Nocturnal: Slim to None

Museum After Dark

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

Journey through the realms of the rare and endangered, unique and unlikely to discover the wonders that defy all odds with a full program of talks, tours and surprises at Nocturnal. 

From elusive creatures to remarkable finds, explore our collections and exhibition, plus your chance to meet 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

  • Exhibition display with large skeleton in the background
    Victoria the T.rex exhibition

    Victoria the T. rex

    6pm to 9pm | Touring Hall, Lower Level | Exhibition
    World-class, interactive exhibition starring 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!

  • Endangered Possums

    6:15pm & 7:30pm | Research Institute Gallery, Ground level | Expert Talk
    Museums Victoria Collection Manager of Vertebrates Karen Roberts shares the incredible story of survival and discovery of Victoria’s elusive and critically endangered Mountain Pygmy and Leadbeater Possums.

    Reptile Rediscovery

    7:15pm & 8:30pm | Research Institute Gallery | Expert Talk
    Jane Melville, Museums Victoria Senior Curator, Terrestrial Vertebrates (Herpetology) shares the inspiring story of the Grasslands Earless Dragon, presumed extinct for over 50 years, and rediscovered in 2023.

    Wandering Back from the Brink

    6:30pm & 8:15pm | Research Institute Gallery | Expert Talk
    How do you search for and rescue one of Australia's rarest birds? Hear from Museums Victoria Curator of Birds Dr Karen Rowe on the elusive and critically endangered Plains-wandered, a ground-dwelling enigma and one-of-a-kind species.

    Triceratops Tour

    6:45pm & 7:45pm | Triceratops, Ground Level | Tour
    Embark on an insider's journey through Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, travelling 66 million years into our planets past to the fiery forces that wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs. Presented by Justin Wright, Museums Victoria Programs Officer.

  • close-up of a bingo ball wheel
    Pop-in for a game of drag bingo for your chance to win heaps of prizes.

    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 hosted by Isis Avis Loren and Jemima Handful.

    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.

    DJ Small FRY

    6pm to 9pm | Foyer | Music
    Host of Mooncake on Triple R, Small FRY blends R&B, hip-hop, electronic and pop from around the world with a sprinkle of K-pop to bring the diverse sounds from Asia and the Asian-diaspora to the dance floor.

  • Woman pouring ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
    Grab a cocktail and a bite to eat.

    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.

Hands pass and receive a bowl of dumplings. Three women gaze upon the massive skeleton of a dinosaur Four museum goers standing in front of display cases containing butterflies and insects laugh as a Museum Victoria Scientist entertains them with education lessons about the museum's insect collections. Adults listening to a talk about Horridus the triceratops while standing around the imposing 85% complete fossil. A DJ works his decks. A drag bingo host and audience playing drag bingo.

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