Visit Us

Visit the Australian Opal Centre’s Lightning Ridge showroom to see highlights of our collection, find out about the new AOC, become a member, buy SPARK tickets, ask about the Lightning Ridge Fossil Dig, Australian Opal Tour, opal carving classes, introduction to gems and gemmology and other programs, and provide your support by shopping with us or making a donation!

There’s so much to see in the Australian Opal Centre’s little showroom! In pride of place is a display of rare opalised fossils from the Age of Dinosaurs, curated from the world’s most diverse and scientifically significant collection of opalised fossils. You can learn more about opal, the world of opal mining and outback opal mining communities by having a chat with our friendly staff, most of whom volunteer their time to share local knowledge and a warm welcome.

Find out more about the remarkable nationally-significant new museum and cultural facility we’re building on the historic Three Mile opal field. Do some shopping in our little shop - it’s packed with fantastic books, t-shirts, treasures from the earth, gifts and souvenirs, and every purchase supports our 100% self-funded operations. We highly recommend our colourful locally-designed Lightning Ridge Dino t-shirts!

Meet a dinosaur from long-ago Lightning Ridge! Russ, our resident Muttaburrasaurus, has ducked through the window to say hello. Hundreds of people have had their photo taken with Russ. Don’t worry, Russ is a herbivore….he only eats our garden.

Regular opening hours (March - November) are 9am - 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Summer opening hours (December - February) are 9am - 1pm Monday to Saturday.

We look forward to seeing you.