Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology
Abbey Museum of Art & Archaeology, The Abbey Place, Caboolture QLD, Australia
Watch history come alive at the Abbey Museum Caboolture near Brisbane, you’ll step back in time through an anthropological porthole. Learn how ancient people lived, from lords and ladies to clergy and peasants. See artifacts which were part of people's everyday lives long ago, and astounding objects of rare beauty. Learn about medical technologies, politics and what people thought about education and religion.
The Abbey Museum Caboolture near Brisbane in the Moreton Bay Region offers a truly educational and fascinating journey into the past.
A treasure house of world history, the museum’s collection spans 500,000 years of civilization.
Cast your eyes over an Egyptian Death Mask, a rare armoured shoe from Olympia, medieval illuminated manuscripts, stained glass fragments from Winchester Cathedral and everyday objects of medieval life such as weapons, woodwork and pottery. With over 4,000 objects on display, the Abbey Museum houses Australia’s largest collection of medieval artifacts and antiquities.
Looking to make the experience fun for the children? The Abbey Museum offers a free activity book for every child on admission. Watch their enthusiasm as they make their own anthropological discoveries!
The experienced and passionate volunteers at the Abbey Museum will make your trip informative and memorable with guided tours of Abbey Church running Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am. Tour, bus and school groups are welcomed by prior arrangement. The Abbey is one of the most engaging museums near Brisbane and is a perfect attraction for all ages!
The museum has the following facilities to make your visit more enjoyable:
Held annually during the second week of July, the Abbey Medieval Festival is the living embodiment of medieval life. It showcases all the sounds, smells, vigour and colour of the medieval age. With spit roast meats roasting on open fires, re-enactment camps, minstrels, jousting, mock-battles and music, it’s a medieval celebration unmatched in its authenticity and sheer scale.
Watch as lords and ladies parade in their finery, knights fight for their honour and gypsies dance to hypnotic drumbeats. Wander through the markets and partake in medieval fare or down a glass of mead.
Love to learn more about how people in the Medieval Ages dyed cloth, made shoes, ground wheat, cleaned armour, made swords and tanned animal hides? The festival hosts over a hundred scheduled workshops, displays and performances over the 2 days. Passionate re-enactors and skilled crafts people from Australia and overseas display their knowledge, answer questions and share a little slice of medieval life with you.
If you love history, have children who are currently studying medieval history at school, or are simply looking for an excuse to dress up or for a good reason to leave the house, don't miss this truly unique and fascinating event! There’s no other quite like it and it’s one of the best festivals near Brisbane.
The following facilities will make your visit to the festival grounds even more enjoyable:
Please note that the Abbey Medieval Festival is an outdoor event.
If you love festivals and museums, come back to visit The Abbey Museum another time, for one of the best day trips from Brisbane.
Bribie Island Seaside Museum near Caboolture makes for a great museum day trip from Brisbane experience for the kids and adults alike. Right near the beach, the Bribie Museum is in the heart of the Moreton Bay Region.
Caboolture Regional Art Gallery is a modern exhibition space, featuring a diversity of exhibitions throughout the year.
The Bribie Island Community Arts Centre is one of Australia’s largest and busiest arts centres, with space for display, retail, workshops and studios, and catering for more than twenty kinds of arts and crafts.