With 21st-century art, Australian craft, dinosaur bones, a planetarium, convict memorabilia—Launceston’s Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery is a cornucopia of Tasmanian art, history, and design. The museum first opened in 1981 and today it’s one of Australia’s largest regional museums.
A visit to the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery offers a crash course in Tasmania’s storied natural, Aboriginal, and colonial history. The museum is divided between two sites, a museum in a restored railroad yard at Inveresk and an art gallery on Wellington Street. The collection is divided into three interest areas: history, natural sciences, visual arts, and design. Admission is free.
The two museum sites are a short drive apart, or a flat 15-minute walk along the Tamar and North Esk Rivers. The free Tiger Bus shuttles visitors between the two sites, as well as to other sites around the inner city.
Both museum sites are open daily, except on Good Friday and Christmas Day. Check ahead for any special events or exhibits.
Families traveling with kids won’t want to miss the Phenomena Factory, a free interactive science museum at Inveresk filled with hands-on activities for the young and young at heart. The Launceston Planetarium is also at Inveresk, with shows exploring the origins of life and the night sky.
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