Three people interact with a colourful projection of Aboriginal artwork on a wall.

Welcome to the
Western Australian Museum
Explore our collections
What's on

Inspiring curiosity to explore the past, question the present and shape the future.

Explore the scientific and cultural collections of the State in our seven public locations and extensive online collections. Learn more about the WA Museum >

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Contact us

1300 134 081

Our locations

Find us in Perth and Fremantle

Explore regional Western Australia

What's on at our Museums?

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Special exhibitions

Empress Joséphine's Garden
Empress Joséphine's Garden logo

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Empress Joséphine's garden — a world filled with colour, wonder, discovery, and surprise.

WA Maritime Museum

Saturday 31 August 2024 – Sunday 9 February 2025

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Book now
Learn more
an adult person in slight silhouette stands inside a ship indoor viewing deck with controls. They look out through the large window onto a harbour with sea containers
Special exhibitions

Pilot on Board

Understand the critical role marine pilots have played in the Port of Fremantle since the first pilot service began in 1829.

WA Maritime Museum
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Saturday 10 August - Sunday 27 October 2024

Header image of a spider looking creature
Special exhibitions

Sixteen Legs

Some corners of the Universe have bred the most wonderful things. Journey into a world like no other, overseen by still-living giant prehistoric spiders the size of dinner plates seeking love in the dark

Museum of the Goldfields
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Saturday 27 July 2024 – Sunday 10 November 2024

Explore all exhibitions and programs
A shipwreck in shallow water near a sandbar, beneath a light blue sky. Most of the upper half of the shipwreck is exposed to the air above the water's surface.
WA Museum

Review of the Maritime Archaeology Act

The Western Australian Government, through the Western Australian Museum (WA Museum), has proposed changes to the Maritime Archaeology Act 1973 (WA) to reflect changes in national legislation, international and best practice, and to take account of the changing context of maritime archaeology over the last 50 years.

Learn more
A person wearing a black suit jacket with short-cropped curly hair and a person with a white button up shirt, short hair and thin rimmed glasses stare with expressions of interest at a small gold spacecraft model in a glass Museum showcase
WAM Member White text logo

 

Members pay once to visit all year, and get heaps of additional benefits, including discounted exhibition tickets, pre-sale access and invitations to member-only events.

Store your member card, tickets, exclusive content and offers in the palm of your hand using the WA Museum member app!

Become a member
Download the app
A parent and child examining objects in a glass case

What's on in the school holidays?

Join us at one of our WA Museum locations to take part in our school holidays activities! There’s always something new to learn.

We have a heap of fun filled activities, where you can express your creativity, learn and explore. No matter where you’ll be in WA these school holidays, there is something for everyone!

Explore our school holidays activities

Discover the collections

Close up detail of a brown pottery object with lines

Anthropology and Archaeology
Documenting, caring for and researching collections related to cultural anthropology and archaeology — exploring and communicating the complex relationships between society, culture, and language.
A blue clam surrounded by rock and coral

Aquatic Zoology
Documenting and researching most of the marine, estuarine and freshwater — and, where appropriate, terrestrial — faunal groups of Western Australia, and related regions.
Jade coloured minerals, long, thin and rectangular in shape, surrounded by grey rock

Earth and Planetary Sciences
Maintaining, researching and documenting the Museum’s collections of Fossils, Minerals, Rocks, Gems, Meteorites and Tektites — delivering frequent research publications, material loans and identification services.
A gold object

History
Collecting, caring for, researching and sharing stories related to Western Australia’s social history. Our aim is to share diverse stories which reflect a range of experiences.
A diver underwater at a shipwreck site examines a pottery jug

Maritime Heritage
Maintaining collections, undertaking research, and developing exhibitions to communicate the ongoing local and global significance of Western Australia’s maritime history and cultural heritage.
Collection of beige and brown vases with handles

Materials Conservation

Analysing and preserving the State’s collections — ensuring their longevity through the application of preventative techniques, practical treatments and scientific research.

Drawers in the MSU laboratory, covered in ice and frost.

Molecular Systematics Unit
Facilitating the collection and analysis of molecular data from the Museum’s fauna collections, to expand knowledge of specimens and the diversity of life.
Close up image of a colourful butterfly wing with black splotches

Terrestrial Zoology
Maintaining large collections of terrestrial animals, including both terrestrial invertebrates and vertebrates, as well as marine species of the major groups studied (e.g. sea snakes). Taxonomic research is carried out on these collections.

More to explore at the Museum

Two women examining a colourful woven basket containing a plush crab toy in the WA Museum Boola Bardip shop. Most baskets and other books and items are displayed on a clear shelf behind them.

Museum shop

Purchase a memento of your visit, a stunning piece for your home, or an educational activity perfect for young, curious minds.

A small group of eleven people of various ages in matching black trousers and grey shirts with the word volunteer on the front, and gold lanyards. They all pose with their arms out, and stand under a large and colourful kaleidoscopic tunnel

Volunteer with us

Contribute your skills, life experience, diverse background, and interests to a broader purpose.

A young person in a grey hoodie and an adult with wavy brown hair and a denim jacket stand in a Museum gallery and stare down at a glass showcase with Aboriginal objects inside

Everyone is included

The WA Museum welcomes visitors of all abilities. We aim to provide an inclusive, accessible and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Five people in bright yellow and beige work wear kneel around a large partially-excavated Diprotodon skeleton as they gently remove layers of dirt from the bones

Support the Museum

The Foundation for the WA Museum mobilises, harnesses, and directs your support for the Western Australian Museum to increase the Museum's cultural, scientific, educational, and social impact.