National Museum of Australia

The National Museum of Australia is the national museum of social history located on Acton Peninsula on Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. Established under the National Museum of Australia Act 1980 and opened in 2001, it preserves and interprets the National Historical Collection. The museum is notable for its contemporary architecture by Howard Raggatt, its lakeside setting, and its focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, Australian history since 1788, and human interaction with the environment.

Visitors can expect a large contemporary museum complex on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin with permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, an outdoor Garden of Australian Dreams with symbolic landscaping, and waterfront views. Inside, galleries display objects, multimedia, and interactive installations covering Indigenous histories, Australian society and environment. Visitors can explore self-guided galleries, join guided tours, visit the cafe and shop, and walk the outdoor precinct and forecourt areas.