Museums Victoria

Museums Victoria
Melbourne Museum, the main campus of the organisation
Interactive fullscreen map
Former name
  • Museum of Natural and Economic Geology
  • Industrial & Technological Museum
  • Museum of Applied Science
  • Institute of Applied Science
  • National Museum of Victoria
  • Science Museum of Victoria
  • Museum of Victoria
  • Museum Victoria
Established1854
LocationMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37°48′12″S 144°58′18″E / 37.8033°S 144.9717°E / -37.8033; 144.9717
TypeNatural history, cultural history, and science and technology
Collections
  • Geology
  • Historical Studies
  • Indigenous Cultures
  • Library and Archives
  • Palaeontology
  • Technology and Society
  • Zoology
FounderFrederick McCoy
CEOLynley Crosswell
Websitemuseumsvictoria.com.au

Museums Victoria is an organisation that includes a number of museums and related bodies in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. These include the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum, Scienceworks, IMAX Melbourne, a research institute, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, and a storage facility in Melbourne's City of Merri-bek.

As the custodian of more than 15 million collection items, Museums Victoria traces the natural, social and cultural records of the Australasian region. Cultivated over nearly two centuries, this invaluable collection enables nationally and globally significant research. Their natural history collections are especially vital to scientists shaping conservation strategies through research, tracing the impacts of the world’s changing environment on biodiversity. Launched in 2022, Museums Victoria Research Institute addresses some of the biggest and most complex challenges of the era through a lens of change, drawing on multiple knowledge systems and perspectives to enrich understanding.

Museums Victoria also contains a library collection that holds some of Australia’s rarest and finest examples of 18th and 19th century scientific monographs and serials.

In partnership with First Peoples, Museums Victoria places First Peoples’ living cultures, histories and knowledge at the core of its practice. The organisation continues to embed the values of First Peoples communities into the organisational fabric by working in partnership with Elders and community members to return cultural material and knowledge to Country. Together, they create exhibitions and experiences that connect visitors with knowledge and stories spanning thousands of years, helping today’s generations understand the importance and vibrancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Welcoming more than 2 million annual visitors, Museums Victoria comprises some of the most popular tourist attractions in the state. Beyond the museum walls, its dedicated outreach programs and digital platforms reach more than 10 million people each month. And as a leading contributor to the Victorian education sector, it provides digital and onsite education programs with a focus on early childhood learning and improving STEM literacy for all.

Exterior of the Immigration Museum, which occupies the former Melbourne Customs House.
Scienceworks science and Technology Museum
The Royal Exhibition Building, which is a World Heritage listed site.