What you need to know to plan your school or children’s group visit to SparkLab.

In line with Stage 3 of Queensland Government’s COVID-safe Roadmap to recovery, we have made some changes to the way we do things and introduced new health and safety measures to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable visit. For more information please visit qm.qld.gov.au

• Booking your visit

  Bookings are essential for all schools and groups.

  If your visit includes Queensland Museum exhibitions or School Programs please also read planning your school or group visit to Queensland Museum.

  We encourage you to make group bookings as early as possible, as often SparkLab can be booked to capacity at peak times (final months of each semester).

• Session Times

  SparkLab has set session times for schools, groups and general public. All school and children’s groups move through SparkLab within a 90 minute visit (temporary change from 22 June 2020 until further notice). 

  Session times available for school group visits (QLD school terms) are:
  10am - 11:30am
  12noon - 1:30pm
  2pm - 3:30pm

  Your group will be booked to arrive 15 minutes prior to your session time to  take care of registration, cloaking and payment paperwork. To ensure we don’t exceed allowable visitor numbers, groups will not be able to enter the museum until the arrival time stated on their booking confirmation. 

  Children’s groups can select from these times or session times later in the day.

  Special arrangements

  If the session times do not meet your needs because of travel time or other program commitments, please discuss your needs with our Booking Officer (call +61 (0) 7 3840 7608) or make a note on your Booking Form. We recommend booking your visit a semester in advance if you need to make special arrangements.

• Group size

  Minimum group size required to receive the group rate is 10 paying people.
  
  To align with Queensland Government’s COVID-safe Roadmap, there will be restrictions to maximum group sizes to allow for social distancing and capacity limits. This will be discussed in more detail with you by our Booking Officer. 

• Cost

  SparkLab is a charged exhibition for which you will be invoiced. Exhibition charges DO NOT incur GST. This group rate is available to booked schools and children’s groups only.

  Megadeal: $16 per student – for schools visiting SparkLab and Sea Monsters Exhibition on the same day (price includes both experiences)

  Students and children’s group members (booked): $10 (GST free and invoiced)

  Supervisors

  Adult/child ratio

  	Number of children
  	Prep	Primary	Years 7-10	Years 11 -12
  1 adult FREE for every paying child	3	5	10	15

  Additional adults will be charged at $13.50 per adult.
  Children under 5 years at the time of their visit are free of charge.

• Getting here

  SparkLab is located on Level 1 of Queensland Museum. The museum is on the corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets, within the South Bank Cultural Precinct.

  By bus

  • Set down in Grey Street outside ENERGEX Playasaurus Place, Stanley Street Tunnel or Stanley Place. Bus parking is located along Montague Road.

  By train

  • Get off at South Brisbane station and cross the road at the Grey and Melbourne Streets intersection.

  By car

  • There is a public car park car park directly below the museum. Enter via the Stanley Street tunnel or Grey Street. The car park clearance height is maximum 2m. The car park is pay on entry, daily rate.

  You'll find more information about the museum location, with instructions on getting here by public transportation, car, and on foot in the  museum Location page.

• Arriving and Conditions of Entry

  In accordance with the Restrictions on Businesses, Activities and Undertakings Direction (No.2)  Queensland Museum is required to keep contact information about all visitors and staff for contact tracing purposes for a period of 56 days. 
  
  Schools and groups must supply an accurate record of the names of every person attending on the day. A contact form for all students/children will be sent to your booking contact prior to your visit. An updated hard copy record of this must be brought with you on the day and put in the collection box in the Level 0 foyer. All adults (parents, carers and teachers) entering the campus will be required to fill out the individual contact form, available to print and complete before the visit, or available on entry. 
  
  Your group will be booked to arrive 15 minutes prior to your session time to take care of registration, cloaking and payment paperwork. To ensure we don’t exceed allowable visitor numbers, groups will not be able to enter the museum until the arrival time stated on their booking confirmation. 
  
  Schools and groups will enter the museum from the museum's Grey Street entrance (ENERGEX Playasaurus Place, Level 0).
  
  Please call the Queensland Museum Visitor Services on Level 2 on +61 (0)7 3840 7633 to announce your arrival.  A Visitor Services Officer (VSO) will then meet you at the museum’s Grey Street entrance. They will confirm the details of your visit, attend to your cloaking, discuss your itinerary and handle any invoicing paperwork.

  Schools and groups will then be directed to SparkLab on Level 1.

• Cloaking

  Please do not bring school bags unless absolutely necessary.
  Lunches, small eskies and bags can be stored in the bag store trolleys located on Level 0 of the museum.
  
  Please note the handling and storage of personal items will be conducted by students and teachers. Staff will not be handling any personal items. 
  No responsibility will be taken for loss of valuables.

• Supervision of students/children

  Group supervisors are responsible for the supervision of students and children while in the museum and SparkLab and should remain with their students at all times.
  Please allow only small, supervised groups of students into the museum shop.

• Moving through SparkLab

  Schools will move through the SparkLab exhibition for a 90 minute hands-on experience. There are three zones within the exhibition, as well as programming experiences. Schools and groups can spread out within the exhibition and move through the zones in any order and at their leisure.
  An itinerary will be sent to you prior to your visit. Please follow the times on your itinerary.

  We encourage Primary Teachers to divide your students into small groups with an adult allocated for each group. As the students explore the exhibits, the adult can model the learning process, such as reading out the text, asking open-ended questions, testing out ideas, communicating their observations, making changes to what they are testing, and sharing possible explanations.
  
  Social distancing measures will be in place within SparkLab and we ask teachers to support SparkLab staff, to ensure social distancing from other visitors is observed. 
  
  When moving around the museum, groups are asked to observe social distancing with respect to other visitors, when using the stairs. Groups should not use the lifts unless necessary. Lifts will have a maximum capacity of one household or two people.  

• Lunch and Refreshments

  You are welcome to bring morning or afternoon tea or lunch and eat in ENERGEX Playasaurus Place (under cover), along Melbourne Street (grassed area near the water feature) or along the river bank.
  Please let our Booking Officer know if you wish to ENERGEX Playasaurus Place for eating. 
  
  You cannot eat or drink inside SparkLab and the museum unless you have specific medical needs.
  
  Water bubblers will be disabled so students are encouraged to bring water bottles for use during scheduled breaks.
  
  School and group lunch packages are also available from Queensland Museum’s Café Muse; these can be booked through our online booking form, or for an add-on to an existing booking please phone the Bookings Officer on (07) 3840 7608.

• Toilets

  On your arrival, toilets are available at the entrance on Level 0. During your visit, toilets are located in SparkLab Level 1.
  
  If we have reached the maximum capacity of school and group visitors at the museum’s Grey Street entrance (Level 0), then groups visiting SparkLab will be asked to use the toilets in SparkLab Level 1 rather than the toilets on Level 0.

• Visitors with individual needs

  We aim to provide equitable access to all visitors.
  There is easy lift access to SparkLab from the car park and for bus and taxi passengers from Grey Street.
  All entrances and areas are wheelchair accessible.
  Disabled toilet facilities are located in SparkLab, and in the museum on Levels 0 and 2.
  Exhibit and program experiences within SparkLab have been designed to support accessibility for all visitors.

  SparkLab contains two exhibits that have high voltage causing a strong electromagnetic field, and one exhibit with flashing lights that may affect some medical conditions.

  For more information see information for visitors with individual needs  or phone the Booking Officer on +61 (0) 7 3840 7608 to request further assistance.

• Risk Assessment

  Download our Risk Assessment for schools and groups.
  
  This edition complies with recommendations of the Queensland Government COVID-safe Roadmap to Recovery. 

• Teacher and Supervisor Free Visit

  Teachers and supervisors are invited to have a preview prior to their visit, for planning preparation and to make the most of their group’s learning experience. Contact the Bookings Officer on email education@qm.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3840 7608 for more information and to arrange your free entry.

  Plan your next Teacher Science/STEM Professional Learning program at SparkLab, visit Teacher Programs for more information.

Refer to resources for the exhibition guide and curriculum links.