BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE TOUR departs at 10am daily.
The best way to see and experience the National Museum of Australia is to take a guided tour.
On this wonderful Building and Architecture tour, you will discover the amazing stories that have come together in the incredible structure that is, the National Museum of Australia. You will learn about the many hidden meanings in the museums unique building, design and landscape.
Our highly knowledgeable guides bring the stories to life! Guided tours in languages other than English are available by request.
Please wear appropriate footwear for walking outside.
Posted By : Sally_R
I have a better understanding of the ideas behind the design, e.g. linking the buildings to the landscape, the layering of stories, the incorporation of other significant buildings design features, the representation of the rainbow serpent in the sculptural loop, the incorporation of new axes projecting towards Parliament house and the red heart of the country. Anthony was an engaging and knowledgeable guide, the tour was very good value, I particularly appreciated the book "Building the National Museum of Australia" that was included.
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Posted On : 2024-04-12 06:38:24 
Posted By : Lorraine_B
This was an interesting introduction to the architecture and symbolic meaning of the National Museum, including some of the galleries and indigenous exhibits. I had not been to the Museum before, and this tour enhanced my visit.
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Posted On : 2023-02-21 16:24:49
Posted By : JoanieM620
The tour guide did the best he could to explain the oddities of the building. To me, it seemed like the architecture was going to extremes to try to embody worthwhile meaning in odd, meaningless ways. For example, to symbolize the coming together or peoples/cultures, picture a knot of ropes. Then picture a cloth dropped over the top of the knot. The roof of the building has the contours of that cloth. But... is a knot a good representation of people coming together? And, what meaning does it add to drop a cloth over the knot? Sometimes, when symbolism is explained, a person says, "now I get it". All I could say was "what? "why?".
The museum, itself, had some interesting displays... some just for the purposes of nostalgia, but some provding a real history of people/places/events.
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Posted On : 2022-11-17 20:34:26 
Posted By : Jan_H
Excellent guided tour through the architecture of the building -thanks, Lester. Came away with an enhanced understanding of the First Nations story. Enjoyed the landscaping using Australian plants.
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Posted On : 2022-08-17 15:20:12
Posted By : 619jeffry
Australia is a land of great diversity and a national museum should reflect that diversity. The National Museum has many aspects, the First Australians feature prominantly, as they should. The discovery of the Great Southern Land is treated appropriately. The galvanised iron windmills are an icon of the Bush, no national Australian museum could ignore them. My favouite exhibition was the visiting exhibition: Ancient Greece the Greek : athletes, seamen, warriors and scholars helped shape the Western world
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Posted On : 2022-04-09 02:47:01
Posted By : Jackie_W
One of the best tours ever! Got so much out of it. Essential pre museum entry! Ross our guide was fabulous
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Posted On : 2021-04-21 19:56:09
Posted By : Kate_B
A wonderful tour of a fantastic building giving rise to an understanding of the extensive symbolism of the building including; The Braille dots, the maps, blue poles, the suburbia swimming pool, the obscured Sorry message, the Boolean Knot as source of architectural inspiration for the internal entry space and the metal posts representing the dingo fence. Do not miss this treat, so that you have an insight into this amazing building. The building is also a photographers paradise.
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Posted On : 2021-04-13 04:10:12
Posted By : Kevin_B
Canberra has an amazing museum of Australia history - you could spend all day , However we opted for the highlights & we were not disappointment, having someone identify the most appropriate area's with and explanation was a great way to gather insights into Australian history - very impressed with the flying doctor service and aboriginal artifacts & stories . ( thank you Bonia great job )
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Posted On : 2019-07-29 18:19:10
