List of museums in Victoria (state)

Last updated

This list of museums in Victoria, Australia contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries.

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

NameLocationRegionTypeSummary
Allansford Cheese World Museum Allansford Farming website, dairy farming, butter and cheese making
Alexandra Timber Tramway Alexandra Railway website, heritage tramway, railroad and forestry museum
Altona Homestead Museum Altona Melbourne suburbsHistoric house website, operated by the Altona Laverton Historical Society Inc
Ambleside Park Museum Ferntree Gully Melbourne suburbsLocal history website, operated by the Knox Historical Society
Andrew Ross Museum Kangaroo Ground Shire of Nillumbik Local history website
Apollo Bay Museum Apollo Bay SouthwestLocal history website
Art Gallery of Ballarat Ballarat Goldfields ArtOldest and largest regional art gallery in Australia
Ararat Gallery TAMA Ararat Western District Art website Permanent collection specialises in contemporary textile fibre art
Australian Army Artillery Museum Puckapunyal Military website, currently in storage awaiting new facility
Australian Army Museum, Bandiana Bandiana NortheastMilitary website, history of various corps of the Australian Army
Australian Army Signals Museum Macleod Melbourne suburbsMilitary website, history of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals
Australian National Surfing Museum Torquay Surf Coast Shire Sports website, tells the story of surfing
Australian National Veterans Arts Museum (ANVAM) Southbank Melbourne suburbsArt website, Supporting wellbeing of Australia's veteran community through the Arts
Australian Railway Historical Society Williamstown North Melbourne suburbsRailwayVictorian Railways steam locomotives
Ballarat Tramway Museum Ballarat Goldfields RailwayElectric and horse-drawn street tramways and trams
Barwon Grange Newtown Geelong suburbsHistoric house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, mid 19th century Victorian brick villa
Barwon Park Winchelsea Surf Coast Shire Historic house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, mid 19th century 42-room mansion and stables
Bass Strait Shell Museum Apollo Bay SouthwestNatural history information
Beechworth Gaol Beechworth NortheastPrison19th century former prison
Benalla Art Gallery Benalla NortheastArtExhibits of Australian and international art
Benalla Costume and Pioneer Museum Benalla NortheastFashion website, clothing dating from 1770 to the present with regularly changing exhibitions, also local history
Bendigo Art Gallery Bendigo Goldfields Art
Beleura Mornington Mornington Peninsula Historic house website, 20th century period mansion and gardens
Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre Bonegilla HistoryPost World War II migrant training camp
Broadmeadows Museum Broadmeadows Melbourne suburbsLocal history website, operated by the Broadmeadows Historical Society
Buda Historic Home and Garden Castlemaine Goldfields Historic house website, features furnishings, decorative art objects, artworks and books dating from the goldrush era of the 1850s up until 1981
Bundoora Homestead Art Centre Bundoora Melbourne suburbsArt website [ usurped ], city's contemporary art gallery and exhibits of city history
Burke Museum (Australia) Beechworth NortheastLocal history website, Aboriginal artefacts, Chinese mining community, 19th century streetscape, gold, Ned Kelly gang, natural history
Burrinja Cultural Centre Upwey Melbourne suburbsArt website, arts centre with exhibition, performing arts spaces
Cape Otway Lightstation Cape Otway MaritimeLighthouse tours
Cape Schanck Lighthouse Cape Schanck Mornington Peninsula Maritime
HMAS Castlemaine Williamstown Melbourne suburbsMaritimeWorld War II Bathurst class corvette museum ship
Castlemaine Art Museum Castlemaine Goldfields ArtAustralian art and local history
HMAS Cerberus Museum HMAS Cerberus (naval base) Mornington Peninsula Maritime website, history of the naval base and the Victorian Colonial Navy
Charlie's Arthur's Seat Auto Museum Arthurs Seat Mornington Peninsula Automotive information
Chiltern Athenaeum Chiltern Shire of Indigo Literary website, novels and publications by local authors, local history displays and memorabilia
Chiltern Motor Museum Chiltern Shire of Indigo Automotive information
Churchill Island Heritage Farm Churchill Island Farm website, working heritage farm
Clunes Museum Clunes Goldfields Local history website, period room displays, agriculture, mining and woodworking items
Coal Creek Community Park and Museum Korumburra GippslandOpen air website
Cohuna & District Historical Society Museum Cohuna NortheastLocal history website
Coleraine Car Museum Coleraine Western DistrictAutomotive information
Como House South Yarra Melbourne suburbsHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust of Australia, Colonial mansion and gardens
Convent Gallery Daylesford Goldfields ArtFeatures eight individual galleries featuring new local and international artists, the original restored chapel, a museum with the history of the building set up by the nuns
Coolart Wetlands and Homestead Reserve Somers Mornington Peninsula Historic houseLate 19th century mansion-like homestead, gardens and nature reserve
Creswick Museum Creswick Goldfields Local history website
Dow's Pharmacy Chiltern Shire of Indigo Medical website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century pharmacy in use until 1968
Dromana Historical Museum Dromana Mornington Peninsula Local history website, operated by the Dromana & District Historical Society
Echuca Historical Society Museum Echuca Local history website
El Dorado Museum Eldorado NortheastLocal history website, life and times from 1850 to 1950, including mining, farming and social history
Federal Standard Printing Works Chiltern Shire of Indigo Media website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, working printing press
Fire Services Museum Victoria East Melbourne Melbourne suburbsFirefighting website, includes uniforms, vehicles, equipment, memorabilia
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Warrnambool SouthwestMaritime1870s maritime village with living history demonstrations
Flinders Historical Museum Flinders Mornington Peninsula Local history website, operated by the Flinders District Historical Society
Ford Discovery Centre Geelong AutomotiveHeritage of the Ford Motor Company in Australia
Forestry Heritage Museum Beechworth NortheastForestry website,
Fort Queenscliff Queenscliff SouthwestMilitaryRestored mid 19th century fort
Foster and District Historical Society Museum Foster GippslandLocal history website
Fox Classic Car Collection Docklands Melbourne suburbsAutomobile website, classic cars including Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Porsche and Mercedes Benz models
Geelong Art Gallery GeelongArtMunicipal regional art gallery
Geelong Maritime Museum GeelongMaritime
Coal Creek Community Park and Museum Sale GippslandOpen air website
Gippsland Armed Forces Museum Sale Gippsland Military website
Gippsland Art Gallery Sale Gippsland Art website
Gippsland Regional Maritime Museum Port Albert Gippsland Maritime website, also known as Port Albert Maritime Museum
Gippsland Vehicle Collection Maffra GippslandAutomotive website
Golden Dragon Museum Bendigo Goldfields EthnicHistory of Chinese people who immigrated to the region
Gulf Station Yarra Glen Yarra Valley Historic house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, mid 19th century mansion and farm
Gum San Chinese Heritage Centre Ararat Western District Ethnic website, Chinese immigrant miners on the Victorian Goldfields in the mid-1800s
Hamilton Gallery Hamilton Western District Art website
Hastings-Western Port Historical Society Hastings Mornington Peninsula Local history website, operated by the Hastings – Western Port Historical Society
Heide Museum of Modern Art Bulleen Melbourne suburbsArtContemporary art museum
The Heights Heritage House Newtown Geelong suburbsHistoric house website, website, operated by the National Trust of Australia
Horsham Regional Art Gallery Horsham Wimmera Art website
J Ward Ararat Western District PrisonFormer prison used to house the criminally insane
Kerrisdale Mountain Railway & Museum Kerrisdale Railway website, heritage railway and steam museum
Kyneton Museum Kyneton Shire of Macedon Ranges Local history website
Labassa Caulfield North Melbourne suburbsHistoric house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century mansion
Lake View House Chiltern Shire of Indigo Historic house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, childhood home of author Henry Handel Richardson
Lakeside Antique Machinery Museum Glenmaggie Gippsland Technology information, steam engines, tractors, combustion engines, saws, farm machines
Langi Morgala Museum Ararat Western District Local history website, operated by the Ararat and District Historical Society
Latrobe Regional Gallery Morwell GippslandArt website
Lilydale & District Historical Society Museum Lilydale Yarra Valley Local history website
Maffra Sugar Beet Museum Maffra Gippsland Local history website, features history of the area sugar beet industry, also a separate dairy interpretive centre
Maldon Museum Maldon Goldfields Local history website
Maldon Vintage Machinery MuseumMaldonGoldfieldsTechnology website
Mallacoota Bunker Museum Mallacoota GippslandLocal history information, operated by the Mallacoota & District Historical Society, World War II bunker with local history displays
Maroondah Art Gallery Ringwood Melbourne suburbsArt website, municipal art gallery
McCrae Homestead McCrae Mornington Peninsula Historic houseOperated by the National Trust of Australia, mid 19th century homestead
Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club Scoresby Melbourne suburbsTechnologyIndustrial machinery and steam engines
Melbourne Tram Museum @ Hawthorn Depot Hawthorn Melbourne suburbsRailwayFeatures over 20 fully restored trams in a depot
Melbourne Tramway Museum Bylands Shire of Mitchell RailwayOperated by the Tramway Museum Society of Victoria, trams from Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Adelaide
Melbourne's Living Museum of the West Maribyrnong Melbourne suburbsLocal historyArea history, culture, natural history
Monash Gallery of Art Wheelers Hill Melbourne suburbsArtMunicipal art and photography gallery
Mooramong Skipton Western District Historic house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, home of D.J.S (Scobie) Mackinnon and film star Claire Adams, also working farm and nature reserve
Mornington Old Post Office Museum Mornington Mornington Peninsula Local history website, operated by the Mornington Historical Society
Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery Mornington Mornington Peninsula ArtExhibits Australian and international art
Mont De Lancey Homestead and Museum Wandin North Yarra Valley Historic house website
Mulberry Hill (Langwarrin South, Victoria) Langwarrin South Historic house website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, home of artist Daryl Lindsay and author Joan Lindsay, features collection of Australian art, Georgian furniture and glassware, and Staffordshire ceramics
Museo Italiano Carlton Melbourne suburbsEthnic website, experience of Italian migration and the culture created by Italians in Australia
National Alpine Museum of Australia Mount Buller SportsSki history
National Communication Museum Hawthorn Melbourne suburbsCommunicationPreviously the Victorian Telecommunications Museum, it houses the speaking clock formerly used by Telecom Australia (Telstra)
National Holden Motor Museum Echuca Automotive website, Holden cars
National Wool Museum (Geelong) Geelong IndustryAustralia's wool industry from raising sheep to creating fabric
National Vietnam Veterans Museum Newhaven Phillip Island Military website, weapons, aircraft, vehicles and equipment, uniforms, dioramas, photos, art
Ned Kelly Museum Glenrowan NortheastBiographical website, history of bushranger Ned Kelly's last stand
Old Gippstown Moe Gippsland Open airPioneer township portraying the settlement era of Gippsland
Pioneer Settlement Swan Hill Swan Hill Open air website, features over 50 original and replica heritage buildings
Port Fairy History Centre Port Fairy SouthwestLocal history website, operated by the Port Fairy Historical Society
Portarlington Mill Portarlington Bellarine Peninsula Mill website, operated by the National Trust of Australia, historic flour mill with local history displays
Portland Maritime Discovery Centre Portland, Victoria Maritime website
Portland Powerhouse Motor & Car Museum Portland, Victoria Automotive information, information
Post Office Gallery Ballarat Goldfields ArtGallery housed in an historic post office
Queenscliffe Historical Museum Queenscliff SouthwestLocal history website
Queenscliffe Maritime Museum Queenscliff SouthwestMaritime
Rippon Lea Estate Elsternwick Melbourne suburbsHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust of Australia, 19th century mansion and gardens
Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Army Tank Museum Puckapunyal MilitaryOver 70 tanks, armoured fighting vehicles and history of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps
Royal Australian Army Pay Corps Museum Macleod Melbourne suburbsMilitary website, history of the Royal Australian Army Pay Corps
Sale Historical Museum Sale Gippsland Local history information, operated by the Sale Historical Society
Schramm's Cottage Museum Complex Doncaster East Melbourne suburbsLocal History website, operated by the Doncaster Templestowe Historical Society. Includes the stone Schramm's Cottage, the Waldau Cemetery and a farm equipment collection.
Schwerkolt Cottage Mitcham Melbourne suburbsHistoric houseOperated by the Whitehorse Historical Society, late 19th century pioneer stone cottage and outbuildings
Seymour Railway Heritage Centre SeymourRailway
Shepparton Art Museum Shepparton NortheastArt website
Shepparton Heritage Centre SheppartonNortheastLocal History website
Sir Reginald Ansett Transport Museum Hamilton Western DistrictAviation website, birthplace of the Ansett transport empire
Smythesdale Court House Smythesdale Goldfields Local history website, open by appointment with the Woady Yaloak Historical Society
Sorrento Museum Sorrento Mornington PeninsulaLocal historyOperated by the Nepean Historical Society, museum, library and gallery
Sovereign Hill Ballarat Goldfields Open airDepicts Ballarat's first ten years after the discovery of gold in 1851, includes the Gold Museum about the Australian gold rushes of the 1850s
State Coal Mine Wonthaggi GippslandMining20th century coal mine with buildings, equipment and underground tours
Stawell Historical Society Museum Stawell Wimmera Local history website
Steamrail Victoria Newport Melbourne suburbsRailway
St Arnaud Historical Museum St Arnaud Goldfields Local history website, operated by the St Arnaud Historical Society
Surf World Museum Torquay Sports website, Australia's contribution to the development of surfing around the world
Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery Swan Hill ArtCollections include Naïve art, Australian works on paper, prints and drawings
TarraWarra Museum of Art Healesville Yarra Valley Art website, Australian art from the second half of the twentieth century to the present day
Tasma Gallery East Melbourne Melbourne suburbsArt website, operated by the National Trust of Australia
The Bible Museum St Arnaud Goldfields Literary website, features over 1400 Bibles, together with models and artefacts associated with the Bible message
Tiger Moth World Torquay Aerospace website, theme park and museum based on the de Havilland Tiger Moth
Upper Yarra Museum Yarra Junction Yarra Valley Local history website
Victorian Jazz Archive Wantirna Melbourne suburbsMusicAustralian jazz heritage
Villa Alba Kew Melbourne suburbsHistoric house website, late 19th century mansion under restoration
Walhalla Museum Walhalla
Wangaratta Art Gallery Wangaratta NortheastArt website
Wangaratta Museum Wangaratta NortheastLocal history website, operated by the Wangaratta Historical Society
Warrandyte Post Office Museum Warrandyte Melbourne suburbsLocal history website, operated by the Warrandyte Historical Society
Warrnambool Art Gallery Warrnambool SouthwestArt website
Werribee Park Werribee Melbourne suburbsHistoric houseIncludes late 19th century mansion, gardens, an equestrian centre, a zoo and a contemporary sculpture walk
Whitehorse Art Space Box Hill Melbourne suburbsArt website, municipal art gallery located in town hall
Williamstown Historical Society Museum Williamstown Melbourne suburbsLocal history website
Worsley Cottage Complex Maryborough Goldfields Historic house website, operated by the Maryborough Midlands Historical Society
Yackandandah Museum Yackandandah NortheastLocal history website, operated by the Yackandandah and District Historical Society
Yarra Ranges Regional Museum Lilydale Melbourne suburbsLocal history website, cultural heritage of the Yarra Ranges region

See also