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Things to do in Alice Springs
Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum

Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum, Alice Springs: Hours, Address, Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum Reviews: 4.5/5

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Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum

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Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum
4.5
1,324
#5 of 71 things to do in Alice Springs
Speciality Museums
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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Museum home of the RFDS. Visit the original RFDS Alice springs working base that commenced in 1939. See, experience and learn through the wonder of technology the heroic tales of the birth and growth of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Learn about the history and the activities of the RFDS’s pilots, engineers, doctors and nurses, and the experiences of the patients that are carried and cared for each day. Learn the importance of the RFDS to outback Australians and the medical care required to service isolated regions. The NEW John Flynn Hologram a truly amazing experience! The pioneering holographic show forms the centrepiece of the facility as Flynn tells the story of his vision and its realisation into the RFDS of today. The RFDS Virtual Reality is awesome!! 2 x Virtual Reality Stories of the RFDS - Relive the true experience of patient Gene Hildebrand and see what its like to fly with an RFDS Pilot. Walk through the museum and meet Alf Traeger and Nurse Kathy.
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

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Popular mentions
4.5
1,324 reviews
Excellent
727
Very good
427
Average
128
Poor
33
Terrible
9
jimatelle
Phuket, Thailand22 contributions
Great
May 2022
We found this Museum so very interesting. There was a fitted out plane to walk through, and the virtual reality goggles flight with patient and nurse aboard was amazing. Also a nice film to watch.
Written 13 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Pguino
Brisbane, Australia239 contributions
Highlight of my time in Alice Springs
Apr. 2022 • Family
Highlight of my time in Alice Springs. Such an extraordinary organization making real impact to people’s lives and life in remote australia. Real heroes. Awesome team. Cafe is open.
Written 27 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Belinda E
Brisbane, Australia335 contributions
Expensive, pleasant way to spend a few hours
Oct. 2021
We travelled with our two teen kids (one who is intent on studying medicine) so we had pretty high expectations of this tour. It was pleasant without being amazing and, while we enjoyed supporting such a worthwhile service, we really felt that it was quite over priced for what it offered.

The VR headsets were great and we enjoyed checking out the inside of the plane. My son loved looking at the difference between the modern medical kits and those of the past. We would have rated it higher had the price been more reasonable.
Written 24 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jeremy Ball
Gosnells, Australia23 contributions
So well done
Nov. 2021 • Couples
Gday I have always had a soft spot for the Royal Flying Doctors. This museum somes it up perfectly. The short movie was well done, the virtual head set thing was mind blowing what the nurse had to go thru.The plane gives you a sense of reality. All excellent. And make a donation to such a good cause.
Written 12 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Mike C
Brisbane, Australia8 contributions
Great to learn of its history
Oct. 2021
Thoroughly informative visual presentation supported by supporting memorabilia and details of the Rev John Flynn passion for this great Australian symbol and lifeline of the Australian outback
Written 27 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Murray J
Perth, Australia168 contributions
An amazing exhibition of Royal Flying Doctor history and activities
Oct. 2021
There is a mockup of a real aircraft taht you can walk through. And there are some virtual reality experiences that you can try. For example, you can imagine youself in the cabin sitting near the flight nurse who is treating a patient for a serious injury, and you can imagine yourslf on the flight deck observing the pilot actually flying the aircraft. For those interested in historical aspects, there is an excellent display of the various models of two way radios used by remote stations to communicate with the RFDS base over the different eras.
Also good selection of RM Williams clothing for sale.
Written 24 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Paul E
Adelaide, Australia253 contributions
Great history and insight into the service. Well worth the visit.
Sep. 2021 • Couples
Took the time to visit the RFDS museum and display and found it to be really good. very informative and friendly staff. The video about the history with John Flynn was really cool. The place has some interactive displays which give you a real flight experience within an RFDS plane and plenty of souvenirs too. Well worth a visit and really good coffee in the adjoining cafe.
Written 16 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Lynda M UTTING
Beerwah, Australia161 contributions
Another MUST DO attractions at Alice!!
Jul. 2021
Est. 1928 - it's a fascinating base, a museum, live presentations, video, VR (Virtual Reality) experiences - where we learnt about the day-to-day of the medical team, pilots and engineers - and the patients they carry and care for...
Also a large gift shop - and interesting replica plane inside the centre - you can go through it...
Written 7 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Megsy26
Alice Springs, Australia17 contributions
Great facility but…
Aug. 2021 • Solo
Great facility with excellent pictures and information but, strangely, won’t let you look in the shop unless you’ve done the full tour. As a local, I’ve done the tour several times and brought friends and family to this facility but was denied entry when I went to just look in the shop.
Written 5 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Supchak
Port Blair, India27 contributions
An outback legend
Jun. 2021
This is a very small museum. The experience includes a short film about RFDS and a walk through the museum. Also has a virtual flight simulation experience which is quite fascinating.
Written 5 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum
Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum is open:
  • Sun - Sun 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  • Mon - Sat 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum tours on Tripadvisor
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