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Geoscience Australia

A pre-teen girl holds a cluster of dark crystals in her hand while a pre-teen boy looks at them.
A woman touches a small rock  in a cabinet with an image of the Moon and Earth behind her.
Two pre-teen girls look at a cylindrical drum that has white paper with black wave signals on it.
An outdoor gravel path stretches off into the distance. A striped red and black rock is next to it.
A pre-teen girl holds a cluster of dark crystals in her hand while a pre-teen boy looks at them.
A woman touches a small rock  in a cabinet with an image of the Moon and Earth behind her.
Two pre-teen girls look at a cylindrical drum that has white paper with black wave signals on it.
An outdoor gravel path stretches off into the distance. A striped red and black rock is next to it.

Overview

Geoscience Australia welcomes visitors to discover Earth science!

The public display area houses the National Mineral and Fossil Collection. Visitors will be captivated by a collection of minerals, fossils, and meteorites, with approximately 700 items on permanent display.

Exploration can be done at one's own pace or through the Mineral Treasure Hunt activity, accessible via a QR code on personal devices or as a paper copy obtainable from Reception.

Visitors also have the opportunity to touch a piece of the Moon at Geoscience Australia! A Moon rock, brought back to Earth by the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 and on loan from NASA, is the only piece of the Moon in the Southern Hemisphere that can be touched!

New exhibitions include the beautiful Yowah Moon opal, the huge Philips (Pilkington-Jackson) globe, and 'Rocks that Shape Australia' - discover how rocks have shaped Australia’s environment, economic and social history – and how they will be important to our nation into the future.

Get up close and personal with Earth science through the hands-on exhibits in the Education Centre! Here, visitors can hold a volcanic bomb, discover fossilized poo, and zoom in using the digital microscope.

Visitors are welcome in the Education Centre unless it is being used for a scheduled activity. To avoid disappointment, please check availability before visiting by contacting the reception via phone.

Map of the venue locationMap of the venue location
101 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Symonston, Australian Capital Territory, AustraliaGet Directions

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

TripAdvisor ratingBased on 42 reviews

“Interesting”

TripAdvisor ratingReviewed 1mo ago by Meander27316596006

There is a huge area you can freely walk around (the rule is they have a barrier to the areas you can’t go). It’s the biggest display of minerals, ores and the like we’ve ever seen. The light is good...

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“One of the best geological museums”

TripAdvisor ratingReviewed 3mos ago by S S

As a geoscientist who doesn't miss showing my kid lots of rocks, this is best geological educational centre I can remember seeing. It has a nice mix of theory and hands on which helped me explain...

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“Fun with rocks!!!”

TripAdvisor ratingReviewed 3mos ago by Dumby T

My family visited Geoscience Australia to see a friend of ours, and while we were waiting for her we were amazed by the rock garden, which housed many things from petrified trees to fossil fish. When...

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Facilities
  • Cafe
  • Carpark
  • Coach Parking
  • Food and Refreshments
  • Interpretive Centre
  • Interactive Centre
  • Non Smoking
  • Picnic Area
  • Public Toilet