There’s play all day for the young, and all night for the young at heart, as Melbourne Museum celebrates summer with an illuminated playscape, unmissable exhibitions and late-night events every Friday and Saturday night in January.
Enjoy summer days and balmy nights with friends, drop in for a swing, play some board games and catch the last days of much-loved exhibitions Tyama and Bricktionary: the Interactive Exhibition from Lego ®.
Don’t miss Lunar New Year celebrations, a special Nocturnal x Midsumma collaboration, screenings of Avatar: The Way of Water at IMAX and Bite Sized Science and creative workshops designed especially for kids.
Summer days
Get amongst it for Summer of Play on the Plaza, Monday-Sunday, 9am-11pm until 26 February; drop by for a swing and seesaw, play some board games and visit the 196 Below ice-cream truck for museum-inspired flavours.
In the spirit of play and seizing the day, all ages are invited to take a swing on the illuminated I Believe Swings and explore the elemental forces of play in the reimagined interactive Light Seesaw.
A cut above your ordinary playground structures, these interactive art installations, created by local Melbourne art and technology studio ENESS, refire the nostalgia of play all day and night on the Museum Plaza.
Summer Nights
Revel in late summer nights for free every Friday and Saturday night until 11pm this January with DJs, ping pong, board games, illuminated swings and seesaws in Summer of Play.
Pull up a seat in the Plaza’s summer outdoor space, relax under a big umbrella and tune in as a line-up of Melbourne DJs serve up sweet tunes alongside food trucks and cocktails. Create a full evening with twilight tours of the Dome Promenade, after-hours access to Tyama, exclusive Lego® masterclasses for adults, or a late-night screening of Avatar: The Way of Water at IMAX
Lunar New Year 2023
10am – 2pm & 5pm – 9pm, Saturday 21 January
Museums Victoria wishes visitors a Happy New Year of the Rabbit – may it be filled with good fortune and prosperity. To celebrate, visitors can find their zodiac animal, enjoy yum cha and dragon and lion dances, and venture into the Melbourne Museum store for Lunar New Year inspired gifts.
• Sea Bunnies for the Year of the Rabbit | 11am – 2pm
The sea bunny is a fascinating ocean creature; resembling a fluffy bunny, this cute-looking gastropod can’t help but catch the eye. Amazingly, the sea bunny is a sea slug—its common name is Nudibranchs. In this workshop, visitors can create their own sea bunny environment and learn more about these incredible creatures.
• Which Zodiac Animal Are You? | 11am – 2pm, Melbourne Museum Foyer
Zodiac animals are part of an ancient classification system based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. In this workshop, use your birth year and discover your museum animal for Lunar New Year.
• Story Seekers | 9:30am, 11:30pm, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, Learning Lab Studio
Stories are fundamental to the way we learn, inspiring wonder, encouraging discovery and evoking a profound sense of connection with the world around us. Storytelling is at the heart of the museum experience.
For more info visit https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/
