[citation needed] The back-of-house area houses some of the Victoria's State Collections, which holds over 17 million items, including objects relating to Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander cultures, geology, historical studies, palaeontology, technology and society, and zoology,[3][4] as well as a library collection that holds 18th and 19th century scientific monographs and serials.

[5] The world's second largest IMAX theatre screen,[6] which is also part of the museum complex, shows movies and documentary films in large-screen 3-D format.

[8] The museum is axially aligned with the adjacent Italianate Royal Exhibition Building and references it, along with the skyscrapers of Melbourne's central business district.

The sticks and blades that make up the Melbourne Museum are hallmarks of Denton Corker Marshall's architecture.

Contrasted against the neo-classical Royal Exhibition centre, the museum is separated by an events plaza, yet the two are connected underground with a car park.

The museum had its earliest beginnings in the Government Assay Office, which on 9 March 1854, opened some displays in La Trobe Street.

[10] Melbourne Museum was originally located (along with the State Library and the old state gallery) in the city block between La Trobe, Swanston, Little Lonsdale and Russell Streets - the nearby Museum underground railway station was originally named after it, although following the move, the station was renamed Melbourne Central.

The committee also joined with a working party of the Victorian Council of the Arts to develop a comprehensive museums policy for Victoria.

The museum was constructed during the period of the Kennett government (1992–1999) and was opened on 21 October 2000 by the Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks.

In March 2012, the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards was held in Cairns, where the Melbourne Museum was represented for Victoria on a national level.