Museums Victoria – Where learning comes to life

Museums Victoria plays a critical role in futureskilling new generations and providing accessible and inspiring education programs for students across Victoria.

We offer curriculum-linked sciences and humanities programs at all of our museums: Melbourne Museum’s Learning Lab provides a first-of-its-kind digital learning space, with innovative and co-creative workshops that inspire hearts and minds to act for a thriving future.

Immigration Museum engages students in stories of migration from the 19th century to the present day through interactive sessions and exhibitions.

Scienceworks’ popular Planetarium programs are loved by learners of all ages and the new Lightning Room shows offer electrifying demonstrations investigating different kinds of energy, including light, sound, electricity, and how they intertwine.

The Royal Exhibition Building’s new dome experience offers an exploration of Melbourne’s only World Heritage site. Schools can learn about the dynamic history of the building and see Melbourne’s skyline from the newly reopened Dome Promenade!

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre engages students in the complexity and diversity of Australia’s First Peoples and encourages reflection on their own cultural practices.

IMAX documentaries educate and enlighten as much as they entertain, with films that take you from the outer reaches of space to the depths of the ocean.

Museums Victoria also reaches students in every local government area through accessible online virtual learning resources and programs streamed directly into the classroom, plus our popular ‘Museum in Van’ travelling outreach incursions.

Our museum programs create memorable, hands-on learning experiences that engage students beyond the formal school setting and are underpinned by our ongoing commitment to elevating First Peoples’ knowledge. These programs support educators, parents and carers by building skills and confidence, whilst connecting students with future education and career pathways.

Museum Teachers is Museum Victoria’s free subscription service for teachers in Victorian schools and education institutions. It is designed to give educators easy access to all our museums and education services, help with planning school group excursions to our destinations, and offers educators exclusive previews of new exhibitions and professional learning opportunities.

Many museums can provide educational programmes focused on a variety of subject and learning areas, so educators can feel confident that they’ll find a programme tailored to their school or school’s needs. Government websites in most states provide a rundown of museum experiences available in that state.

Of course, it’s important that museum visits, as with any other external learning experience, are supported by structured activities before and after the experience to consolidate learning.

Many museums have digital resources to prepare students for their visit, or to synthesise the learning done post-visit.

Ready to plan a museum visit for your students? We asked a range of providers what they offer for school groups.

The Old Treasury Building is a unique resource for students and teachers. A magnificent gold rush building, it reflects the growth of ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ and changing life in the city. From the basement vaults where gold was stored in the 1860s, to the elegant Executive Council Chamber, still used regularly by the Governor of Victoria, students can experience one of Australia’s most beautiful and historic buildings. Programs include the story of gold, the growth of democracy, early Melbourne, life in the city and the urban environment.

Programs offered are aligned to curricula for Levels 3 to VCE. The minimum number of students in a session is 10; the maximum is 40 (please check the website for any changes). Fees apply. Tours are allocated in one hour blocks.

In addition to the informative tours, the Old Treasury Building’s website hosts a wide variety of well researched online exhibitions. Discover ‘Women Work for Victory in WWII’, the two referendums from WWI in ‘A Nation Divided: the Great War and Conscription’ or how technology and social attitudes have shaped our working life in ‘Lost Jobs: the Changing World of Work’.

Museums Victoria empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills and passion to lead a better future for all. Experiences are created that capture the imagination and spark a lasting love of learning. Programs are vast and broad to cater for all ages and interests, from world-class galleries, to curriculum-linked sciences and humanities programs, to the Museum in Van travelling outreach program. The organisation is proud to champion an ongoing commitment to elevating First Peoples knowledges, histories and perspective.

Museums Victoria has a vision to engage with every school child in Victoria by providing access to wondrous discovery across its museums, programs, and destinations.

These include Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, Scienceworks, Royal Exhibition Building, Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Museum Outreach and IMAX Melbourne.

Students can explore classroom resources and school programs from the National Museum of Australia, all linked to the Australian Curriculum and inspired by defining moments in Australian history and objects in the museum’s collection.

Australia’s Defining Moments

Digital Classroom is a treasure trove of free online learning resources aligned with the Australian Curriculum. The Digital Classroom includes comprehensive learning modules, interactives and primary sources, such as videos and images. Produced by the National Museum of Australia with the support of Gandel Foundation, the Digital Classroom aims to enliven the teaching and learning of history, geography, and civics and citizenship.

The Digital Classroom complements the Museum’s onsite, digital and outreach education programs, which orient students to explore Australia’s unique and complex history. Using inquiry learning methods, Museum education programs facilitate students’ critical awareness of Australian history by covering themes including: First Nations histories, colonisation, migration, federation, the environment and sustainability.