Nocturnal: Earth Shattering

Museum After Dark

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What
18+ EVENT
When
Tickets
Adult $35
Concession $30
Member $25

From cataclysmic events and forces that shape our universe to the primal and passionate, our world has the potential to earth shatter. Explore the earthshaking and world-changing events that shape us with a full program of talks and tours, plus after-hours access to our collections and exhibition, including Victoria the T. rex, included with your ticket. 

Start the weekend early, learn something new with friends, and enjoy food, drinks, music and more until late. 

Make a night of it and book a 9pm screening of the T.REX 3D at IMAX. 

Narrated by Sam Neill, this IMAX 3D exclusive promises the most dazzling and accurate T. rex documentary yet.

Program & Schedule

  • Dinosaur skull in an exhibition showcase. There is a large skeleton behind the showcase.
    Victoria the T.rex exhibition

    Victoria the T.rex

    6pm to 9pm | Touring Hall, Lower Level | Exhibition
    This world-class, interactive exhibition stars the real fossil skeleton of a 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus named Victoria.

    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

    Deadly Kween Jumpsuit designed by Teagan Cowlishaw

    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.

    Melbourne Story

    6pm 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

    6pm 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

    6pm 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!

  • A tour guide leads a group of museum goers through the Dynamic Earth Exhibition.
    Learn behind-the scenes stories about our museum and the history of our amazing collections, like Dynamic Earth.

    Force & Fury

    6:15pm & 7:30pm | Research Institute Gallery, Ground Level | Expert Talk
    Journey through time and chaos, exploring the forces that have reshaped Earth with Oskar Lindenmayer, Collection Manager of the Geosciences collection at Museums Victoria.

    Ring of Fire

    6:30pm & 8:30pm | Digital Immersive Studio, Ground Level | Expert Talk
    Talanoa with Sione Napi Francis, Collection Manger at Museums Victoria and connect with community stories from Aotearoa New Zealand, Hawaii and Tonga and their reactions to living alongside the “ring of fire”, a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edge of Moana Oceania.

    Asteroid Impact

    7pm & 8pm | Triceratops, Ground Level | Expert Talk
    Journey 66 million years back in time to our planet’s most earth-shattering event - the cataclysmic impact that wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs, with Thomas Rich, Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at Museums Victoria.

    Black Holes

    7:15pm & 8:15pm | Digital Immersive Studio, Ground Level | Expert Talk
    Dive into the cosmic abys of black holes with Dr Tanya Hill, Museums Victorias Senior Curator of Astronomy.

    Triceratops Tour

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

  • A drag queen draws numbers from a bingo wheel.
    Try your luck while having a laugh.

    Dino Bingo

    6:30pm, 7:30pm & 8:30pm | Museum Café, Ground Level | Bingo
    Unearth your fortune and dab your way to victory with dinosaur inspired Drag Bingo.

    Mini Masterpieces

    6pm to 9pm | Main Foyer | Art Drop-in
    Design your own wearable brooch inspired by feathered theropods like Victoria the T. rex, a distant relative of the magnificent birds we see today that have inspired fashion for millennia.

    O Honey

    6pm to 9pm | Foyer | Music
    Eva, also known as O Honey, spins a unique blend of street-soul, funk, disco, afro, and latin, drawing inspiration from the greats of the past while keeping her sound fresh and contemporary.

  • A bar-person prepares a cocktail in a shaker.
    Indulge in a cocktail and grab a selection of delicious nibblies.

    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 and 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.

Three museum goers take a break and grab a bite and a drink. Museum goers drink wine while learning about the Museum's amazing collections. A woman points in excitement at the insects on display at Melbourne Museum. a couple sit with their arms around each other at Melbourne Museum Woman holing microphone in front of TV screen giving talk. A couple walk through the foyer of the museum holding beers.

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