When you head to the national institution this summer, you'll be able to indulge in a little bit of 1950s nostalgia and a coffee from its custom-made, pastel pink and pistachio green coffee van named Betty.

Located in the museum's Garden of Australian Dream outside the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre, the design is a nod to the 1950s Propert Trailaway caravan on display in the Gandel Atrium. The original is a one-off model built by the founder of the Propert Building Works in Sydney, Thomas Propert, for advertising purposes.

In the case of Betty - which was built by Spitfire Vintage Caravans - it was the caravan's vintage style, and colours that inspired the design.

"The Discovery Centre opened in September and the feedback we got from the visitors is that they really wanted a coffee point," National Museum manager of venue services Melinda Kibukamusoke said.

"And the Propert caravan is my favourite object in the museum. And so I saw these beautiful vans online, and I knew we had to have one. So I contacted the company and sent them pictures of our caravan, and said we want one like this.

"They did a customised the paint job, and I designed the inside. And here she is, Betty. It doesn't have any significance other than it's a retro kind of name."

And the man dishing out the coffees? John Mimellis, from Little Mez in Phillip.

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Not only has he curated the menu of drinks and snacks, but he's also responsible for the music. In fact, that's part of the reason the Canberran was first approached for the job.

As well as being the man behind Little Mez, Mr Mimellis is a DJ and has been spinning the decks at various National Museum events for about a decade.

"The aim of what we're trying to do is a value add for the parents that come down here to this beautiful venue," he said.

"The kids have a lot of fun and they stay occupied, and parents need something a little more than just to see the smiles on the kids' faces. So we fuel them up with the caffeine and other little goodies over there.

"In terms of the product itself, we've brought down a boutique coffee from Sydney that's not available in Canberra at all.

"Everything is curated and that's part of the brand as well. So essentially, we're trying to create a bit of a vibe."

At the moment, Betty is open daily from 10am to 2pm until January 26. There are plans for the caravan to return in different capacities in the future, including peak visitation periods and events.

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