Museums are awesome. Why, you may ask? Because they’re the perfect way to expand our knowledge, upgrade on culture and immerse ourselves in history. That’s before even considering the fact you can spend entire days exploring them, and there are museums dedicated to showcasing all kinds of epic collections.
Love video games? There’s a museum for that. Intrigued by taxidermy and native animals? There’s a museum for that. Are you a science nerd? Yep, you guessed it, there’s a museum for that too! Our wonderful city has a little something for everybody, so consider us your personal tour guide as we show you Perth’s best museums.
WA Museum Boola Bardip
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that WA Museum Boola Bardip recently underwent four years’ worth of renovations, making it more beautiful and captivating than ever. Boola Bardip means many stories in the Noongar language, and this is exactly that—a place to share Western Australia’s many stories. Before you step inside, take a moment to appreciate the stunning architectural additions by Hassell and OMA, then head on in to explore exhibitions showcasing WA’s cultural and natural heritage, stories from WA’s multicultural population and plenty of interactive technology. Oh, and on your way out, don’t forget to pay the good people at Epoch a visit for your fix of quality coffee and fantastic eats.
The Nostalgia Box
Chances are, at some point in your life you’ve had a spin on a gaming console of some kind. Whether you spent your childhood chasing ghosts in Pac-man or maybe you’re a new addition to the Mario Kart fandom, a visit to The Nostalgia Box in Perth is the perfect way to relive your childhood thanks to their huge collection of video games and consoles—over 100 of them, to be exact. As you wander through the museum, you’ll be able to learn about the history of classic video games and consoles from the 1970s to now, but the fun doesn’t end there! Enter the interactive gaming area and watch the hours tick by as you play all of the retro games your heart desires. Hint hint, The Nostalgia Box is perfect for parties and events, and they even host regular quiz nights!
Fremantle Prison
Built by convicts way back in the 1850s, Fremantle Prison is the only UNESCO World Heritage-listed site in Perth—AKA these prison walls have seen some things. Flash forward to today and you can explore the eerie grounds and hear chilling real life tales on a guided tour. They’ve got a bunch of tour options but the True Crime Tour will have your hairs standing on end. From serial killers and bushrangers to bank robbers and murderers, you’ll hear the gripping tales of some of Australia’s most notorious inmates and 140 years of Western Australian criminal history.
WA Maritime Museum
Submerge yourself in our State’s marine history with a visit to the WA Maritime Museum. Explore handcrafted sailing boats, pearl luggers and an Oberon class submarine—HMAS Ovens—among many other iconic vessels, pay a visit to the boutique 180° curved dome cinema or if you’ve got little ones, take them for a stroll through the interactive WA Down Under gallery. Better yet, round up the kiddos (and your LEGO-loving pals) and explore some extraordinary shipwrecks constructed by Ryan “The Brickman” McNaught, a.k.a the only LEGO certified professional in the Southern Hemisphere! Until the end of January 2022, Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships will feature large-scale models of the Titanic, the Terror and Erebus plus WA’s very own Batavia.
The Academy of Taxidermy and Museum of Natural History
For all things weird and wonderful, make your way to The Academy of Taxidermy and Museum of Natural History in Guildford. Hundreds of native animals, birds, fish, reptiles and even life-size dinosaur models await you inside the heritage-listed former Regent Theatre, and it’s all thanks to Master Taxidermist Michael Buzza. His collection includes over 2,000 taxidermy items, so be prepared to spend a good chunk of time here!
Scitech
Ah yes, good old Scitech. Home to the largest planetarium in the Southern Hemisphere, a cutting-edge science lab and plenty of school excursion memories, this interactive science museum has a special spot in the hearts of many Perth locals, both young and old. With a focus on fuelling curiosity and developing STEM interest and participation, Scitech’s hands-on shows use everything from puppets to explosive fireballs and leave their audiences awe-inspired every time.
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Image credit: WA Museum Boola Bardip