The Best Dinosaur Experiences for Kids in Australia

Get ready to ROAR as you set off on your boldest exploration yet with a journey to Outback Queensland and the iconic towns of Winton, Hughenden and Richmond for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Australia’s Dinosaur Trail is an adventure that will spark imaginations like never before, allowing you to follow in the footsteps of prehistoric giants from millions of years ago. This historical hub provides the perfect canvas, vividly bringing these colossal creatures to life for your dino enthusiasts. On this remarkable adventure, you’ll have the opportunity to dust off 98-million-year-old dinosaur bones and witness evidence of a dinosaur stamp, the largest Australian fossil collection, and ancient marine reptile fossils.

Your expedition into dinosaur country combines four attractions – The Ultimate Dinosaur Tour of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, a guided tour of Dinosaur Stampede National Monument where you can stand in awe of the only known dinosaur stampede on the planet, entry to Kronosaurus Korner in Richmond and entry to Flinders Discovery Centre in Hughenden.

Wondering when to plan your visit? The cooler months spanning from May until September are ideal times to explore this part of the outback with comfortable days and refreshing evenings. You may like to make this one of your epic family road trips you do in your lifetime, or if time is money, go by plane to Longreach or to Winton via Townsville and have a hire car booked for the trail.

Discover suggested itineraries and more about the Australian Dinosaur Trail and secure your family pass granted access to all four attractions for just $300.  Adventure calls!

Embark on The Australian Museum’s Dinosaurs Exhibition – an adventure that takes you face to face with some of the most remarkable creatures to roam the Earth. This exhibition shows off dinosaurs of all sizes and scales that roamed the lands of Africa to North America and Australia including the world’s first anatomically correct model of a T-Rex, a seriously impressive site to see! What better way to ignite curiosity about the mysteries of this 65-million-old beast, unravelling the enigma of its existence and its ultimate demise!

Spark the imagination of dino enthusiasts with an array of wonders such as meticulously crafted skeletons, live-sized models, fossil teeth, skulls and claws of creatures from the Mesozoic era. Prepare for full immersion as the exhibition awakens your senses with the scent of the Mesozoic world, the chance to make dinosaur calls and even take a glimpse into the world through the eyes of these prehistoric inhabitants. Found on level 2 of The Australian Museum, this free exhibit comes highly recommended for a family day out itinerary when in Sydney’s CBD. Find out more here.

Meet Cooper, Australia’s largest dinosaur, and uncover ancient megafauna at this world-class museum in Outback Queensland. With guided tours, real fossil digs, and hands-on prep experiences, it’s a dino adventure your little palaeontologist won’t forget!

Take the Dinosaur Giants tour for an immersive behind the scenes of real fossil digs, where you’ll see paleontologists in action, learn how fossils are uncovered, and even touch genuine dinosaur bones.  

Discover the awe-inspiring Dinosaur Walk. Meet Horridus, the most complete Triceratops in the world in Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs. Explore Gandel Gondwana Garden, an outdoor paleontological gallery exploring the land before time in the heart of Melbourne.

Skeletons of 13 prehistoric animals parade through the centre of this exhibition: twelve dinosaurs and one mammal-like reptile and Australian megafauna.

Duck beneath the belly of a massive Mamenchisaurus as long as a house. See record-breaking megafauna from the Ice Age such as Diprotodon, the world’s largest marsupial, and Megalania, Australia’s largest lizard.

Animated reconstructions show how these animals lived, fought, reproduced and died millions of years ago. You can touch dinosaur teeth to understand what they ate and feel a thigh bone from a 25-tonne sauropod. Walk around, under and through the skeletons and learn about their lives from the scientists who study them.

Hologram Zoo is a unique and memorable experience that should definitely be high up on the list. Here you can explore life-sized holographic dinosaurs like Pteranodon, Velociraptor, and T-Rex can be found in the zoo’s Prehistoric Oceans, Pteranodon Canyon, and Forest Floor exhibits.

This zoo also features marine, Australian, Arctic and African animals. With animals made of laser light, the Hologram Zoo offers a unique and exciting experience for animal and dinosaur enthusiasts alike. This Cannon Hill location is a great option for those keen for a top-quality experience without the effort of transporting the family into a major museum or stadium, with ample free parking available on-site.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has roared to life the Extinction Trail. Travel back to a time when dinosaurs and megafauna ruled the earth and explore life on our planet long before the evolution of humans! Learn how they lived, how the earth changed during this time period and what was behind the mass extinction that wiped out three quarters of the earth’s plant and animal species. 

Visitors also have the opportunity to trace the footprints of dinosaurs at Lost Valley! Experience life on Gondwana before it split, forming present-day Australia as well as many other continents around the world such as Africa, South America and Antarctica.

Both are available as part of your ticket for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary - book your visit today!

For an adventurous hands-on activity, we had to have Thunderegg Crystal Mine on the list! Found at Thunderbird Park on Tamborine Mountain, you will uncover a place unlike any other. The park offers 112 hectares of amazing wildlife and a geological rich oasis surrounded by ancient forest, the perfect place to discover hidden treasures.

Thunderegg Mine offers a unique activity for the whole family. With your explorer hat on and your miner's pick, you’ll be ready to cut open a 200-million-year-old mystery and fossick for treasures in the world’s largest Thunderegg Mine! Remember to bring your explorer bag to take your Thunderegg treasures home in. Book your permit in now.

You'll also find treetop high ropes next door!

Scenic World is the home of the world’s steepest railway and home of Dinosaur Valley, making a return on 23 September. Surrounded by kilometres of Jurassic rainforest, Dinosaur Valley is a one-of-a-kind way for the whole family to explore the natural wonders of the Blue Mountains. Meet over 30 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs in the ancient rainforest at Scenic World, including T-Rex, Brachiosaurus, and Stegosaurus. After grabbing your Ranger Pack, jump on the world’s steepest railway, the Scenic Railway, into the Jamison Valley. Roam the elevated boardwalk, listen out for the roars, and spot the dinosaurs beneath the rainforest canopy.

Ultimate Discovery tickets start from $50 for adults and from $30 for kids for this must-do prehistoric adventure!