The museum's wildly popular Halloween celebration is expanding into a two-night spectacle.
Melbourne Museum is the ultimate destination for all things spooky this October. Following a phenomenally successful 2025 event that drew 4200 trickers and treaters, a brand-new expanded format will offer two distinct experiences tailored for different kinds of thrill-seekers: an all-ages evening of frightfully good fun on 30 October and a darker, glamorous adults-only gala on 31 October.
Both events draw inspiration from the real-life oddities and mysteries hidden away in museum collections, inviting visitors to discover how nature is often stranger than fiction. Always grounded in scientific fact and historical truth, the museum's Halloween events offer a unique perspective, equal parts thrilling and spine-chilling.
The museum will open its doors to visitors of all ages on Friday 30 October for a creepy-crawly evening of bizarre discoveries. Museums Victoria scientists will present actual specimens and artefacts alongside live music performances and the now-traditional costume parade.
On Saturday 31 October, the precinct will transform into The Haunted Gala, Melbourne’s most extraordinary costume party. This adults-only celebration of the strange, sublime, and stylish will reveal what lurks in the darkest corners of the museum. Visitors will arrive in glamour on the red carpet and can summon a themed cocktail before embarking on a dazzling journey of dark science, palm and tarot readings, and spooky stories. Live performances and roving characters will keep the energy high alongside a DJ-led dancefloor.
A premium Full Moon package grants further access to exclusive experiences and a selection of complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages all night long.
Ahead of the Halloween weekend at Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks will host its own spooky adults-only evening, Science in the Shadows, on Friday 23 October. The event will feature an out-of-this-world Planetarium experience that explores the terrifying vastness of the universe, plus a closer look at the kaleidoscopic brilliance that nature costumes itself with in the Colour exhibition.
Looking forward to the eerie extravaganza, Lynley Crosswell, Museums Victoria Director & CEO, said, “Halloween at the Museum is a unique take on the spookiest time of year, drawing on Museums Victoria’s extensive science and history collections to give visitors a genuinely thrilling experience in every sense of the word.
“Our Halloween events, grounded in our belief that scientific and historical facts are stranger than fiction, are phenomenally popular. The new expanded format with the introduction of the Gala event will cement its place on Melbourne’s cultural calendar.”
Tickets for both Halloween weekend events are now on sale via the Melbourne Museum website.
Accessibility
We can assist with any access requirements you may have for these programs, please contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected].au to discuss how we can support your museum visit.
Halloween at the Museum Family Event
Date/Time: Friday 30 October, 6pm to 9:30pm
Location: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street Carlton
Tickets: $20 to $39 on sale at Melbourne Museum and online.
The Haunted Gala
Date/Time: Saturday 31 October, 7pm–11pm
Location: Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street Carlton
Tickets: General admission $75 to $85 and Full Moon package $115 to $150 on sale at Melbourne Museum and online.
Media and Communications Team
Museums Victoria [email protected] 0466 622 621
