PETALING JAYA, May 20 — A night at the museum did not end well for one German student in Sydney.

Reuters reported that Paul Kuhn has been charged with breaking into the Australian Museum at 1am on May 10, based on CCTV footage that shows the 25-year-old wandering around the exhibits.

He was caught on camera snapping a selfie with a dinosaur skull and swiping some "souvenirs” on his way out, including a cowboy hat and a piece of artwork.

The country’s oldest museum has been closed to the public since August last year for renovations and New South Wales (NSW) Police chief inspector Sean Heaney said Kuhn managed to gain access by climbing some nearby scaffolding.

"He was in there for about 40 minutes. He wandered through some of the internal areas and checked some lockers and doors.

"He certainly enjoyed his night at the museum,” said Heaney.

Kuhn appeared in court on Monday, May 18 where he faces charges of stealing the cowboy hat and piece of artwork.

The authorities granted him bail on the condition that he surrenders his passport and adheres to a curfew.