Make a splash at the Australian National Maritime Museum these school holidays

Join character guide Stormy Grey the castaway for a dramatic after dark tour through the museum. Join a hunt to find shipwreck treasure in the museum galleries and enjoy exclusive after-hours access to our spring exhibitions including James Cameron – Challenging the Deep. Enjoy themed refreshments and souvenir art making. 

Dates: Thursday 10 October 
Times: 6:15-7:45pm 
Ages: Suitable for ages 4 – 12 and accompanying adults 
Booking: Bookings essential
Price: $25 child, $20 adult, $75 family (2 adults and up to 3 children). Members prices vary. 
 

Join in lively and interactive musical storytelling about wild storms, brave journeys to distant lands, lighthouse keepers and beat boxing whales.

Dates: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 1-11 October
Times: 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm
Ages: All ages
Booking: No bookings required
Price: Entry included with See It All ticket 
 

Be inspired by models, dioramas and fossils in the museum’s exhibitions and learn about how museums create replica objects for exhibitions. Experiment with specialist sculpting and mould making materials like silicon and plaster to make your own marvellous models and spectacular sculptures using your favourite objects or specimens. 
Create your own moulds and casts to fill with a variety of materials like soap, wax, plaster or even chocolate!

Dates: 2 + 9 October
Times: 10:00am – 4:00pm (1 day course)
Ages: Suitable for ages 8 – 14    
Booking: Bookings essential
Price: $85 general, $75 members or Early Bird (before 26 September) 
 

Create your own short comics with science communicators and illustrators in this fun-filled 1 day workshop. Be inspired by our exhibition Graphic Tale of Shipwreck, and learn techniques in graphic novel style drawing, science communication, and humour to design witty and wonderful comics about our underwater world.

Dates: 2 + 9 October 
Times: 10:00am – 4:00pm (1 day course) 
Ages: Suitable for ages 8 – 14
Booking: Bookings essential
Price: $85 general, $75 members or Early Bird (before 26 September)
 

Be inspired by underwater exploration and maritime archaeology as you enjoy art making and experiments with your family. Create your own ship models and diorama dramas, sculpt clay treasures, sew a softie sea creature or recycle bottlecaps and marine debris into new usable creations like bubble wands and carabiners with our plastic recycling machine. Join in some bubbly experiments, excavate a shipwreck dig site or dress up as your favourite aquatic creature. 

Dates: Daily during school holidays 
Times: 10:30am – 4:00pm (drop-in sessions)
Ages: Suitable for ages 4 – 12 and accompanying adults 
Booking: No booking required
Price: Entry included with paid admission. 
 

Join Dunghutti artist and elder Uncle John Kelly and artists from the museum’s Indigenous programs team as you learn to create your own model, small-scale Nawi out of bark and twine. 

Dates: 1 + 8 October 
Times: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm
Ages: Recommended ages 7+
Booking: Book on arrival
Price: Free entry

Explore wonderful and curious maritime archaeology tools and scientific artefacts and tools in this hands-on discovery device in our galleries.

Dates: Daily during school holidays 
Times: 2:00-3:00pm
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Booking: No booking required
Price: Free entry

Take a break and enjoy calm creative activities in our lounge area inspired by Valerie Taylor’s artistic creation Mermaid Melody. Join in largescale collaborative colouring of Valerie’s mermaid and sea creature artworks, chill out on the pillows, pick up a book or create your own playful stories with sea creature puppets from Mermaid Melody’s “touch tank”.  

Dates: Daily in school holidays
Times: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Ages: Recommended for families with kids aged 0-10 years 
Booking: No bookings required 
Price: Free entry
 

The Seabin Ocean Health Lab is the first of its kind in the world, Seabin scientists analyse marine debris – from macroplastics to tiny nurdles, sucked from the sea by the 30 Seabins stationed around Sydney Harbour. Dive deep into the stories behind the data and learn about what we can do to turn the tide on marine pollution.

Dates: Weekdays between 15–26 April
Times: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Ages: Suitable for visitors 5 and above 
Booking: No bookings required, tours available at 11:30am and 1:30pm
Price: Free entry

Explore below the surface of the harbour like an ocean superhero with our newest underwater drones. Have fun testing your gaming skills by challenging family and friends to see who’s the best U-Drone Pilot. Underwater drone sessions include a private workshop with our ocean-science educators and access to amazing underwater footage highlights to keep and share.  

Dates: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays during school holidays 
Times: 12pm, 12:45pm, 1:30pm, 2:15pm, 3pm
Ages: Suitable for ages 8+
Booking: Bookings essential
Price: $35 general admission, $25 members

Follow the trail to spot elusive  elasmobranchs in the museum galleries. Uncover splendid shark-related objects and stories as you learn fin-tastic fun facts about everyone’s favourite big fish. Complete the trail to receive your prize.  

Dates: Daily during school holidays 
Times: 10:00-4:00pm
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Booking: No booking required
Price: Free entry
 

Every Tuesday + selected Saturdays each month. Explore the galleries, sing, and dance in interactive tours with costumed guides. Enjoy creative free play, craft, games, and story time in our themed activity area. The theme for October’s Mini Mariners program is Alphabet Animals, where kids can take a journey through the zoo-phonic alphabet of all things furry, feathered and finned as we spot amazing animal specimens and objects in the museum. Enjoy touch tours with creature specimens, movement, songs, games, craft, and free play in our themed activity space.  Make your own animal puppet or block-printed hat to take home.    

Dates: Tuesdays 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and Saturdays 20, 27 April 
Times: 10:30am – 11:15am and 11:30am – 12:15pm 
Ages: Suitable for carers with children aged 2 – 5 
Booking: Bookings essential 
Prices: $12 child/adult. Booked playgroups welcome

Enjoy a comfortable environment for kids and adults with a variety of sensory differences. On Sensory-Friendly Sundays our new exhibitions and activity areas will be open extra early for a quieter experience and modified to suit people on the Autism spectrum and with a range of differing abilities. Our trained staff and volunteers will be on hand to facilitate creative activities.

Dates: 21 July  
Times: 8:30am – 11:30am 
Ages: for all ages and abilities
Booking: Pre-booking encouraged
Prices: $12 child/adult. Children under 4 free. 
Additional information: Minimum height 90cm for entry to Action Stations and vessels.