Adults listening to a talk about Horridus the triceratops while standing around the imposing 85% complete fossil.

Nocturnal: By Accident or Design

Museum After Dark

Get tickets JOIN MEMBERS
What
18+ EVENT
When
Tickets
Adult $30
Concession $28
Member $25

Celebrate creativity, innovation and the serendipitous discoveries and meticulously crafted designs that have shaped our world, with a full program of talks, tours and a chance to explore our collections and exhibitions until late.

Whether by accident or design, learn something new with friends, and enjoy food, drinks, music and more until late.

Program & Schedule

Full program coming soon!

  • A couple, carrying drinks, point up at the skeleton of a pigmy blue whale in the foyer of Melbourne Museum
    Sate your thirst and curiosity.

    First Peoples

    6PM 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.

    Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion  

    6pm – 8pm | Bunjilaka, Ground Level | Exhibition 
    A celebration of Indigenous art, history and culture through contemporary fashion and design, bringing together a selection of garments and textiles by First Nations designers and artists from around Australia. 

    Top Designs 

    6pm – 9pm | Upper Level | Exhibition 
    Top Designs 2024 celebrates the innovation of Victoria’s VCE and VCE VET design students, offering insight into the future of socially conscious and responsive design. 

    Melbourne Story

    6 to 9pm | Melbourne story, upper level | Exhibition
    Melbourne Story is full of 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, learn about the Earth's structure from hundreds of specimens from Museum Victoria's geological collections, and see a world of insects, spiders, snails and other invertebrates in Bugs Alive!

  • Museum goers drink wine while learning about the Museum's amazing collections.
    Drinks, displays and demonstrations. What could be better?

    Triceratops Tour

    7pm & 8:30pm | Triceratops, Ground Level | Tour
    Embark on an insider's journey through Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, unearthing gripping tales of accidental discovery, illuminating the hidden mysteries of fossil formation and acquisition. Presented by Justin Wright, Museums Victoria’s Programs Officer.

    Evolving Perception

    6:15pm & 7:30pm | Research Institutre Gallery | Expert Talk
    Explore the enigmatic evolution of our senses, tracing their accidental design back to ocean-dwelling creatures. Join Dr Johanna Simkin, neuroscientist and Senior Curator of Human Biology and Medicine at Museums Victoria, as she unravels the complexities of how evolution shaped our perception of the world.

  • A couple smile for the camera while at a 'make and take' craft table.
    Punctuate your night will fun activities.

    Museum Masterminds 

    6:30pm & 7:30pm | Museum Café, Ground Level | Trivia 
    Get quizzical with Museum trivia, hosted by science communicator and comedian Alanta Colley.

    Cut & Paste Poetry

    6 to 9pm | SciPod | Poetry Workshop

    Unleash your inner poet and let your words dance and collide by accident or design in a museum inspired poetry workshop led by poet Ken Chau.

    Mini Masterpieces

    6pm to 9pm | Foyer, Ground Level | Art Drop-in
    Design your own wearable bug inspired by the awe-inspiring rainbow stag beetle and peacock spider.

    Rakhi

    6 to 9pm | Foyer, Ground Level | Music 

    'Shortlisted for 'Best DJ' at Music Victoria Awards 2023, Rakhi has become notorious for her energy building sets, seamlessly merging unlikely genres from around the globe into her signature blend of bass, melody, and rhythm-focused music.

  • A couple walk through the foyer of the museum holding beers.
    Enjoy food and drinks across the ground floor.

    Menu

    Portobello mushroom burger with jalapeno mayo and vegan cheddar on a pumpkin bun (vgn | gfo)
    Classic cheeseburger with grass-fed beef patty, pickles, burger sauce and cheddar on a seeded milk bun
    Chicken katsu burger with panko chicken, tonkatsu sauce and slaw on a seeded milk bun
    Loaded nachos with pulled brisket chili, guacamole, pico de gallo, queso (vgo | gfo)

    Bar snacks

    Vege Crisps $6
    Popcorn $6

    vgn - vegan | gfo - gluten free option available | vgo – vegetarian option

    Enjoy food and drinks across the ground floor.

    Please note: to protect our collections, food and drinks are not permitted in gallery spaces.

Accessibility

We can assist with any access requirements you may have for this program, please contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your Museum visit.

Woman taking a small group of adults on a tour around the museum. Two women reading exhibition text with two dinosaur legs in the foreground. Woman pouring ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Couple holding hands with small group of adults behind them. Man and woman making paper insects craft activity at a table.

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