.5 hour tour, as well as an extra half an hour for the group to have a look around the museum or ask extra questions; if this is a Dinosaurs@Night Tour, then this will give you an opportunity to have a look around with some of the lights on. This means 2 hours in the Museum Exhibits. During these 2 hours your will have exclusive access to the museum, that is, we will not book in any other groups (daytime visits will still coincide with public access). The extra half an hour for in the shop may overlap with another group.
Because of the very specialised and exclusive nature of these tours, they are subject to the following conditions:
Premium Tours will attract minimum and maximum numbers. (35 – 90)
Premium Tours are subject to availability and prioritised to the first group to book a time slot.
Certain time slots are not available for this type of tour.
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