Sydney Science Trail FAQs

Students will participate in four different sessions across the day:

• Scientist Talk (secondary students only) or Science Show at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
• Science Expo at the Australian Museum.
• Interactive STEM Workshop at either the Australian Museum or the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
• Teacher-led experience at either the Australian Museum or the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

All activities are produced and/or delivered by experienced science communicators from the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Australian Museum, partnering universities and research institutions, and professional science education providers.

• Primary students (years 3-6): Monday 17 – Tuesday 18 August
• Secondary students (years 7-11): Wednesday 19 - Friday 21 August
• Diverse learners* (years 3-11): Monday 17 – Tuesday 18 August
• Diverse learners* (years 7-11) Wednesday 19 August 

*Home-school groups, support classes, EAL/D students or any groups with students with diverse needs.

Education bookings are available to NSW public schools and registered non-government schools.

The Diverse Learners Sessions are open to both primary and secondary students across years 3-11.

These sessions are designed for groups or families requiring a more flexible timetable or higher educator-to-student ratios, such as home school groups, support classes, EAL/D students or any group with students with diverse needs.

• AUSLAN Interpreters (if required) at the science show and workshops. A request for an AUSLAN Interpreter must be made with your booking.
• A quiet room/space will be available at both the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Australian Museum
• Low sensory exhibition space options at Australian Museum (for teacher-led experience)
• A Sydney Science Trail social story will be emailed prior to the event
• Wheelchair access
• Group size: there are no minimum group sizes, group size is capped at 30 pax (inclusive of adults and students).
• Higher educator to student ratios: We want as many students as possible to attend this event. Students with higher or complex support needs are welcome to attend with the level of support they require, including more than one adult if needed. To maximise student places, we ask that attending adults are there to provide direct support, rather than attending as additional guests. All educators and supervising adults must purchase a supervising adult ticket, free of charge, and are included in the attending numbers per group. There must be at least one adult per 15 students to attend with each group. Tickets for the Diverse Learner Sessions must be purchased online.
• Timetable: a flexible timetable can be negotiated depending on student requirements. Groups can choose to skip a session if they require a longer lunch or need to arrive or leave early. Please contact us directly to discuss this: [email protected] or (02) 9231 8059.
• Mobility: if you have students with mobility issues or would like to discuss a flexible timetable without the walk between the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and the Australian Museum, please contact [email protected] to discuss options.
• Children under the age of 8 (non-participating siblings): please note due to limited venue space, we are unable to accommodate prams and non-participating children. Please contact us directly at [email protected] for more information. 

Group allocations

All Diverse Learners Program participants will attend the Science Show/Scientist Talk and Science Expo together. STEM workshop groups will have a maximum of 30 (adults and children) and you will remain with this group for the teacher-led experience.

If you indicated you were with a group on the booking form, we will endeavour to apply this to the STEM workshop group you are allocated to. We do not offer choices of workshop, workshops will be allocated to best suit the groupings. If your student(s) have attended Sydney Science Trail previously, please let us know.

Your excursion information pack will be sent to you prior to the event and will instruct you to bring students to either the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney or the Australian Museum ready to start by 9am. This will allow students to have a snack and use the bathroom before activities commence at 9.30am sharp.

Student groups rotate through four 60-minute sessions across two historic venues – two sessions at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and two sessions at the Australian Museum.

Morning tea: 9.00am – 9.30am 

Morning sessions: 9.30am – 10.30am and 10.30am – 11.30am

Lunch and change venues: 11.30am – 12.30pm

Afternoon sessions: 12.30pm – 1.30pm and 1.30pm – 2.30pm

There is one 60-minute break scheduled between 11.30am – 12.30pm. This will allow students to have lunch and walk between the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and the Australian Museum.

All students will walk from one site to the other during the day. Instructions on the specific meeting locations for different groups will be provided after booking.

Activities are scheduled to finish at 2.30pm. Students that started at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney will finish at the Australian Museum, and vice-versa. Please check your confirmed program for your start and finish points.

Final schedules with workshop and teacher-led experience group allocations will be emailed prior to the event with full event information.

Students will need to complete one walk from either the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney to the Australian Museum or vice-versa.

We have allowed a 60-minute break for groups to undertake this walk. It is an easy, flat walk covering 1.2km, and takes approximately 13 minutes.

All students and teachers will be escorted by a Sydney Science Trail volunteer along the safest pedestrian route.

If you have students with mobility issues, please contact [email protected] to discuss options.

Yes, schools are responsible for bringing students and teachers to and from site. No transport is required to move between sites during the lunch break.

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: accessible parking bays are provided near the Woolloomooloo Gate and outside the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Limited metered parking is available. Public transport is recommended.

Australian Museum: there is no public car parking available at the Australian Museum. There is a bus bay and accessible parking drop off zone on William Street. Public transport is recommended.

Students will be placed into Group A, B, C or D with a maximum of 150 students in each session (please see Diverse Learner information above for maximum numbers and more information about these groups).

Each group of up to 150 will visit the Science Expo at the Australian Museum and attend the Scientist Talk (secondary students Wednesday or Friday) or Science Show (primary students or Thursday secondary students) at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney as a whole group.

Workshops and self-guided experiences will have classes of a maximum size of 30 and will be held at either the Australian Museum or the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Students will be kept within their school groups as much as possible.

Yes, allocate at least one adult per 15 students to attend with each school group. Additional teacher places up to one student per teacher are provided for the Diverse Learners sessions. Schools/educators retain duty of care for all their students on the excursion.

Teachers can book places for students through the Botanic Gardens of Sydney website until sold out.

Please refer to our bookings Terms and Conditions for more information.

Participation is $25 (incl. GST) per student. Supervising teachers or educators do not incur a cost as duty of care remains the responsibility of the booked school or group.

A minimum charge of 20 students per school group applies.

There is no minimum booking for the Diverse Learners Program.

Through the generous support of the Australian Museum Foundation, the Neilson Foundation and generous donors of the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, we are pleased to offer eligible primary and secondary students, free entry to the Sydney Science Trail.

Eligible students include those from Australian primary and secondary schools with an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) value of less than 1000, or a special school, as defined by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

Home schools are not eligible to apply.

Subsidised places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis through the booking process.

As subsidised places are limited, please notify us as soon as possible of any changes to your booking so that other schools have the opportunity to access these places.

The Sydney Science Trail Education Program covers a range of scientific topics and is designed to generate excitement and engagement in STEM areas amongst your students in celebration of National Science Week. 

It is not be possible to select a preferred Scientist Talk or STEM workshop, however you will be advised which of these you will be attending well in advance of your excursion date so you can prepare students accordingly if you wish. The full education program will be available online from late April 2026. If your students attended Sydney Science Trail in 2025, please advise the bookings team at [email protected] and we will endeavour to offer your students different workshops.

There are capacity limits for each day of the program. If you have a large group, it is best to book early. Our bookings team will work with you to accommodate group bookings of all sizes. 

No, primary school students are not able to attend on the secondary school days. Our STEM workshops are delivered by trained educators and students are encouraged to ask questions to extend the offering to meet their level of learning. 

Please refer to “Refunds, cancellations and changes” in our Terms and Conditions.