• Exhibitions & Galleries

  

  Top Designs

  6pm to 9pm | Upper Level | Exhibition
  Top Designs 2025 celebrates the innovation of Victoria’s VCE and VCE VET design students, offering insight into the future of socially conscious and responsive design.

  First Peoples

  6 to 8pm | Bunjilaka, Ground Level | Exhibition
  Through the voices and languages of the south-eastern First Peoples community, the First Peoples exhibition celebrates the cultures of First Peoples with its rich traditions of performance, storytelling, artwork, and knowledge sharing, set against the history of survival throughout the ongoing impacts of colonisation.

  Melbourne Story

  6 to 9pm | Melbourne Story, Upper Level | Exhibition
  Melbourne Story is packed with icons of the city's past and present – tales of heroes and scoundrels, growth and decline, and the changing ways Melburnians live, work and play.

  Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs

  6 to 9pm | Science & Life Gallery, Ground Level | Exhibition
  An immersive voyage into a lost world to explore the landscapes of the Cretaceous and get to know the creatures that thrived there.

  Science & Life Gallery

  6 to 9pm | Science & Life Gallery, Ground Level | Exhibition
  Walk past the skeletons of 17 prehistoric animals through Dinosaur Walk, discover the origin of life in Victoria told through fossils, models, animatronics and animations, and see a world of insects, spiders, snails and other invertebrates in Bugs Alive!

  Quiet Room

  6 to 9pm | Digital Immersive Studio, Ground Level | Low Sensory Area
  A quiet space to take a break from the event, with soft lighting, comfortable seating and sensory toys.

• Talks & Tours

  Laugh along to a full program of comedy, witty short talks and tours. More coming soon! 

  

  Tricksy Magic

  6:15 & 7:15 | Research Institute Gallery, Ground Level | Comedy & Magic
  Magician, comedian and renter Tricksy Collins crams as much magic, comedy, whimsy and play into 15 minutes that science can allow. Can you keep a secret from Tricksy? Is your eye quicker than Tricksy’s hands? Come test your metal against Tricksy’s wit, or sit back and enjoy Tricksy playing with her food.

  First Peoples Exhibition Introduction

  6:15pm & 7:15pm | Bunjilaka, Ground Level | Expert Talk
  Learn about Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre and the First Peoples exhibition with Jess Alderton, First Peoples Senior Programs Officer at Museums Victoria.

  Cracked Artifacts

  6:30pm & 7:30pm | Little Lon, Melbourne Story, Upper Level | Short Spot Talk
  Discover how recent archaeological finds helped re-write the complex history of Melbourne's historic working-class district, Little Lon. Presented by a Museums Victoria Visitor Engagement Officer.

  School Excursion

  6:45pm & 7:45pm | Research Institute Gallery, Ground Level | Comedy
  When their excursion’s Palaeontologist is sick (as a dino), Year 8 coordinators Barb and Jan (Hannah Camilleri & Nat Harris) take charge, covering course material through a fantastical impromptu dinner experience, inviting dinosaurs over and serving up dishes while discovering what makes them tick.

  Victorian Humour

  7:00pm & 8:00pm | Melbourne Gallery, Upper Level | Expert Talk
  Step into the whimsical world of Coles Book Arcade – a treasure trove of Victorian era jokes, rhymes and absurdities. Presented by Deb Tout-Smith, Museums Victoria’s Senior Curator of Home and Community Life.

  Triceratops Tour

  7pm & 8:30pm | Triceratops, Ground Level | Tour
  Embark on an insider's journey through Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, unearthing fossilised dental records and footprints to reveal the hidden mysteries of triceratops diet and lifestyle. Presented by Sydney Shuherk, Visitor Engagement Team Leader at Museums Victoria.

  Tricksy Collins Comedy Showcase

  8pm | Main Foyer, Ground Level | Comedy
  Comedian, magician and owner of a keytar Tricksy Collins invites you to 15 minutes of the highest octane, wildest, gut-busting comedy you’ve ever seen. How is she doing that with her mouth? Where is that going? How have I not heard of Tricksy earlier? All questions will be asked and never answered.

  Frankie McNair

  8:15pm | Main Foyer, Ground Level | Stand-Up
  Frankie McNair (she/they) won MICF best newcomer 2023 with their mix of standup, non-sequitur sketch, and queer vibes (*chefs kiss). As their vyvanse wears off they will attempt to deliver some of their favourite materials about being a slight mess but trying their best (but probably get distracted several times and derail the whole thing). It’ll be fun!

   

• Activities & Music

  Unplug and play with a DJ, hands on activities and trivia. More coming soon!

  

  DJ Gay Dad

  6 to 9pm | Main Foyer, Ground Level | Music
  DJ Gay Dad is a local queer drag king with an infectious love of disco, house, funk and early 2000s pop bringing deep cuts, nostalgic bangers and campy beats to the dance floor.

  Eggheads Museum Trivia

  6:30pm, 7:30pm & 8:30pm | Museum Café, Ground Level | Trivia
  Get quizzical with bite sized museum trivia and games hosted by comedian Tom Noble.

  Archive of Anecdotes

  6 to 9pm | Between 600 Million years and Bugs Alive | Activity
  Explore decades of hilarious donation requests and un-hinged public enquiries stored for perpetuity in Museums Victoria’s Archives with archivists Nik McGrath and Belinda Borg. Add your own anecdotes to an ephemeral pop-up archive and help us rate what’s laugh-worthy.

  Egg Drop

  6 to 9pm | Foyer, Ground Level | Make & Create
  Physics meets comedy in this classic high school egg dropping competition, with cracking good prizes for those who survive the fall.

• Eat & Drink

  

  Menu

  vgn=Vegan   v=Vegetarian   gf=Gluten Free

  Hot Food	Cost
  Chicken katsu burger, tonkatsu sauce, spicy slaw	$16.50
  Cheeseburger, angus beef patty, bread & butter pickles, seeded bun	$16.50
  Vada pav sliders, spiced potato fritters, tamarind, coriander chutney (2) vgn	$16.50
  Nachos, pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapeno, cheese sauce v, gf	$16.50

   

  Grab & Go	Cost
  Tyrells Crinkly Chips – Sea Salted / Cheddar / Salt & Vinegar	$6
  Maltesers	$7
  Popcorn – Sweet & Salty / Butter	$8
  Choc Tops – Vanilla / Boysenberry / Chocolate	$8.50

   

  Drinks	Cost
  Magic Cocktail	$16
  Magic Mocktail	$14
  Morgan’s Bay Cuvee Sparkling	$12
  Morgan’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc	$11
  Morgan’s Bay Shiraz Cabernet	$11
  Furphy Lager	$10
  Pipsqueak Apple Cider	$10
  James Boags - Premium Light	$8
  Heaps Normal XPA	$8
  Pepsi / Pepsi Max / Solo / Lemonade / Cool Ridge	$5

Accessibility

This in a Neuroinclusive event.

Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your visit.

Presented in partnership with Melbourne Comedy Festival, The A List and ASPECT (Autism Spectrum Australia) and partially funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.