School Groups

TOURS TAILORED FOR EACH SCHOOL YEAR

We offer an interactive insight into Earth’s long and dynamic history with the help of full skeletons, skulls, more than 50 lifelike model dinosaurs, as well as robotic dinosaurs that move, roar, blink, and breathe. We offer students an insight into Australia’s prehistory, the biology of dinosaurs, and the science behind what we know about them today.

Established in 1993, The National Dinosaur Museum has developed into the largest display of dinosaur and prehistoric life in Australia, providing an interactive educational and entertainment experience for school groups, families, paleontology enthusiasts and all those who love dinosaurs.

Our goal is to not only provide an educational experience, but create an interactive discussion which engages students.

Tours are tailored to suit all ages of primary and secondary students, and bring a unique insight into dinosaur biology and evolution in a fun-filled, interactive experience. The interactive experiences encourage students to extend their learning at the museum; after a formal discussion at each key exhibit guides provide time for students to explore, touch hands-on fossils and specimens, ask questions, and take photos.

OUR TOUR GUIDES

Our experienced tour guides have a background in science and a passion for the natural world and are trained to answer even the strangest questions. Not only do we discuss how dinosaurs evolved, thrived, and eventually became extinct, but students have the opportunity to place their hands on a genuine 150 million year old dinosaur bone, touch a real 150kg meteorite or hold a piece of 100 million year fossilised dinosaur dung. Photographs are welcome at the end of the discussion in each section.

Step back in time through the 165 million years that the dinosaurs ruled the planet

The museum’s enthusiastic and experienced tour guides lead school groups through exhibits, helping students to discover how dinosaurs evolved, survived and changed over time, and how they ultimately perished. Guides highlight significant points of the exhibition and use them to discuss the Earth’s geological past, developments in paleontological methods, the demise of the dinosaurs and subsequent rise of the megafauna. Australia’s own prehistory is a key focus of tours and is illuminated throughout.

FLEXIBLE TIMES

Tours are available both day and night, with night tours being most popular as they offer a more private and exclusive experience – taking place after the museum is closed to the public.

Each program runs for a total duration of 90 minutes with a 60 minute guided tour, then 30 minutes to experience our interactive areas or to browse through Canberra’s largest display of fossils, minerals, and natural crystals as well as a comprehensive and diverse range of science and dinosaur-themed souvenirs.

DINO AT SCHOOL

We also run incursion and excursion programs aimed at pre-schoolers (3-5 yo’s) that differ from our standard tour programs in that they are less content-heavy and more hands on.

Our current incursion program, where we come to you, runs for around an hour to an hour and a half depending on any break times you require and includes interactive fossil time (including a fossil casting activity where the children will see a replica fossil made, which the preschool will get to keep for their science table or such), play time with dinosaur puppets, dinosaur dancing and reading some dinosaur stories.