Museums & Landmarks in Western Australia

Most of these eight are hundreds of kilometres apart, so the real question is where you are already going. Only one is in Perth: The Nostalgia Box Museum in West Perth, where the collection of consoles and retro games is playable rather than behind glass, and staff will pull display-case titles out on request. Buggybuddys lists it as a stop for kids who love gaming. It suits ages 5 and up, there is no cafe, and private bookings can close sections, so call before driving in.

The regional museums are mostly free, which changes the calculus. The Museum of Geraldton is the one reviewers say holds kids longest, two to four hours, with a 3D cinema as the standout and the marina directly outside for afterwards. Across town, the HMAS Sydney II Memorial is a 10 to 15 minute self-guided stop on Mount Scott, better with a volunteer guide if one is around, and easier to pitch to school-age children than toddlers. In Kalgoorlie, the Museum of the Goldfields pairs a vault of real gold nuggets with a headframe tower climb, and it is air-conditioned, which matters there in summer. Albany's Museum of the Great Southern is mainly for the Brig Amity: climbing kids get the most out of it, and the lower deck tour costs a small fee and runs off a QR guide on your phone. The Bunbury Regional Art Gallery is the quiet option, a former convent with a lift, a kids' activity space and staff who tell you at the door which works need closer supervision.

Two need a different kind of planning. The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk at Tingledale is a ticketed elevated walkway that flexes underfoot, so warn height-sensitive family members before buying; the ground-level tingle tree boardwalk takes prams. The National Anzac Centre on Mount Clarence is rated 7+ and the verdict pushes that to 10+: a personalised soldier card, audio displays that need four hours, and no public transport from Albany.