My upbringing was heavily laden with astrological lessons. If I hear the terms 'conjunct',…read more'squared', or 'retrograde', my mind will spiral back to my teenage years where I spent a lot of time sitting at the kitchen table studying planets and their relationships to each other. As I underwent my astrological education, I developed a deep fascination with astronomy. This astronomical intrique led me to the Planetarium. I'm almost embarrassed about how many dates I've had there. I blame adolescent discussions regarding the 'mysterious qualities of Scorpios'. The cosmic skydome is where it's at. They have shows on there all the time (they play 2-3 times per day, so enquire ahead of time). Currently there's a show on called "Cosmic Collisions" which I like to think of as a space version of Demolition Derby. When you go to a show in the cosmic skydome, you walk inside the darkened dome and look up. You'll be sitting under an imitation black night sky. The lights are choreographed in a certain way so as to highlight details like certain constellations. And that's the boring stuff. To the Big Dipper and beyond! The shows usually cost between $10-$20. The Planetarium also has a mini theatre where you can watch documentary shorts about space related subjects. You can also take in factoids about space from the posters that hang along the walls of Star Trek inspired walk ways. Don't forget to check out the Planetarium store on your way out. This place is FULL of cool nerdy space toys. I think it's by far the best toy shop in Brisbane. Who doesn't love dehydrated space food?

Ever wanted to sit under a blanket of stars? Ever wanted to go somewhere romantic under the stars?…read more Learn about the solar system? Learn about the Mars Mission buggy thing... this place is for kids and adults, and it's undiscovered... not that many people know it's there, it's all hidden away across the car park of the Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens. I love this, it's my dirty little secret getaway on a hot summers day. They have the cosmic skydome, an educational experience or walk if you may. They have a display zone, it's free, you can sit and see hubble telescope pictures or learn things about Mars... they show different things every now and then... there isn't a time limit, you can stay there all day. In the skydome there are shows, they last maybe 30 minute in length and you sit and learn about black holes and cosmic collisions, there are kids shows as well scheduled, tickets are very cheap too, mostly under $10. There is a kid in all of us, this is where you unleash your inner kid. I love love love it, and will be taking my children there for years to come.

Beautiful gallery space, and it's free. Great to pop in if you're on the Gardens Point campus, or…read morejust in the botanical gardens. Heck, it's a short walk from the CBD too. The artworks change often and quite often of a much higher standard than I'd ever have expected from a university gallery. They also have a small selection of books and post cards, usually related to current exhibitions.

This Art Museum is an undiscovered gem in my opinion. I used to visit regularly when I was on…read morecampus, and some of my favourite artists held exhibitions here (no, it's not just students). The collection is beautifully displayed and curated, and the space is small but jewel like. Take half an hour out from being a hard drinking, hard playing uni student and cram in some culture. You won't regret it.

The UQ Antiquities Museum is small, but they have an excellent collection of pottery, knives,…read morecoins, and some glassware from Europe (mostly Rome, but some Greek stuff and others as well). Most of the collection is about 2,000 years old but they have a few items that are even older. There's a lot of description about the time period (but not enough, in my opinion, about the individual pieces), and if you're a nerd like me, you can easily spend an hour here learning about a fascinating period in the history of western civilization. But best of all, the antiquities museum has far and away the best climate control of any room on the entire UQ campus. Is your office too cold? Is your classroom too hot? Is it humid beyond belief outside? Come in here and refresh yourself and enjoy the calming background music, and you'll be back to normal in no time.

The R D Milns Antiquities Museum was my home away from home when I was studying history at UQ. I…read morewas always so much happier having tutorials inside the museum because it meant we were actually going to look at and handle relevant artefacts to what we were studying; always with Alice in Wonderland reminiscent white gloves of course. I'd spend hours poring over pottery and ancient coins and being completely mesmerised by the Greek red figure ware pots. I remember feeling so many things clicking into place inside this museum. I was so passionate about ancient history and the artefacts in the R D Mils Museum gave life to that passion. After reading about and hearing about ancient iconography, pottery techniques, coinage, and descriptions from ancient sources, it was so wonderful to see some real examples in the flesh. You don't really understand the magnitude of an artefact until you hold it. Imagine examining a skyphos from the 5th century BC. It's absolutely unbelievable and this museum was a lifeline for someone as obsessed with history as me. Visitors are always welcome inside the university's museums, and the R D Milns Antiquities Museum is an experience not to be missed by anyone with an interest in history. Due to all the reconstruction in the Michie Building, the R D Milns Antiquities Museum now resides in Mayne hall temporarily. The new gallery looks set to open in about September of this year and it's going to be bigger and better than ever. The Museum's Facebook page even asks questions to help make the new space better than before. You can jump on and have your say to contribute before the new Museum opens. You can find the Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/UQAntMus.

As you walk towards the entrance of this museum you will be greeted by a smiling tombstone. This…read morealways brightens my mood. And the museum curator really puts on fantastic free exhibitions, some feature world-renowned masters and others feature up and coming local artists. My favorite show so far was "Peter Hennessey: Making it Real". A fantastic collection of full-scale replicates of technology using unconventional materials. The museum set the pieces up perfectly giving them ample space for full 3D viewings, both up close and from far away.

I often walk past the UQ Art Museum and admire its beauty; I also sit inside the UQ Biol Library…read moregazing idly at it whilst drifting from study. It's a shame, then, that I don't spend more time inside it, as they frequently have new exhibitions and one can wander in, free of charge, whenever one pleases. I have, however, been in there for a few public lectures and their small partitioned galleries make for excellent lecture spaces. The UQ website provides up-to-date details on when lectures are on and often all that's required is an RSVP. I don't know that I'd make a special trip to the UQ St Lucia campus specifically to visit the Art Museum, however, UQ students (myself included) should make better use of it and peruse the art in between lectures.

Boring and not at all what I expected. I came in hoping to learn about the history of Brisbane…read more There are a few displays on that subject when you first walk in, but then the rest of the museum is mainly art. If you're an art aficionado, this might be up your alley. But I'm not, and it wasn't. The free clock tower tour was cool though, and made my visit worth the time.

It's a nice little museum. There are two art exhibits and a big exhibit exploring the people of…read moreBrisbane, both native and immigrant. The latter exhibit had lots of multimedia and gives a very accessible history of the Brisbane area. There's also a booth where visitors can record their own story. They even attempt to capture some f the smells of Brisbane in plastic canisters with little holes on top.

Redland Museum in Cleveland is a wonderful glimpse into life in south east Queensland in the early…read more19th Century. I love wandering through the exhibits and imagining how it must have been. for a relatively small. volunteer-run operation, the displays are really well maintained and diverse. My favourites are the clothes - gorgeous women's dresses - and the dolls - but there's an emphasis on farm maachinery and a blacksmith's shop as this was predominanatly a farming coommunity. there's also a Cobb & Co. coach, a maritime display and lots more. At only $5 for adults and $1 for kids, it's an interesting place to visit for a day out - with lunch at a local pub or fish and chips on the bay perhaps?

A fascinating museum located inside the Clayfield telephone exchange building. It has a rich…read morecollection of equipment and artefacts from the telegraph era through to mobile phones. Ever wonder what is inside those mobile phone towers? This is the place to find out. What makes this museum special are the volunteers who run it. Most of them used to work in the telecommunications industry and really know their stuff. They will tell you stories about the history behind the machines, how they work, and even can demonstrate them in action. Plan to spend a few hours there. The only disadvantage is that it is only open on Wednesdays. But if you have any interest in technology and/or telecommunications, it is worth making time to visit this museum.

In this free museum You can see a great variety of police badge and uniforms. There are also some…read moreold collections which I found interesting. There is even a crime scene for you to explore.