Get to Know Your Place in Nature as Our Wondrous Planet, a Sprawling Multi-Sensory Gallery, Launches at Melbourne Museum
A gallery for our time, this multi-sensory experience delves into how each and every ecosystem and living thing around the globe is connected.
Everything in nature is intertwined — and that includes us. Now you can experience this interconnected reality at Our Wondrous Planet, the largest permanent gallery built in Melbourne Museum's history. Following two years of intensive research, planning and construction, this landmark multi-sensory experience is ready to open its doors on Saturday, September 20.
Spread across 1800 square metres, the gallery delves into four distinct ecosystems — reef, rainforest, ice and soil — exploring how each forms part of a thriving global network and plays a fundamental role in supporting life on Earth. Perfect for visitors of all ages, guests will feel immersed in the world's incredible natural environments.
"Our Wondrous Planet will share compelling stories that ignite a sense of awe at the extraordinary spectacle and fantastic improbability of life on earth," says Museums Victoria CEO and Director Lynley Crosswell. "Museums Victoria's unique collections and expertise are artfully showcased in this extraordinary and beautiful experience."
Throughout this vast gallery, you'll find yourself soaring through lush rainforest canopies, getting swept up in globetrotting atmospheric currents and connecting to the intricate root networks beneath the soil. According to Crosswell, Our Wondrous Planet is all about exploring "a subject as epic and vast as the natural history of the interconnected planet."
Of course, the countless species we share the planet with haven't been overlooked. In the 'Our Family' space, guests will discover the human connection to all other living things through a dynamic tree of life. Meanwhile, a reflective First Peoples-led space, Our Roots, delves into connection to Country through immersive soundscapes. Finally, Our Wondrous Planet looks to the future in the Our Moment space.
Brimming with multi-media experiences, it encourages visitors to work together to address the planet's greatest climatic issues, highlighting how even the smallest acts can make a difference. "Our Wondrous Planet will be an incredible addition to the Melbourne Museum," says Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks. "This new permanent gallery will educate, entertain and challenge us all to consider our natural world and our place in it."
Our Wondrous Planet opens at Melbourne Museum on Saturday, September 20. Head to the website for more information.
Images: Eugene Hyland.
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