Night at the museum: Sydney man charged after allegedly breaking into dinosaur exhibit

A Sydney man will face court on Monday after allegedly breaking into Australia’s oldest museum and snapping selfies with the dinosaur exhibit.

The man broke into the heritage-listed Australian Museum in Sydney’s CBD just after 1am on Sunday 10 May, and was captured on CCTV cameras wandering around the exhibits for around 40 minutes, according to New South Wales police.

The man was able to get up close and personal with the exhibits thanks to the lack of security guards and queuing patrons. Released CCTV footage shows him casually strolling past a T-Rex skeleton and posing for photos with his head inside the mouth of a dinosaur skull.


He allegedly stole a piece of artwork and a staff member’s cowboy hat off a coat rack, which he donned while leaving the premises.
While the incident somewhat resembles Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum, NSW police wanted to tamp down any speculation of a movie deal in a public warning to the trespasser.

 movie producer knocking on your door. It’s going to be NSW police knocking on your door,” deputy chief inspector Sean Heaney told reporters on Sunday.

A man turned himself in to Surry Hills police station at 5pm that afternoon, where he was arrested and charged with break and enter.

He was refused bail and is due to appear at Central local court.

The museum has been closed for renovations since August last year. But as this incident goes to show, fans will have to wait until the museum’s official reopening to enjoy the exhibits.