WA Museum Boola Bardip Features: Free Entry | Open Daily 9am – 5pm | Open Select Nights in December and January | Entry Bookings Online Recommended | Water Stations Ground & Level 1 | Public WiFi | Universal Access | Cafe | Baby Change Facilities | Short Walk from the Bus Port & Train Station
The WA Museum Boola Bardip re-opened in 2020 in the Perth Cultural Centre after a 4 year, $395 million re-development that included the design and construction of a new building and incorporating existing heritage buildings in the new design, as well as a revised name from the WA Museum to WA Museum Boola Bardip. “Boola Bardip” means “many stories” in Whadjuk Nyoongar; the country on which the Museum is located.
At present entry to WA Museum Boola Bardip is free. It is recommended that you book your free access tickets online (or over the phone) before attending as walk ins may not be able to be accommodated where capacity has been reached.
The WA Museum Boola Bardip features several permanent and temporary exhibitions. There’s so much to see and interact with we are sure that you would see and learn something different each time you visit. Here are some of the features we most enjoyed during our first visit to our new WA Museum Boola Bardip.
Our first stop was the Rio Tinto Gallery Innovations Exhibition on the Mezzanine Floor. This area highlights the way people create and innovate with lots of displays and create with both technological and hands on activities. There are several big touch screens with games and challenges, microscopes to view different materials up close as well as hands on physical activities.
It’s great to see that part of the old Museum has been incorporated into the new design and we got a nostalgic feeling spotting some of the old museum favourites.
One of my favourite parts was the Reflections exhibition with memories of Perth’s recreational history. This is an old carousel from the 1930’s that a popular attraction on the South Perth Foreshore. I loved scrolling through the book filled with pictures of all Perth and WA’s tourist spots from the past.
The blue bike at the bottom of the photo below could have been my childhood bike, complete with the floral banana seat.
The kids loved the old school gaming section and the sporting memorabilia. We stopped here for a while and played the original and very blurry Mario Karts. There’s nothing like seeing the games you grew up playing in a museum to make you feel old.
The Blue Whale Skeleton on Level 1 near the Reflections exhibition was a definite highlight of our visit to the museum.
Another favourite was the Origins exhibition on Level 2 where we got up close with things from space and had our minds blown by some of the space facts one of the guides shared with us. There were also some beautiful images and videos of WA’s landscape in this section too.
We wrapped up our visit at WA Museum Booda Bardip at the Wildlife exhibition on Level 3. I love the whale bones walkway that takes you to the different sections of this exhibit.
All your wildlife favourites are here from on the land and under the water to learn more about.
And even wildlife from millions of years ago, with more dinosaurs to be seen here also.
My boys were happy to wander around and see what they could in a couple of hours although to thoroughly explore and interact with the exhibits may require you to visit a few times There’s so much to interact with and learn about. Tours , both free and paid are conducted throughout the day at the museum or you can wander around at your own pace and booking your tour online is highly recommended. .
WA Museum Booda Bardip is open daily and the Epoch Caf e is located on the ground level on Beaufort Street side and is also open daily, if you fancy a coffee and some refreshments after your visit.
More Information : www.museum.wa.gov.au
How To Get There:
Review by Kids Around Perth Reporter Lauren, 14th December 2020.
Lauren Angove – Kids Around Perth Founder / Owner / Mum of two boys
Born, bred and living in Perth (except for 8 years working and living in Port Hedland WA), Lauren loves exploring the ins and outs of Perth & WA and sharing her finds with families. Margaret River and the south west are her favourite getaway locations.
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