The Bible Museum welcomes pre-booked groups: Church Groups, Tourism, Youth, School, Community, Probus, Rotary, Lions, YMCA, and large families. In fact, any sort of group! We can host groups from 8 to 50+, although we usually only host one bus group at a time.
Group visits are strictly by pre-booked appointment only. Our availablity for groups is currently good, please phone or email to see if we can fit you in on your preferred date and time. We are available usually most days of the week or weekend for groups visits, which is why pre-booking is essential.
Group visits include a brief introduction and overview of highlights of the museum, and (when in season: Nov - April) a short talk about butterflies, including a live butterfly hatching, if available! These talks are informal and enjoyable, usually led by Jean with assistance from Ellen. The audience members are usually able to handle a live (tame-ish) butterfly if they wish, usually in the morning, when they hatch.
The guided tour can be brief, eg. 30 minutes, but most groups stay for at least 1.5-2 hours. All day visits can include a comprehensive tour of the Bible Museum, 'Room of Prophecies' and the Butterfly Garden. Please let us know approximately how long your group visit has scheduled. Some groups come for the morning, go for lunch in the town, then come back for another afternoon session. We usually put on the urn with tea, coffee, small cakes/biscuits for morning or afternoon tea, for a small donation.
Admission Price: Admission is free, including the guided tour of the Museum - donations are welcome. We recommend that you book early to ensure your preferred date is available, even if you need to cancel or rearrange your date at a later time. We require at least 2 days notice for group bookings, and prefer at least 2 weeks notice. Group bookings in Autumn (the best time for Butterflies) are in high demand.
Opening Hours: The Museum opening hours are flexible for pre-arranged groups, eg. Monday to Friday, or the weekend.
Parking: There is ample free parking at the front of the Museum for large buses, we are usually able to reserve a parking spot early for a coach. Free street parking, unrestricted hours, is currently available in the vicinity of the museum, please check the parking signs.
Catering: We usually provide morning or afternoon tea, including coffee, tea and cakes/biscuits/savouries. We only provide morning/afternoon tea or supper, no lunches. There are many cafes and restaurants in St Arnaud which cater for groups and have barista coffees.
Main Meal Options: See our 'Where to eat' page for cafes and restaurants which cater for groups.
Accomodation:
- There are several motels in St Arnaud, and the Caravan Park.
- The Camp Seed Centre at Stuart Mill is 20 minutes drive away. It sleeps up to 48 people plus 6 powered caravan sites, including a chapel and conference facilities.
- See our 'Where to stay' page for more info.
On Site Facilities: 2 outdoor toilets. Please let us know in advance if you require wheelchair access, which is available through a side entrance.
Other Activities: The St Arnaud Historical Society conducts guided walking/bus tours for groups, for a nominal charge. There are some lovely bush walks and cycle tracks (maps provided if notice given). Botanical Gardens for picnics.