The Museum of Chinese Australian History was established in 1985 as a community-run, not-for-profit national institution to document, preserve, collect and research the history and culture of Chinese Australians and their descendants. The Museum is housed in a late nineteenth century five-level warehouse. The warehouse was built in 1890 by the Cohen Bros who were furniture manufacturers and they used this building as a factory to make furniture and also a storeroom. After the Cohen Bros moved out, it was purchased by Her Majesty’s theatre and was used for the storage of sets and costumes. During the hey-day of musical extravaganzas, it was also used as change rooms for the large choruses that were a part of these shows. The building was acquired by the Victorian government from Her Majesty’s in 1985 and is rented by the Museum for a nominal fee. When it opened its doors to the public in November 1985 it had no foundation collection and only three levels of the building had been renovated – basement, ground and first floors. The second floor was renovated in 1987 and the third floor along with the rest of the building in 1995. In 2010 renovations were made to the ground and first floors.

This place was set up like a Charity organization without giving deep thoughts and plans about what and how to present historical information to the public. The very selective fragmented collection can confuse people rather than create interest and educate young and old what history does for humanity. If you do not have any background understanding of Chinese History from begining to end, you will not get to the truth via this poorly equipped museum. The poor professional standards of running a museum can be seen everywhere inside. It is very hard to convince the public to pay for entry unless you are fooled by it. I wish I could take over and lift the quality standards to be like Canberra or Jewish Museum in Caulfield.

I went with my 8 year old daughter who wasn't as keen as myself to read over all of the historic info, however the displays kept her engaged while I read through the incredible history of our Chinese immigrants. Once we made our way down to the ground floor (you start from top to bottom), her intetest peaked. The giant ceremonial dragon, which it seems you can pop underneath, into the basement where there is a replica of a working minefield, complete with a lotto/bingo/gambling den (you don't get to see it, you just get to hear it), dress ups in the Chinese theatre room, a cabin with sleeping quarters that moves and creaks. In hindsight, can confirm that it's worth a visit

Interesting place and great building. Good history of Australia's Chinese Melbourne community and Melbourne in general, although l would like to have seen a more comprehensive Chinese gold rush history, but not much really remains from that era l, especially migrant history. Some of the exhibits are a bit rough around the edges but overall the place is really interesting and there is some contemporary exhibition spaces about China also. Great friendly atmosphere, cool basement exhibition space and the longest Dai Loong (Chinese Dragon) in the world which comes out into the city a couple of times a year. Gift shop is good. I recommend a visit. Couple of hours.

Really not much there if you compare it to other museums with similar price. Students are not free either (while most other museums in Melbourne are - like Melb museum or immigration museum). Top floor about the Chinese immigration and culture in Australia - it is interesting but could just read it from a book. The census data is still based on 2016, but we have the 2021 census data released one year’s ago already - can you update that? Level 2 - don’t understand why Han dynasty?? Level 1 - nothing there. Ground and underground floors - might be interesting for some people.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Located in the heart of Chinatown, this easy to find museum is loaded with visual appeal, and has both historical and changing exhibits of current interest. The basement is sort of a neat, well developed overview of the history of the Chinese immigrants. Complete with a moving floor that moves like an old tall ship would have, this area and the long spiral ramp where the new year dragon costume is spread out would be the most interesting to young people. Some of the upper level exhibits were more scholarly and would appeal to linguistics enthusiasts and serious history buffs.

A friend and I had a chance to pop in and we enjoyed it immensely The displays and interactivity are incredible, I learned so much and I'll definitely be back to take a tour and spend more time admiring the incredible fabrics, pottery, woods and metals of different dynasties The stories of Chinese immigrants are inspiring and touching You have to see the dragon to believe it! The staff are helpful and will take time to assist with any query and value add to the trip
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

GREAT RECOGNITION OF THE ROLE EARLY CHINESE MIGRANTS HAD ON MELBOURNE'S DEVELOPMENT This small museum, appropriately located in the heart of Melbourne's Chinatown is a great educational resource and serves as a reminder that the Chinese were an important early influence on Melbourne's development. It's an interesting start to an exploration of Australia's view of China from the dark days of White Australia to the present where China is our top trading partner and biggest source of international students. Well worth a visit

One of Melbourne's hidden gems. When I say hidden, I really mean this museum is located in quite an obscure location, although it's not too hard to locate when you're looking for it. Inside there is so much to do, and our son particularly liked the boat experience downstairs. The museum has a perfect balance of artifacts and the information to go with them, providing a clear insight into the lives of some of Australia's earliest migrants and the contribution that they have made to Australian society. 如果你在墨爾本， 你應該去看！

Please visit. I stumbled upon this place on accident because l mistook it for the immigration museum and it was one of my favourite places I visited. It's houses the giant millenial dragon they use during the new years festival. It alone is amazing to see in person if you don't like crowds during the festival. Other items of interest is the Jade Armor and other items from the Han Dynasty era. Highly recommend visiting. I didn't know much about Chinese culture but learnt a lot from visiting this museum.

Underrated gem showcasing lots of Chinese immigration history. Anyone who is of Chinese descent, lineage or ancestry should definitely give this place a visit to better understand their culture. A lot of reading to do on the top floor, a small Han dynasty exhibit with inventions and relics on the second floor, a spectacular lion dance costume display on the ground floor and a superbly crafted underground basement gold rush exhibit. Definitely worth the visit and thank you Erin for the kind service!

I can’t recommend enough this museum for a visit . Not only can you learn about Chinese and Australian Chinese history, view some pretty amazing artifacts, experience a boat trip that was undertaken by people in their quest to find gold and become rich, you will also be greeted by the most friendly staff members. I totally loved my experience today and will definitely explore further Chinese history and culture.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

The four level museum is well worth a visit! The second floor with its Han Dynasty relics, including a terracotta warrior and Jade burial suit and gorgeous fun pottery sculptures of houses and animals and everyday life is good fun. And the basement is wonderful - gold rush, interactive, fortune telling, dress ups, dioramas and a lil tunnel. So cool and the kids were very interested! The processional Dragon and assorted other fun animals are beautiful and fun to see up close. Recommended!

This is a small building located within Chinatown; four floors of historic information regarding the Chinese migration into Australia and their way of life through 200 years. Price to enter is $11 with special pricing for students, families and groups. Closes at 4pm daily. Gift shop has reasonable prices for Chinese coins, hand fans, Chinese astrological sign cards and coins, books, etc. Time through the museum is approximately two hours if you take your time.

We came from behind chinatown so it was through a very sketchy looking alleyway. Luckily, the only time we stumbled was into this beaut of a museum. Spent a good amount of time looking at all the pieces exhibited. Lady at the front desk was super lovely and helpful. She even helped me spend over $100 in the little gift shop! I wonder how that even happened. Would gladly spend there again (just the entry fee and my time though).

This museum is fantastic - I spent 3 hours but could easily have stayed longer. There are multiple levels of things to see and learn. It was really enjoyable to learn about Chinese culture and how people lived. There are so many authentic artefacts to see. It is located in the heart of Chinatown. I will visit again if I am in Melbourne again. The staff are really nice and they have the longest dancing dragon in the world!

The most impressive part of the museum is the incredibly long Chinese dragon - supposedly the longest in the world. Otherwise there is no cohesion or narrative or logical timeline in the exhibits - they tell you to start at the top floor and work your way down to the basement - when the basement is really where the timeline of chinese immigrants in Australia actually begins. Not worth the $11 per person entry fee.

A beautiful museum that we stumbled across by accident! I'm so glad to have have found it. It houses a very interesting and informative collection showing the history behind Chinese Australians and their journey to Australia and more. Not to mention a giant dragon used at Chinese new Years parades! The staff there were really friendly and knowledgeable to talk to. Overall, it's worth the visit when in Chinatown!

One of the most charming museums I have ever visited. Beautifully made with lots of interesting and insightful history. Little quirks like a room made to look like one of the ships the first Chinese workers arrived by and that actually moves and rocks like a ship on sea have reserved this museum a special place in my heart.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Learn about the Amazing discovery of chinese gold rush in the 1850's. This museum displays a reproduction of the life at gold rush period's and how it was at that time.※The first Chinese arrived in 1830's (free settler and under contract as labourers) But in 1850's gold Nagget discoveries changed everything.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Nice museum with multiple floors of various items. Heaps of information and objects to view as well as gold rush themed floor. We went at a good time and were treated to an hour talk from guest speaker Sam Moshinsky OAM, talking about his 17 years of life living in Shanghai before moving to Australia. Price was adequate for the amount of items to view and interact with.

Another cultural institution in Melbourne city with a fairly good display of the artifacts and lives of Chinese immigrants early during the gold rush. The museum has a close connection with the Chinese communities in and out of Victoria and arranges Dragon dance every year for big festivals. It can be an option to visit if on trip to Melbourne and have done others.

the lower ground floor is very good as gold digging is setup similar to those days when chinese workers used to help in the digging. ground floor has some colors, chinese dragon and others. 1st floor is not much except some chinese art 2nd floor has the display of chinese herbs, their clothing etc. Overall its not a great place but ok for a nice 1 hour stroll.

Great visit. Some wonderful insights into this part of our history. Or you could go just to say hello to The Millenium Dragon and get the kids to work out how long it is. The person at the front desk was very knowledgeable too, helping my wife with some genealogical resources and me with some further information on China’s greatest admiral.

Went on a Sunday about 1 week ago and luckily there was free entrance. Good experience and interesting to learn about the Chinese culture and immigration history in Australia. There was quite a queue at the entrance but it was definitely worth the wait. Some workshops were full so I wasn't able to attend everything in there.

I was surprised when I discovered the Chinese Museum down a little Lane off of Chinatown. When I did get a chance to go back I really enjoyed reading all the information and stories. Would like to see more things happening out of there, workshops, performances, activities for the younger generation would be great.

Great museum, not too large so easy to tour through, set in a three story plus basement old Victorian warehouse in Chinatown. Really good range of artifacts and stories of the Chinese Australian community and parts of China's past. The gold rush experience in the basement is really well done. Well worth a visit.

Well worth the $12.50 entry fee. Staff are friendly and very informative. Great displays. Spent a couple of hours here looking around before heading to a show at the Comedy Theatre
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

A brick-a-brack museum with a few interesting exhibits. The basement is the most interesting, picturing the olden days of the gold rush. And of course the impressive dragon. They give senior citizen entry without an Australian concession card. Saves you Aus$ 2.

awesome place, it was really lovely. plus its really cheap, 11 for normal and 9 for students. i spent like an hour there, loved the gold rush floor, it was interactive and awesome. wished they expanded the gift shop and im excited to see more expansion soon

cheap price for only $11 for adult, very informative, friendly staff. All display with Chinese subtitle, easier to understand for everyone. Could spend 1-2 hours there.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Visited with my 3yr daughter during Chinese new year celebrations 2018 as they had free admission. Was very impressed with their exhibits, daughter especially enjoyed their permanent exhibits 'Finding Gold' & 'Dragon Gallery' definitely worth the visit!

An ideal place for all ages. Very educational, interactive and overall extremely enjoyable. Definitely recommended for tourists and residents alike in Melbourne.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

A very interesting find hidden away in chinatown. The staff here are amazing. You start on the top floor and work you way down to the basement. This museum tells of a brief Chinese history lesson then the history of the Chinese community in Melbourne

This is an awesome place to learn about the history of Chinese in Australia. The interactive exhibition was also memorable. A must see when in Melbourne.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Staff was very friendly, spacious when moving around and not overcrowded. Very educational and I learned interesting facts. Wheelchair and pram friendly.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Very good, interesting to learn about the history of Chinese settlers to Oz. Big Dragon on the lower level is really amazing; liked the interactive boat thing. Definitely worth a visit, maybe with a bit of yum char before or after!

We had a great time walking around. Pram accessible which is great! Loved the new CNY Lucky Rabbit exhibition. The artwork for it is beautiful!
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

This museum is hands down one of the best I have seen, period. The staff are so lovely, so informative and genuine. The exhibits are perfection with a very thoughtful layout. Work your way down from the very top level!

A good small museum in the heart of Melbourne's Chinatown which looks at the history of Chinese Australians from the earliest colonial times to the present day. Lot's of interesting artifacts, furniture & costumes.

GREAT place to learn about Melbourne's connection to the Chinese community and the immigration experience. We do this museum once a year. The kids love it. Make sure you start in the basement and work your way up.

Very interesting little place. Doesn't take long to go around but worth the $10 or so entrance fee. Amazing that they could track the current descendent of the first registered Chinese coloniser from 1812.

Really cool place to visit and plenty to learn about Australia's Chinese settlers. The Millennium dragon, which is currently used during Chinese New Year - which is massive by the way - is on show here.

Quite hidden from the street view. You wiil miss it if not looking for it. Partially closed due to comedy festival, although great information on gold rush and Chinese artefacts. Lovely gift shop.

Quite interesting, worth a visit. The basement section straight up has horror/haunted house vibes lol.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Great little place with some fantastic exhibits, really makes me appreciate how lucky I am
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Not sure

Really informative museum with several floors of displays. Very cheap too. Lots of things for kids to look at (esp the interactive basement), and the Treasure Map is an added bonus.

Great little museum about the history of chinese immigration to australia. Highly recommend to anyone interested in the subject or with an interest in australian history.

Great experience, much more inside than the outside would lead you to believe
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

Good but small museum there is a lot of history on the gold Rush and about how the Chinese contributed to that and history about confucious and when he was alive.

This is a must see in Melbourne is China Town It has such rich history with beautiful pieces of antique jade discs and the rundown of The Han Dynasty

Detailed history of the Chinese community in Australia. Beautifully presented and is really a labour of love. Occasionally has new exhibits as well.

Very interesting documentation of the early Chinese settlers, their lifestyle and hardship. This is also the home of "Dai Long", the big dragron.

The dragon costumes on display are so intricate and beautiful. The museum is small, but the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.

- Great environment - Interesting Museum - Friendly staff I forgot to do a review a few months ago, so decided to do it now :)

Great Venue. Came to see Comedy Festival. Slightly hidden away. I'll return to see the museum now I know it's here.

Learnt a lot about how the Chinese came to settle in Aus and what they overcame and also a bit about their culture.

Interesting history of Chinese in Australia. You can probably spend an hour or so here.
Visited on
Weekend

Great museum, learned quite a bit about Australian Chinese history and the year of the Rabbit exhibit was great.

Shout out to all my peeps who went here on the 7th of September 2018. Ya boy made sure not to touch the dragon.

Amazing place! So much knowledge of the Chinese Immigration and culture... totally recommending to everyone!

My mum dads family are recorded in the museum here and some of there belongings and photos great history

This museum was surprising good. Its exhibits are of a very high quality. You won't regret visiting.

Really informative, especially exhibitions about Han dynasty collection and gold mining history.

Well priced, only $9 for students and fun interactive displays. Lift/ramp access too

The tour was greatly presented and explained. Thank you, it was a great day!

Entry only $11. Interesting & informative displays. Love the dragons!

Well worth a visit between eating noodles and dumplings.

Loved the experience... looking back in the past …

Great reflection of Victoria's Chinese heritage.