National Dinosaur Museum

The National Dinosaur Museum is the southern hemisphere's largest permanent display of prehistoric specimens, located in Gold Creek Village near Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The museum's exhibition follows the evolution of life, with a particular focus on dinosaurs.

With an annual patronage of 100,000 visitors, the museum is one of the most popular attractions in the Australian Capital Territory. The gift shop stocks a range of natural history books, dinosaur replicas, toys, fossils, crystals, minerals and meteorites.

Established in 1993, the museum has been steadily improved and updated since its conception. It offers earth science dinosaur oriented displays that keep up with most recent discoveries in the geological sciences. New directors have been appointed in September 2011 including local and international scientists and geologists. Major upgrades have taken place in April and May 2012 with the addition of twelve animatronic dinosaurs as well as an extensive collection of life size models displayed both within and outside the museum. The museum caters for guided tours for school groups of all ages by appointment, as well as hosting birthday parties, dance with dinosaurs events for young children, private parties, corporate functions and dinosaur sleep overs during school holiday periods. New displays of Australian dinosaurs, earth sciences including meteorites, fluorescent mineral displays are planned for late 2012 and 2013.

Opening hours are 10am to 5 pm seven days a week including public holidays, but are closed Christmas Day. After hours visits are available by appointment only.