Looking through the Filtered View display in Seeing Colour at SparkLab, Queensland Museum.
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SparkLab at Queensland Museum is a sought-after stop for us in South Bank, and with an annual pass in hand, we can turn up whenever the timing’s right. The museum itself is already a go-to for us thanks to free entry to the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibition, but SparkLab Brisbane is what we come back specifically for. Our daughter’s cousin joined us for a July visit, so a good chunk of this review comes from a proper group test, not just the three of us. We were back again this September, just our daughter and us, before a show at QPAC.
IN THIS GUIDE
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Below is what SparkLab is, the exhibits our family kept going back to, what’s on for 3 to 5 year olds, and the practical bits worth knowing before you go.
Disclosure: our annual pass, which includes unlimited entry to SparkLab, was gifted by South Bank Corporation as part of our Key to South Bank prize. All opinions are our own.
BEFORE YOU GO
SparkLab at a Glance
The Science on a Sphere display, always a favourite with the curious ones.
SPARKLAB AT A GLANCE
What it is – An interactive science space with 40 exhibits across three zones, plus live experiments at the Science Bar and a Maker Space.
Where – Level 1, Queensland Museum Kurilpa, South Bank.
Official age guide – 6 to 13 years, though younger kids find plenty to enjoy too.
Cost – Child 3-4 $5, Child 5-15 $13.50, Concession $14.50, Adult $16.50, Family (2 adults + 2 kids, or 1 adult + 3 kids) $50.
Annual Pass – Unlimited SparkLab entry for 12 months. Adult $40, Concession $34, Child (5-15) $31, Child (3-4) $15, Family (2 adults + 2 kids, or 1 adult + 3 kids) $105
Museum entry – Free. SparkLab and some temporary exhibitions are ticketed separately.
Hours – SparkLab 9:30am-4pm, timed sessions every half hour (last entry 3pm), book ahead. Museum open daily 9:30am-5pm.
Little Sparks – 6-10 October 2026, 9:30am-12pm, for 3 to 5 year olds.
Correct as at – September 2026. Prices checked 24 September 2026.
THE BASICS
What Is SparkLab at Queensland Museum?
SparkLab is Queensland Museum’s hands-on science space, 40 interactive exhibits spread across three zones, built around light, sound, motion and forces. There’s a Science Bar where staff run live experiments throughout the day, and a Maker Space where kids design and build their own solution to a challenge, then test it and fix what didn’t work.
It’s officially pitched at 6 to 13 year olds, and that age range makes sense for a lot of the exhibits, but there’s more for younger kids here than the age guide suggests, more on that below.
The plasma ball, one of the first things our daughter ran straight to.
OUR FAVOURITES
Our Family’s Favourite Exhibits
Everyone in our group had a different favourite, which says something about how much variety is packed into the space. Our daughter’s was the plasma ball, hands pressed flat against the glass, watching the light chase her fingers. Mine was the big rotating globe, Science on a Sphere. Murray’s was Coloured Shadows, the wall where he spent a good few minutes jumping around to throw a rainbow silhouette onto the screen behind him.
Beyond those, we spent a good stretch on the Rotation Station (a spinning chair that’s exactly as fun as it sounds) and the pulley chairs, where kids can hoist themselves up using their own arm strength. Ultraviolet Glow and Splashes of Sound were both hits too.
Having our daughter’s cousin along changed the visit in a good way. The two of them worked out the pulley chairs together, took turns on the Rotation Station, and pushed each other toward exhibits they might have skipped on their own. If you can bring a cousin, friend or sibling along, do. A lot of the exhibits have a social, slightly competitive energy that a group brings out.
The Earth on Science on a Sphere, and a bit of friendly competition on the pulley chairs.
HANDS-ON
The Maker Space Zone
While most of SparkLab’s exhibits are pitched at 6 to 13 year olds, the Maker Space is open to every age. Kids sit down with a design challenge, build a solution, test it, work out what went wrong, and rebuild it. The current challenge, Slow It Down, runs from July 2026 to February 2027 and asks kids to design a way to slow a cart down.
It’s stocked with everyday crafting materials, cardboard, straws, pipe cleaners and tape, which makes it safe and easy for smaller hands. It’s the one zone we’d point to first if you’ve got a mixed-age group, since there’s no fixed ceiling or floor on how a child engages with it.
On our September visit, our daughter built her own cart from scratch, sharing materials with a couple of other kids nearby without any prompting from us, a small win when you’re watching for it.
LIVE SHOWS
Live Experiments at the Science Bar
Throughout the day, staff run live science demonstrations at the Science Bar, and the program changes daily. It’s worth timing a visit around one if you can. It’s a nice change of pace from the self-directed exhibits, everyone gathers round, and the audience gets to predict what happens next, which holds a mixed-age group’s attention.
WITH A 3 TO 5 Y/O
Visiting SparkLab With a 3 to 5 Year Old
SparkLab’s official age guide is 6 to 13, and a lot of the exhibits do suit that range better. But there are two dedicated programs worth knowing about if you’ve got a younger child, and they’re not the same thing.
Little Sparks is a limited-time program built for curious 3 to 5 year olds and their carers. The next round runs 6 to 10 October 2026, 9:30am to 12pm, with entry times at 9:30am, 10am, 10:30am and 11am. The museum adds extra props, books, step stools and dedicated pram parking, and runs adapted Science Bar and Science on a Sphere sessions for younger learners. It’s the gentler way to introduce a preschooler to SparkLab. Entry times are booked ahead, so check availability before you go.
The Sensory Friendly Session is a different program again, for anyone who’d benefit from a calmer visit. Lighting effects are reduced, audio is turned off, higher-sensory areas are clearly marked, ticket numbers are limited and the doors open earlier. It’s suitable for all ages, not just little ones. It only runs a few Saturday mornings a year. The 2026 sessions (17 January, 18 April and 1 August, 8:15am to 10am) have now all passed, and the museum hasn’t published 2027 dates yet.
The Earth globe display in Our World Zone. Murray and our daughter cast colourful shadows on the wall in Coloured Shadows.
TIMING
Best Time to Visit SparkLab
During school holidays, SparkLab at Queensland Museum gets busy. Entry works in timed sessions, every half hour from 9:30am until the last one at 3pm, and numbers are capped, so book online before you leave home, especially in the holidays.Based on our visits, the quietest windows are early in the day or later in the afternoon before SparkLab closes at 4pm. The middle of the day is when it’s at its most crowded. If crowds bother your kids, or you want a good go on the popular exhibits without queuing, plan around those times.
GETTING THERE
Getting to Queensland Museum
Queensland Museum Kurilpa sits in the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank, on the corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets. It’s an easy walk from the Cultural Centre busway, South Brisbane train station and the South Bank ferry terminal, so public transport is a simple option if you’d rather skip parking altogether. Parking options are covered in our South Bank family guide.
TICKETS
SparkLab Ticket Prices and the Annual Pass
SparkLab tickets are sold by timed session and visitor numbers are strictly limited, so the museum recommends buying online ahead, particularly in school holidays. Prices (effective 1 January 2026):
- Child (3-4 years): $5
- Child (5-15 years): $13.50
- Concession: $14.50
- Health Care Card holder: $10.50
- Adult: $16.50
- Family (2 adults + 2 kids, or 1 adult + 3 kids): $50
- Companion Card holders and museum members: free
General museum entry is always free, it’s SparkLab and some temporary exhibitions that carry a charge. If you know you’ll visit more than a couple of times a year, the Annual Pass is worth doing the maths on. It gives unlimited SparkLab entry for 12 months, which is exactly how we’ve been using ours.
BEYOND SPARKLAB
Beyond SparkLab: The Rest of Queensland Museum
We usually build a SparkLab visit into a bigger museum day, since so much else here is free. Dinosaurs Unearthed is a permanent gallery covering 250 million years of Queensland’s prehistoric life, including Australovenator (Queensland’s own “velociraptor”) and Megalania, the world’s largest lizard. It’s engaging without needing a ticket, which makes it an easy add-on either side of SparkLab.
The Dinosaur Garden on Level 0 is our daughter’s other favourite stop, an open-air, sponge-floored space with life-sized T-rex and Triceratops replicas. It’s built for kids to run around and burn off energy, there’s plenty of covered space, and it’s a nice spot for a packed lunch.
A PERSONAL NOTE
A Personal Reflection & Looking Ahead: From Croc! to OceanXperience
We also walked through Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends on this visit, and it brought back a memory I didn’t expect. I spent time in Kowanyama years ago, and I remember local kids pointing out their crocodile totem on the riverbank most afternoons. Standing in front of the exhibition’s fossils, that memory came back clearly, a reminder that Queensland’s story runs much deeper than a display case.
With Croc! ending its run on 5 October 2026, Queensland Museum Kurilpa is preparing for its next major feature on Level 3. Opening on 4 December 2026, OceanXperience is an interactive marine science adventure based on National Geographic’s OceanXplorers series. Kids step aboard a recreation of the OceanXplorer research vessel, entering Mission Control, the Bridge, and the Sub Hangar to pilot submersibles and conduct hands-on ocean missions.
OceanXperience is ticketed separately from SparkLab (Adult $31.50, Child 5–15 $20.50, kids 0–4 free). Because Queensland Museum rotates its major feature exhibitions throughout the year, check their what’s-on page before you go to see what’s running alongside SparkLab.
THE HONEST BIT
What’s Worth Knowing Before You Go
Here are a few practical details for visiting SparkLab at Queensland Museum that aren’t obvious until you arrive.
Prams & Facilities
Prams and strollers are welcome throughout the museum, including inside SparkLab itself. The lift comes up to Level 1 through the Anzac Legacy Gallery, and there’s a fold-down change table right inside SparkLab, plus Family Rooms on Levels 0 and 2.
The one catch, the free cloakroom by the Level 2 main entrance doesn’t take prams, large bags or scooters, so the pram stays with you. Toilets are just outside SparkLab.
Managing Expectations
The official age guide is 6 to 13, so go in with the right expectations if you’re bringing a toddler. Younger kids tend to bounce between a few favourite interactive exhibits rather than exploring all 40 methodically. We found the visit worked best when we let our daughter lead instead of trying to steer her through every zone in order.
Sensory friendly sessions only run a few times a year, so plan ahead rather than counting on one at the last minute. The good news, it’s all indoors and air-conditioned, which makes it one of our favourite rainy-day spots in Brisbane.
MAKE IT A DAY OUT
Making a Day of It in South Bank
SparkLab pairs easily with the rest of the precinct.
Things to Do: If you want the full lay of the land first, our South Bank family guide covers everything from Streets Beach to the parklands walk.
Where to Eat: For lunch or a coffee stop afterwards, our South Bank dining guide breaks down the family-friendly options nearby.
Where to Stay: If you’re turning the day into an overnight stay, our Emporium Hotel South Bank review covers what it’s like staying right on the parklands’ doorstep.
Next Door: Right next door, our Jim Henson exhibition review covers Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company at GOMA, another good pairing if you want to turn SparkLab into a full cultural precinct day.
THE VERDICT
Is SparkLab Brisbane Worth It for Families?
Yes. Between the range of exhibits, the live experiments, and how easily it pairs with the museum’s free galleries, SparkLab is a strong pick for a Brisbane family day out, whether you’re visiting once or, like us, going back again and again on an annual pass. It’s not just a kids’ space either, plenty of the exhibits hold their own interest for parents and carers too, the science holds up whatever your age. And on the days Brisbane turns wet, this is usually the first place we suggest.
COMMON QUESTIONS
SparkLab: FAQs
What is SparkLab?
SparkLab is Queensland Museum’s hands-on science space at Queensland Museum Kurilpa, South Bank, 40 interactive exhibits across three zones covering light, sound, motion and forces, plus live experiments at the Science Bar and a Maker Space for building challenges.
Where is SparkLab in Brisbane?
SparkLab Brisbane is located on Level 1 of Queensland Museum Kurilpa, at the corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets in South Bank.
How much are SparkLab tickets?
Child (3-4) $5, Child (5-15) $13.50, Concession $14.50, Adult $16.50, or a Family ticket (2 adults + 2 kids, or 1 adult + 3 kids) for $50. An Annual Pass with unlimited entry is also available from $40 (Adult) or $105 (Family).
What are SparkLab's opening hours?
SparkLab is open daily from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM (while Queensland Museum Kurilpa remains open until 5:00 PM).
Is SparkLab included in general Queensland Museum entry?
No. General entry to Queensland Museum Kurilpa is free, but SparkLab is ticketed separately.
What age is SparkLab recommended for?
Officially 6 to 13 years, though younger kids can still enjoy parts of it, particularly the Maker Space and Ultraviolet Glow.
Is there a sensory-friendly session at SparkLab?
Yes, a few Saturday mornings a year, with reduced lighting effects, audio turned off and limited ticket numbers. Sessions are booked through QTIX, and everyone needs a ticket, little ones included.
What is Little Sparks at SparkLab?
Little Sparks is a separate, limited-time program for curious 3 to 5 year olds, with extra props, books, step stools, dedicated pram parking and adapted Science Bar sessions. The next round runs 6 to 10 October 2026, 9:30am to 12pm.
Is the Annual Pass worth it for SparkLab?
If you’ll visit more than a couple of times a year, yes. It gives unlimited SparkLab entry for 12 months.
How long should we budget for a SparkLab visit?
At least an hour for SparkLab alone, longer if you’re pairing it with Dinosaurs Unearthed or the Dinosaur Garden.
Can I bring a pram into SparkLab?
Yes, prams and strollers are welcome throughout Queensland Museum Kurilpa, including inside SparkLab. There’s a fold-down change table right inside SparkLab and Family Rooms on Level 0 and Level 2. The one thing to know: the free cloakroom doesn’t accept prams for storage, so you’ll keep it with you rather than checking it in.
Planning a SparkLab Visit?
Check ticket prices, the Annual Pass and upcoming Little Sparks dates on Queensland Museum’s site.
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Co-founder of Really Traveling. I write first-hand guides with Murray for Brisbane families with children under five. When I’m not at my desk working to publish an article or building a website, you’ll find me cooking, taking photos, and exploring every corner of Brisbane with my 4-year-old!
