Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery

Australia's largest regional museum, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) has two key sites,��the Museum at Inveresk and the Art Gallery at Royal Park. The Museum is where you'll find the QVMAG Tasmanian history and natural science collections and the Art Gallery is where you can experience ten galleries, the Guan Di Temple and the ArtSparks! Family Art Space.
Established in 1891, the Queen Victoria at Royal Park has a strong reputation for its excellent collection, which includes fine exhibitions of colonial art, contemporary craft and design, Tasmanian history and natural sciences, specifically a zoology collection. There is also a special exhibition of a full Chinese temple that was used by 19th-century Chinese tin miners, a working planetarium, and displays related to Launceston's industrial environment and railway workshops. The museum also houses the Victoria Cross awarded to Lewis McGee.
The Inveresk premises, built in recent years on the site of the old Launceston Railway Workshops, is where you'll find the Phenomena Factory, a free-entry interactive science centre providing hands-on education for kids of all ages. You will also find the Jaffa Machine donated by Hydro Tasmania which turns human mechanical energy into kinetic energy. Crank the handle and sustain the energy output long enough and you'll be rewarded with a jaffa.

Website

---

Launceston Tramway Museum

Launceston Tramway Musuem preserves the heritage of the Launceston Municipal Tramways, which was responsible for operating the city���s tram fleet between 1911 and 1952. The museum features a workshop and a large, modern display gallery. Inside the gallery you can experience a whimsical ramble on the big screen - Launceston's oldest surviving film footage, which observes how the city has changed since Victorian times. The museum is nesxt door to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery at Inveresk. Open every day 10am to 4pm in Summer. Tram rides on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. At other times of the year it is open on weekends only.

Website

National Automobile Museum

Australians have always had a soft spot for their automobiles, a fact that is reflected in the high standard of its car museums; this one is no exception. The museum features a vast array of cars and motorcycles owned by local collectors, as well as plenty of motoring memorabilia. The vehicles on display are rotated regularly, so it is a place you can come back to time and time again and still see something new and interesting. The museum is located at Cnr Willis & Cimitiere Streets in the centre of Launceston, and is open every day (except Christmas day) 9 am - 5 pm, Winter 10 am - 4 pm. Tel: +61 03 6334 8888.

Website