Learning Programs
Our dynamic and curriculum-linked school programs and experiences provide awesome experiences for large and small groups. We offer a range of excursion programs for those visiting the Cairns Museum amongst our exhibits, as well as opportunities for school incursions that offer a hand-son approach in the classroom.
School Holiday Programs
Our school holiday programs cater to children of all ages, offering engaging and educational activities that spark creativity and curiosity. From hands-on workshops to self guided adventures and exciting challenges, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Stay tuned for our next program.
Cost:
$7.00 non-members
FREE for members
Excursion Programs
Our excursions programs are suitable for various ages, including primary and secondary students. All are accompanied by a downloadable program and relevant curriculum links. To ensure all content is aligned with the national education standard, we are currently operating to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.
Length:45 minutes Guided Tour
45 minutes free exploring time
Cost:
$7.00 primary students
$10.00 secondary/tertiary students
$12.00 concession
History Highlights Tour
All ages
At the Cairns Museum, we love to showcase our rich and diverse history and bring to life engaging stories and events of times gone by to all ages, including all curious minds! Your tour at the Cairns Museum will be guided by volunteers, who are familiar with the many stories in and around our Museum. They are happy to engage and take questions along the way.
English Learning Tour
All ages
As part of the History Highlights Tour, students will engage with the stories and diverse social history of far North Queensland to understand and learn English. Then, explore and complete activity sheets designed for different levels of English. All students should bring along a pencil and clipboard to complete the activity sheets.
A Changing World
Years 1 – 5
Discover cultural, environmental, generational and technological changes over time across Far North Queensland.
See the A Changing World excursion program
See the A Changing World curriculum links
Migration to FNQ
Years 4 – 10
Our galleries are packed with interesting stories, photographs and artefacts which outline why migrants came to Cairns, their causes for migration and the impact their arrival had on First Nations and the environment.
See the Migration to FNQ excursion program
See the Migration to FNQ curriculum links
From Colony to Nation
Years 5 – 10
Find out about what happened on the journey from colony to nationhood around Far North Queensland.
See the From Colony to Nation excursion program
See the From Colony to Nation curriculum links
Then and Now
Years 4 – 10
Explore the Cairns Museum and discover and reflect on the past and how it is different or similar to present.
See the Then and Now excursion program
See the Then and Now curriculum links
First Nations of FNQ
Years 1 – 5
Learn about First Nation people’s connection to culture, country, and place through exploration of attitudes to land and seascapes, the environment as well as the disruption caused by colonial settlement.
See the First Nations of FNQ excursion program
See the First Nations of FNQ curriculum links
Local Heroes
Years 2 – 10
From the ordinary to extraordinary, enjoy learning about Cairns and districts ‘local heroes’: individuals and communities, who contributed to diversity and Society across Far North Queensland.
See the Local Heroes excursion program
See the Local Heroes curriculum links
The Environment and Us
Years 4 – 10
Past to present, attitudes towards use of local landscape and environment have changed over time. Learn about connection to Country, taming the landscape, use of natural resources, the conservation movement and rise of local environmental tourism, as you explore the Environment and Us at the Cairns Museum.
See the Environment and Us excursion program
See the Environment and Us curriculum links
Unsettled History
Years 7 – 10
Learn about unsettled history, the continuous connection to Country felt by First Nations people of the North and prominent advocates for community and Country.
See the Unsettled History excursion program
See the Unsettled History curriculum links
Incursion Programs
Our incursions are suitable for various ages, including primary and secondary students, and we offer two types of experiences – History on the Move education trailer and Hire a Trunk.
History on the Move
The History on the Move educational trailer provides a unique intergenerational experience which enables students to enjoy interactive access to objects and local stories, while offering an enriching experience at your school.
Cost:
$4.50 per person
$100.00 minimum spend per booking
Changing Technologies - Phones
Take a look at technological changes to communication, domestic items and toys, while exploring advancements over time, and concepts of then and now.
Gold Rush
Explore the discovery of gold, its impact on the settlement of the north, and how communities lived on the mining fields through an interactive experience.
Kuranda Rail
Start your train journey from Cairns to Kuranda and learn about railroad making, communication, settlements, and the expansion of communities.
Hire a Trunk
Educators can also utilise our Hire a Trunk program. Full of interesting objects and artefacts to use in your classroom for students to interact with and learn about the old days.
Cost:
$50.00 per two week hire
Life Before Electricity
Electricity first came to Cairns in 1925, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that electric stoves, fridges and washing machines were common in people’s homes.
Kuranda Rail
Have you ever seen Dog Spikes and Turtle Backs from Kuranda Rail? How life was for the people working there in the very early days?
Changing Technology - Phones
We hope you are interested in the telephones we have selected. They are certainly very different to the ones we use today.
School and Classroom Items
Items in your school bag nowadays are different from the old time. Can you imagine having a blackboard in your school bag too?
Yidinji Cultural Kit
This kit has been developed by MINJIL. In this cultural kit we share with you about Yidinji culture, their traditions and their language.
