The WA Museum Boola Bardip reopened in 2020 in a striking new building on the Perth Cultural Centre, wrapping a contemporary glass atrium around the preserved stone walls of the original 1891 museum. It is free to enter and covers the natural history, Indigenous cultures, and human history of Western Australia with ambition — the galleries are spacious, well-lit, and use physical specimens alongside interactive displays.
The natural history galleries have some remarkable items: a blue whale skeleton, fossils from the Pilbara's ancient landscape, and the extraordinary mineral collections from WA's mining regions. The Indigenous galleries are handled thoughtfully, with significant community involvement in their development. Budget two hours minimum; the building itself is worth examining slowly.