Affordable family fun awaits in Scienceworks’ spectactular winter holiday program

06 June 2024

Australia’s science museum is transforming into an experiential wonderland to keep families warm and entertained these winter school holidays. From Sunday 29 June to Sunday 14 July, find yourself flowing through Air Playground, blown away by the wonders of science in Air Palooza, escaping into the stratosphere in the Planetarium and much more.

Marvel as 2 million volts of electricity course through the Lightning Theatre. Steal a rare glimpse behind the scenes at some of Scienceworks’ vast and jaw-dropping collection (and the fascinating stories within). Dig into the very roots of Melbourne's STEM history in the iconic Pumping Station. Whether you're a seasoned science buff, a little learner, or somewhere in between, there's something fun for everyone at Scienceworks.

See the full lineup of experiences below:

Air Playground
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 10:00am – 4:30pm
Adults $25, Seniors $20, Children $10, Concession $10, Members $8
All tickets include Scienceworks entry

Jump into Air Playground and explore the marvel of aerodynamics the best way there is – by having fun!

Whoosh, swirl, gust, squish, flow and float your way through the chaos of the ultimate learning playground. Levitate objects in mid-air, slurp the vibrant flags through a controllable network of suctioning pipes, bounce on the giant inflated tentacle sculpture, launch balls sky-high with compressed air and craft soaring paper planes. The sky’s the limit!

Air Palooza

29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 12:00pm & 2:00pm | Included with entry
Once you’ve experienced Air Playground, be sure to float on over to the Amphitheatre for our twice-daily live Science show Air Palooza – it'll blow you away!

Witness the fog cannon, giant mist-filled bubbles, levitating balls, a mad scientist’s workshop’s worth of eye-popping inventions in a show filled with captivating demonstrations and experiments that bring invisible forces to life.

Guided Highlights Tours
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 1:30pm
Adult $25 | Senior $20 | Child/Concession $10 | Member $8
All tickets include Scienceworks entry

Australia’s science museum is home to a myriad of marvels. Explore the precinct with your knowledgeable guide and encounter some of Scienceworks’ truest treasures, including the world’s oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer, the Da Vinci Surgical System (the first ever used in Australia), a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite and much more.

FlushBack
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 1:00pm & 2:00pm | iPads $3 | $2 for members

Step back in time to save the future of the heritage-listed Spotswood Pumping Station in Scienceworks’ award-winning augmented reality adventure. Grab an iPad from the front desk and save Melbourne from becoming 'Smellbourne’, encountering a colourful cast of characters from Melbourne’s history along the way in this fun, interactive and educational experience.

Planetarium Shows
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | $10 child and concession | $8 Museum Members

Sit back, tilt that chin to the heavens and enjoy out-of-this-world experiences specially created for a hemispherical hoot. All Planetarium sessions include the special guided presentation ‘What’s in the Sky Tonight?’, exploring the heavenly happenings above your head as they really are that day – no two presentations are the same!

From family-favourite story-time movies to enthralling space documentaries, hypnotic host-led presentations and more, Melbourne’s home of astronomy truly has something for everyone.

• 11:00am daily – Tycho Goes to Mars
  Join the adorable, mischievous dog Tycho as he blasts off on an adventure to Mars, learning all about the red planet along the way.
  Suitable for ages 5 to 8.
• 12:00pm and 2:00pm – Solar System Adventures: Where’s the Water?
  Tour the giant icy mountains of Pluto, sail through jets of salty water erupting from Saturn’s tiny moon Enceladus, and plunge into dark shadowy craters on scorching hot Mercury on a quest to answer one of the universe’s most vital questions: where’s the water?
  Suitable for ages 7+.
• 1:00pm – Starlight
  Narrated by multi-award-winning Australian actress Sigrid Thornton, join young, brave Margaret on an out-of-this-world journey to discover constellations and ancient cultures, the inner workings of our sun and the birth and death of a star.
  Suitable for ages 8+.
• 3:00pm – Capturing the Cosmos
  Produced in partnership with the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), explore the exciting discoveries being made every day by astronomers right here in Australia.
  Suitable for ages 8+.
• 4:00pm – Dark Side of the Moon
  Get ready to melt into your chair with this gooey, psychedelic brain massage. Enjoy the entire classic 1973 album set to vibrant computer-generated visuals – time to introduce the kids to some real music.
  Suitable for ages 13+.

The Glow Show
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm and 3:00pm
$10 child and concession | $8 Museum Members
All tickets include Scienceworks entry

Take a seat in our Lightning Theatre and be mesmerised by this visually stunning 30-minute live show. Delve into the science behind luminosity and witness visually stunning demonstrations of glow-producing phenomena, before plugging your ears as 2 million volts of electricity rip through the air when the iconic tesla coil shows you what real lightning looks like!

Pumping Station Orientation
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 11:00am | Included with Scienceworks entry

Sniff out some smelly stories and explore the magnificent engine room, marvelling at the engineering feat that helped overcome the stench of 19th century Melbourne in our daily volunteer-led Pumping Station Orientation.

Orientations run subject to guide availability and weather conditions.

Collection Store Orientation
29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024 | Daily | 12:00pm | Included with Scienceworks entry

Take an exclusive look behind-the-scenes with a volunteer-led orientation of the Scienceworks Collection Store. Get a rare glimpse behind the scenes at some of the 100,000 collection items stored at Scienceworks, and hear the amazing stories behind them.

Orientations run subject to guide availability and weather conditions.

 

 

 

Scienceworks is Australia’s science museum.

 

 

Winter Holidays at Scienceworks

Running: 29 June 2024 – 14 July 2024

Location: Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood
Tickets on sale at Scienceworks and online here: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/whats-on/school-holidays/