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Experience the best of Queensland Museum Kurilpa

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Slide 1 of 5, Kids using flashlights to explore interactive exhibits at SparkLab, Queensland Museum.
Kids using flashlights to explore interactive exhibits at SparkLab, Queensland Museum.

SparkLab at Queensland Museum

Explore at your pace

  • Let kids aged 6 to 13 step into scientist mode at SparkLab as they test ideas, solve STEM challenges, and discover science through hands-on play.

  • Pre-book your tickets online, then head to Queensland Museum and enter SparkLab to explore the exhibition at your own pace.

  • Your ticket includes access to 40 interactive exhibits across three zones, plus Science Bar experiments, Maker Space challenges, Science on a Sphere sessions, Tesla Coil demonstrations (subject to schedule), and seating areas.

  • Build, experiment, and investigate using supplied Maker Space materials while enjoying live science demonstrations throughout your visit.

  • Take advantage of available ticket options, including discounts for school groups, free entry for eligible Members and Companion Card holders, and teacher preview sessions with registration.

More details

  • Let kids aged 6 to 13 step into scientist mode at SparkLab as they test ideas, solve STEM challenges, and discover science through hands-on play.

  • Pre-book your tickets online, then head to Queensland Museum and enter SparkLab to explore the exhibition at your own pace.

  • Your ticket includes access to 40 interactive exhibits across three zones, plus Science Bar experiments, Maker Space challenges, Science on a Sphere sessions, Tesla Coil demonstrations (subject to schedule), and seating areas.

  • Build, experiment, and investigate using supplied Maker Space materials while enjoying live science demonstrations throughout your visit.

  • Take advantage of available ticket options, including discounts for school groups, free entry for eligible Members and Companion Card holders, and teacher preview sessions with registration.

from
AU$16.50

Pro tips to help you make a pick

If a temporary exhibition is your priority, look for timed tickets and pre-book on weekends or school holidays. Current Queensland Museum special shows can sell out on peak days.

Use current South Bank pricing only as a guide: paid special exhibitions have often fallen around AU$15–AU$35 for adults, while Kurilpa pricing remains unconfirmed.

Set aside about 2–3 hours for general galleries, or add another 45–90 minutes if you also want a paid temporary exhibition.

Expect visits to be mostly self-guided. Queensland Museum exhibitions may be self-guided, with tours or audio offered only for some shows.

Weekday mornings are the best choice if you want quieter galleries. Reviews of the South Bank museum regularly mention heavier crowds, lift queues, and noisier interactive areas on weekends and school holidays.

If you are driving, compare parking costs before you go. Nearby CBD and Queen’s Wharf parking is likely to be easier than street parking, but Kurilpa-specific parking arrangements and prices are not yet confirmed.

If dinosaurs or interactive zones are your main reason for visiting, check current gallery notices before you go. Queensland Museum occasionally closes sections during maintenance or exhibition changeovers.

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About Queensland Museum Kurilpa

Queensland Museum Kurilpa is the future flagship of the Queensland Museum Network, bringing natural history, science, and cultural heritage together in a purpose-built riverside museum. Visitors can expect dinosaur displays, interactive hands-on experiences, and rotating exhibitions.

AddressCorner of Grey and, Melbourne St, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
Also known asQueensland Museum
Year opened1862

Did you know?

Kurilpa takes its name from a local Aboriginal word often linked to “place of the water rat,” the same source behind the name of the nearby Kurilpa Bridge.

Queensland Museum Kurilpa is not a separate branch museum; it replaces Queensland Museum South Bank as the main Brisbane site and becomes the network’s flagship building.

Queensland Museum’s collections span more than 1 million objects across the network, but Kurilpa will display only a curated slice of that material.

The museum forms part of Brisbane’s broader Kurilpa and Queen’s Wharf riverside redevelopment, connecting a state museum project with a major CBD renewal area.

Queensland Museum Network also includes Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba and Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville, with Kurilpa positioned as the flagship metropolitan site.

Why visit Queensland Museum Kurilpa?

Lost Creatures-style Dinosaur displays and Megafauna

Queensland Museum South Bank’s Lost Creatures gallery has long been a major draw, and Kurilpa is expected to continue that emphasis on prehistoric Queensland. Visitors can look for dinosaur skeletons, reconstructions, and displays linked to Queensland megafauna and fossil discoveries, even though the final Kurilpa gallery map has not yet been published.

Discovery Centre and Sciencentre hands-on learning

Queensland Museum’s interactive formats are a strong reason to visit, especially for families and school groups. At South Bank, the Discovery Centre lets visitors touch specimens, handle real objects, and ask staff questions, while the Sciencentre model adds practical science engagement that Kurilpa is expected to continue.

First Nations Stories in cultural collections

Queensland Museum’s work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections is expected to remain a key part of the Kurilpa experience. Curated displays and programs will add context to Queensland’s history and cultures, with collections and stories managed collaboratively as part of the museum’s broader cultural mandate.

Major temporary and touring exhibitions

Queensland Museum has a strong record of hosting major temporary exhibitions, including international touring shows, and Kurilpa’s modern galleries are being designed to support them. These ticketed exhibitions add a clear reason to return, especially if you want something beyond the permanent natural history and cultural displays.

Plan your visit

Main Public Entrance

The main public entrance to Queensland Museum Kurilpa is located on Grey Street in Brisbane's Queensland Cultural Centre. This step-free entrance provides easy access to the museum's permanent galleries, ticketed exhibitions, visitor services, and other facilities.

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