International Museum Day on 18 May is your excuse to carve out a day in South Bank and explore everything from immersive art to hands-on science and powerful storytelling. Think sensory installations, crocodile encounters and a few “you’ve got to see this” moments along the way.

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Here is where to go.

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Missed the big day? No worries, this itinerary is good for any day.

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Step inside a multi-sensory world at GOMA

At Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Presence by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson is not your typical gallery visit.

This Brisbane-exclusive exhibition spans three decades of work from one of the world’s most influential living artists, taking over the ground floor galleries with large-scale installations and early works, many never before seen in Australia.

It is part art, part experience. You move through a rocky primordial landscape, get pulled into optical puzzles, and start imagining future cityscapes as the work responds to how you navigate it.

Two standout works anchor the experience. Riverbed (2014) transforms the gallery into a rugged, water-filled landscape you can physically walk through, while The Cubic Structural Evolution Project (2004) becomes a giant all-white LEGO city that is constantly built and rebuilt by visitors.

Eliasson’s Icelandic roots run through the work too, with photography reflecting landscape, light and human experience. Book your tickets here.

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A crash course in Australian art, South Bank style

Just next door at Queensland Art Gallery (QAG), the Australian Art Collection pulls together works across time, place and perspective in one easy wander-through space.

It traces key moments in history from first contact through colonisation, exploration and immigration, blending Indigenous, contemporary and historical Australian art into a single evolving story.

It is one of those spaces where you go in for a quick look and somehow stay way longer than planned.

And while you are there, get a photo in front of Boomerang by Ai Weiwei. The waterfall-style chandelier is one of those stop-you-in-your-tracks installations that looks incredible from every angle. Book here.

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Get up close with ancient giants

At Queensland Museum, Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends takes you back 130 million years into the world of one of the planet’s most powerful predators.

It is immersive, interactive and surprisingly fun, putting you face-to-face with crocodiles past and present in a way that works for kids and adults alike. Get your tickets here.

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Let the kids take over at SparkLab

Also at Queensland Museum, SparkLab is a hands-on STEM playground designed for curious kids aged 6 to 13.

With 40 interactive exhibits across three zones, it is all about experimenting, building and figuring things out through play.

There are live experiments at the Science Bar and plenty of hands-on challenges in the Maker Space to keep things moving. Book here.

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A 90s queer culture rewind

Also inside Queensland Museum, Make a Scene – Fashioning Queer Identity and Club Culture in the 90s dives into Brisbane’s dancefloor history through fashion, objects and lived experience.

Timed with the 35th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Queensland, the exhibition brings together LGBTQIA+ stories, club culture and fashion from the era.

It is free to visit and runs until 19 July, making it an easy add to your South Bank museum crawl.

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