Adventure awaits at Museums Victoria these summer holidays
Fun-filled exhibitions, workshops and activities for families from 14 December – 27 January
Build your own bubble wand, craft stained-glass inspired masterpieces and shrink down to the size of an ant to experience a sensory world beyond human perception when summer holidays hit at Museums Victoria from 14 December.
In the new interactive exhibition Antopia at Melbourne Museum, visitors of all ages are invited to shrink down and experience life from an ant’s perspective. This multisensory adventure blends the physical and the digital for a playful journey into the hidden world beneath our feet. Complementing this experience, Polyglot Theatre’s giant ants bring a playful, whimsical touch, inviting children into a world of curious insects. These immersive experiences celebrate the tiny wonders of nature and the power of imagination.
IMAX Melbourne continues the adventure to the bustling world beneath our feet with Bugs 3D: Micro Monsters. Specialist macro camerawork reveals the extraordinary superpowers of ants, scorpions, beetles and other incredible creatures that keep ecosystems afloat.
Roll up to the Summersphere at Scienceworks from 27 December to 27 January where the much-loved grass arena will be reactivated with hands-on programs, interactive games and giant inflatable balls. You'll be amazed at the beauty and complexity of these seemingly simple spheres. Marvel at the spectacular Museum of the Moon, a stunning 4-metre installation that brings the lunar surface to the Planetarium foyer.
Let your imagination soar at the Immigration Museum with holiday craft activities inspired by Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition. Gaze up at the iconic stained-glass windows and create your own masterpieces while learning about this historical cathedral. As the sun sets, join Minus18 for a vibrant Night at the Museum, where rainbow-themed activities and pride events take centre stage for young people aged 12 to 19.
Read on for program details of Museums Victoria’s summer school holidays highlights. For the full school holidays program, download the overview here.
Melbourne Museum
14 December – 10 March 2025 | 9.00am–5.00pm | Children $23 / Member $19 / Concession $28 / Adult $33 / Flexible ticket $39
Experience a day in the life of the humble and hard-working insect as you wander through their world in Antopia. Discover the complex and fascinating ant superorganism in this interactive experience that digitally reinterprets a world of secret senses. From creators of the award-winning exhibition Tyama, Antopia is perfect for families, kids and adults. This contemporary and immersive fusion of art and science promises an adventure like no other.
2 January – 25 January 2025 | Daily | 10.00am, 11.30am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm | Children $10 / Members $8
Kids can dive into the miniature world of ants, creating their own ant dioramas in a vibrant, sensory-rich environment that includes a hands-on watercolour session. Highlighted by a live ant colony for a rare, close-up experience, the program brings the wonders of the ant world to life with interactive, creative activities. While this program is designed for ages 5 to 12, parents are welcome to join the fun or relax and watch as young imaginations soar.
14 December and 8 January – 25 January 2025 (excluding 13, 14 and 20 January) | 10.00am (outdoors on Museum Plaza, free) | 11.00am, 1.00pm & 2.00pm (indoors in Main Foyer, free with museum entry)
Join the interactive adventure of Ants. Kick off each day with a free performance on the Museum Plaza, before heading inside for an exciting lineup of performances within Melbourne Museum. Giant ants invite children into a whimsical experience filled with breadcrumbs and curious insects. As kids collaborate, a captivating world unfolds, transforming everyday spaces into magical landscapes. This enchanting performance explores the nature of work and how children connect with their surroundings. This season of Ants is supported by the City of Melbourne.
IMAX
BUGS 3D: Micro Monsters and T. REX 3D
Opens December 14 | Daily | Children $12/ Members $10/ Concession $16 / Adult $26.50
There’s something for creatures of all sizes these school holidays with IMAX’s edu-taining 45-minute documentaries. Shrink down to the size of an Australian green ant to build an intricate nest in BUGS 3D: MICRO MONSTERS or come face-to-face with Melbourne Museum’s very own Horridus the Triceratops and the mighty T. rex as the two dinos go toe-to-toe in a battle of the ages in T.REX 3D. Make a day of it with a joint ticket to Melbourne Museum’s Antopia and IMAX.
Scienceworks
Until 27 January 2025 | Daily | 10.00am–4.30pm | Children $10 / Member child $8 / Concession $10 / Adult $25 / Senior $20
Don’t miss your last chance to be blown away by Air Playground in its final days. Play with air, the amazing invisible elemental force, and experience the science of aerodynamics. Float objects in mid-air, place material in fast moving air-jets, squish a giant inflatable tentacle sculpture with your body, launch balls sky-high with compressed air, craft paper planes to soar and more.
27 December – 27January 2025 | Daily | 12.00pm and 2.00pm | Included with Scienceworks entry
Discover the wonder of bubbles in this free 20-minute amphitheatre show. Be amazed at the beauty and complexity of these seemingly simple spheres. Fun for all ages, this show is the perfect blend of entertainment and science.
Museum of the Moon
Daily | 10.00am–4.30pm | Included with Scienceworks entry
This stunning four-metre art installation brings the lunar surface to life, with incredible details that will leave you starstruck. Visit the Planetarium Foyer and gaze up at our magnificent Museum of the Moon.
Immigration Museum
Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition
6 December 2024 – 27 April 2025 | Daily | 10.00am–5.00pm | Children free / Member free / Adult $15
This new immersive exhibition relives the spectacular history of the Notre-Dame de Paris in an augmented takeover of the Long Room at Immigration Museum. Explore the iconic cathedral’s history, from its earliest origins in the Middle Ages when the first stones were laid, to the lavish wedding of King Henry IV in 1572, to the modern-day restoration following the devastating 2019 fire, and many more time-traveling moments.
Notre-Dame Windows
2 January – 28 January 2025 | Daily | 10.00am–5.00pm | Free
Be amazed by the magnificent Notre-Dame cathedral in Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition; learn how stones, statues, glass and gargoyles combined to make this beautiful building; and create your own stained ‘glass’ masterpiece. All materials provided.
Night at the Museum – Minus18 Youth Party
25 January 2025 | 6.30pm–9.30pm | Free
Enjoy a night of rainbow activities and pride activations exclusively for young people 12–19 years old. Expect DJs, drag and dancing; drawing activities and games; complimentary food and drinks; and special access to Joy and Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition. This event is smoke, vape, drug and alcohol-free, and will be supported by a dedicated youth worker team and Auslan interpreters.
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