Attraction
Kings Park and Botanic Garden
A 400-hectare park of bushland, lawns and a botanic garden of Western Australian plants on the city's western edge, free to enter every day.
WA Museum Boola Bardip
Western Australia's state museum, reopened in 2020 inside a mix of heritage and new buildings, home to Otto the blue whale skeleton.
At a glance
- Type
- State museum
- Area
- Perth Cultural Centre, Perth, Australia
- Opening
- Open daily · 09:30–17:00
- Official site
- visit.museum.wa.gov.au
Good to know
- Cafe
- Fully accessible
- Six public lifts
- Wheelchairs available
- Shop
Why we recommend it
WA Museum Boola Bardip is the state museum of Western Australia, set within the Perth Cultural Centre on the northern edge of the city centre. Its name is Noongar for "many stories". The building reopened in November 2020 after four years of construction, with a design by OMA and Hassell that links new architecture to five heritage buildings, including the Old Perth Gaol of 1855, Hackett Hall and the Jubilee Building.
The exhibitions are grouped under three broad themes: Being Western Australian, Discovering Western Australia and Exploring the World. The best-known exhibit is Otto, the skeleton of a blue whale that hangs in Hackett Hall. A presentation called Otto's Symphony runs at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm, and it is worth timing your visit around one of these. Special exhibitions change through the year and are priced separately.
General admission is ticketed for adults, with a concession rate for students, seniors and card holders, while visitors aged 15 and under get in free. That makes the museum a sensible choice for families, and there are daily Curious Kids programmes for children under five. Members can visit as often as they like during the year.
Accessibility is strong. Every entrance has universal access, there are six public lifts, wheelchairs and walking aids can be borrowed from the information desk, and tactile maps and braille guides are available free. Quiet Hour sessions are held for visitors with autism or sensory needs, and there is a parenting room on the ground floor.
The museum opens daily from 9.30am to 5pm and closes on Good Friday and Christmas Day, with reduced hours on Anzac Day. Epoch, the licensed cafe on the ground floor facing Beaufort Street, serves a seasonal menu, though food and drink are not allowed in the exhibitions. There is no museum car park; the nearest options are City of Perth car parks at the State Library and the Cultural Centre. Perth train station is about 200 metres away and several bus routes stop on Beaufort Street. The Art Gallery of Western Australia is in the same precinct, so the two combine easily in a day.
WA Museum Boola Bardip FAQs
What are the opening hours?
The museum is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm. It closes on Good Friday and Christmas Day and opens from 1pm on Anzac Day.
Is the museum free?
General admission is ticketed for adults, with concessions available. Children aged 15 and under enter free.
What does Boola Bardip mean?
It is a Noongar phrase meaning many stories.
What is Otto?
Otto is the skeleton of a blue whale displayed in Hackett Hall. Otto's Symphony runs at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm.
Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
Yes. All entry points have universal access, there are six public lifts and wheelchairs can be borrowed from the information desk.
Is there a cafe?
Yes. Epoch is a licensed cafe on the ground level facing Beaufort Street, open seven days.
How do I get there?
Perth train station is about 200 metres away and several buses stop on Beaufort Street. The museum has no car park of its own.
Are there activities for young children?
Yes. Curious Kids programmes run daily for children under five.