Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Lonely Planet review

North of town, in Fannie Bay, is the superb Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Its good range of Top End-centric displays are well laid out in separate galleries. The Aboriginal art collection is a highlight, with carvings from the Tiwi Islands, bark paintings from Arnhem Land and dot paintings from the desert. The gallery also hosts visiting exhibitions, including the coveted National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award.

Considerable space in the museum is devoted to Cyclone Tracy. Experience the devastation first hand with photos, an actual recording (wind never sounded so menacing), and newsreel and radio coverage from the day.

You'll find a fleet of assorted boats in the Maritime Gallery. Collectively, they present a picture of the diverse activities in this seafaring region. Peering into a rickety Vietnamese refugee boat or a skinny canoe makes most visitors very appreciative of the ground around. And what museum would be complete without a fusty collection of stuffed animals? Among the shelves, arranged with staged birds and animals, is Sweetheart. The cantankerous croc was killed accidentally while being removed from a popular fishing spot in 1979. There's a good bookshop and café (Cornucopia) on site. Buses 4 and 6 travel close by, or get there on the Tour Tub