Spring into school holidays at Museums Victoria
Discover Ancient Rome, explore the brilliant colours of nature and journey on a penguin odyssey these school holidays.
At Museums Victoria these school holidays, kids and their families can journey from ancient Rome to faraway penguin islands, dive into vivid microscopic worlds, and blast off to space with free and affordable activities that invite them to get hands-on and creative.
At Melbourne Museum, visitors can discover what it was like to live in the ancient world before ROME: Empire, Power, People closes on 25 October. A children’s trail booklet, available for free at the exhibition entrance, bring artefacts to life. Children can also visit the Creative Lab: Rise of the Gladiators workshop to build their own helmet, or design colourful tiles for towering pillars in the free Mosaic Monuments drop-in activity.
Our Wondrous Planet teems with creatures big and small, showcasing the stunning biodiversity of our world, from its far-ranging corners to the soil beneath our feet. Families can discover it by day or by night as the wildly popular Family Museum Sleepovers return. For an unforgettable school holiday experience, it’s hard to beat sleeping among the dinosaurs on comfortable Ecosa mattresses, with special tours, an IMAX movie screening and breakfast in the morning.
Over at Scienceworks, the Colour exhibition is as vibrant as ever. Junior scientists can explore the science and art of iridescence in the Nature workshop, or catch the free Lights, Colour, Action! amphitheatre show. At Melbourne Planetarium, families can learn about solar systems in the newest out-of-this-world show, Solar System Adventures: The Planets.
Step into a different kind of odyssey with PENGUIN ISLAND 3D, exclusively in IMAX. Follow one King penguin’s windswept journey to find his queen against all odds, with stunning visuals of a faraway volcanic island and the symphony of its squawking population.
For those who haven’t quite shaken their World Cup fever, the Immigration Museum’s Home Is Football: Belonging In Australian Soccer exhibition, co-created by Melbourne Victory Football Club and Professional Footballers Australia, reveals how Australians from a broad range of groups and identities have built community around the universal sport. Sports fan or not, their stories of resilience and belonging are inspiring to all.
Read on for spring holiday program highlights or see the full program of activities and events here.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Melbourne Museum
Our Wondrous Planet
Dates: Daily
Time: 9am–5pm
Cost: Included with museum entry.
Description: Discover a world four billion years in the making. In Our Wondrous Planet, you’ll come face to face with animals from around the world: step into their vibrant ecosystems and experience the incredible connections that unite all life on Earth. Play your part in helping to shape a thriving future for our planet.
Family Museum Sleepovers
Dates: 18, 19, 25 and 26 September
Time: 6pm
Cost: Child $245 / Member Child $225 / Adult $265 / Member Adult $245
Description: Sleep among the dinosaurs for a once in a lifetime prehistoric adventure and explore the Museum after dark in this unique overnight experience at Melbourne Museum. Enjoy a screening of the iconic Night At The Museum with snacks from the IMAX Candy Bar. After the film, enjoy exclusive torchlight tours of Dinosaur Walk and Our Wondrous Planet exhibition where you will come face to face with animals from around the world! Wake to delicious breakfast and an early morning Baby Triceratops meet and greet before heading off to spend the day exploring the Museum.
Mosaic Monuments
Dates: 19 September–4 October
Time: 11am–3pm
Cost: Included with museum entry.
Description: Step into the world of ancient Rome as Mosaic Monuments invites families to discover towering ‘ruins’ of the Roman Empire in the museum foyer and add mosaic-inspired designs to the printed columns; watch a vibrant, community-created artwork come to life. A hands-on activity that brings creativity, history, and fun together for visitors of all ages.
Creative Lab: Rise of the Gladiators
Dates: 19 September–4 October
Time: 10.30–11am / 11am–12pm / 1–1.30pm / 2–2.30pm
Cost: Child $12 / Member Child $10 / Adult Free
Description: Children aged 6 to 12 can design and build their own gladiator mask in this 30-minute workshop blending hands-on making with theatre and imagination. They will learn about different gladiator styles, the anatomy of Roman helmets, and discover how Roman fighters used
helmets, masks and symbols to tell powerful stories in the arena.
Road To Zero
Stop, Look, Listen, Think and Stick: Your Path to Safety
Dates: 21 September – 3 October
Time: 10am–3pm
Cost: Free
Description: This interactive and engaging activity encourages families to think about safe journeys in their local area, while learning how everyday road features help everyone travel safely. Wind your way through a maze of footpaths, bike paths and roads, making safe pedestrian choices at every turn. You can add stickers of road signs, traffic lights and crossings to guide your journey and help make each path safer. Additional stickers, such as bike riders and people, are included to add interest and represent different road users.
IMAX MELBOURNE
Penguin Island 3D at IMAX Melbourne
Dates: Opens Thursday September 17
Time: Check website for session times
Cost: Book tickets at Penguin Island 3D | IMAX Melbourne
Description: Shot on the dramatic and uninhabited sub-Antarctic Crozet Archipelago, home to over half a million breeding pairs of penguins, this film chronicles the arrival of a lone, determined male suitor, driven by instinct to return to this treeless mote in the vast Southern seas. Here, against all odds, he must find a special someone among a cacophony of colony rivals, protect a precious egg, and start a family.
Scienceworks
Colour
Dates: Daily
Time: 10am–4.30pm
Cost: Child $10 / Concession $10 / Adult $25 / Senior $22 / Member $8. Includes Scienceworks entry.
Description: Bursting with curiosity, play and discovery, this spectacular new exhibition from Questacon, Canberra, reveals the surprising science and sensations behind one of the most powerful forces shaping how we see and experience the world. Featuring 27 hands-on experiences, Colour invites visitors of all ages to experiment, explore and be amazed. Play with coloured bubbles, lose yourself in optical illusions, encounter iridescent insects and discover how light creates the colours all around us.
Nature: A Kaleidoscope of Colour
Dates: 19 September–4 October
Time: 12pm / 1pm / 2pm
Cost: Free with entry to Colour exhibition.
Description: In this colourful and creative workshop that blends science and artistry, explore the fascinating world of iridescence in nature. See natural objects in a new light under the microscope, uncover the science behind the vibrant hues found in nature, and create your own irresistibly iridescent bug to take home.
Lights, Colour, Action!
Dates: 19 September–4 October
Time: 12pm and 2pm
Cost: Free with Scienceworks entry.
Description: Prepare to be dazzled in this fun and interactive science show that amazing world of light and what happens when colours mix, bend and bounce. Expect surprising demonstrations, audience participation and plenty of “wow” moments for curious minds.
Solar System Adventures: The Planets
Dates: 19 September–4 October
Time: 12pm and 2pm
Cost: Child $10 / Concession $10 / Adult $25 / Seniors $20 / Members $8. Includes Scienceworks entry.
Description: Journey through the Solar System in this special presenter-led show in the Planetarium all about the planets. It starts right here on Earth, looking up at the night sky from Melbourne, and then ventures out to our other planetary neighbours. Visit the inner rocky worlds, including the red planet Mars, and then head all the way out to the gas giants. Learn about what makes all these planets special (and strange) as you whizz through the Solar System! For ages 6+.
Immigration Museum
Home is Football: Belonging in Australian Soccer
Dates: Daily
Times: 10am–5pm
Cost: Included with museum entry.
Description: As the world gets consumed by world cup fever, this exhibition explores the ways in which the much-loved universal sport is a source of community for Australians from a broad range of groups and identities. Home is Football features incredible and inspirational experiences from players around Australia which mean so much more than who wins and who loses.
