Experience Melbourne Museum after hours on the first Thursday of each month when the doors stay open late and the night belongs to adults.
Nocturnal: Museum After Dark invites you to explore the museum child-free, perfect for a memorable date night or an easy catch-up with friends. Wander the galleries at your own pace, away from the daytime crowds, and discover new perspectives through a curated program of talks and tours offering rare behind-the-scenes insights into our exhibitions and collections.
Enjoy access to ROME: Empire Power, People after-hours with your Nocturnal ticket and explore Ancient Rome’s political, cultural and social worlds in this premier exhibition.
As the night unfolds, enjoy a live DJ, drinks and snacks available at Museum Market Café. Relax, explore and experience Melbourne Museum in a whole new light - after dark.
Tickets
Adult $25
Concession $22.50
Members $20
Enjoy access to our newest exhibition, ROME: Empire Power, People after-hours included at no extra cost with your Nocturnal ticket and explore Ancient Rome’s political, cultural and social worlds in a more intimate setting free of children.
Date & Time
First Thursday of the month
6 to 9:30pm
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
ROME: Empire, Power, People
6 to 9pm | Touring Hall, Lower Ground Level | Exhibition
Featuring original statues, mosaics, frescoes, jewellery and everyday objects from the humblest to the most sumptuous, this Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Rome’s political, cultural and social life.
Our Wondrous Planet
6 to 9:30pm | Melbourne Story, Upper Level | Exhibition
Experience our planet's intricate and interconnected ecosystems, from rainforests to coral reefs to polar seas. Large scale projections and hands-on interactives bring these worlds to life.
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 9:30pm | 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 9:30pm | 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 9:30pm | 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!
Music by DJ Friday (PBS FM)
6pm | Café Bar, Ground Level | Music
DJ Friday is Elle Young - a vocalist, musician, DJ and radio host, who's meticulous pursuit of interesting music led her to establish her Monday drive program Headhunters on Naarm's PBS FM in 2017. Her DJ sets explore rhythmic focused sounds that favour non-Western elements which are modern and aimed at the dancefloor. Elle is a core member of the Naarm dance party collective Other Worlds Other Sounds, who hold regular nights at Ferdyderke, Section 8, Howler, Angel Music Bar and most recently Wonder Mountain Festival in Beechworth, Victoria. Elle has played at Meredith, Strawberry Fields and Meadow Festival and is a fixture at most inner suburban bars and clubs.
George Browning Dioramas by Museum Victoria Staff
6pm I Beside Dinosaur Walk, Ground Floor I Activity
George Browning (1918-2000) was an artist who created celebrated exhibition designs and dioramas for the National Museum of Victoria (now Museums Victoria) in the 1930s-1950s, returning years later to continue his work with the museum in the 1980s. Join museum workers (Bec Carland, Tim Ziegler, Rolf Schmidt, Nina Whittaker, Nicole Kearney, Jack Eastaugh, and Nik McGrath) Beside Dinosaur Walk to share some items from the George Browning collection and discuss the creative genius of George Browning. Arts and crafts supplies will be available if you'd like to make your own diorama creation inspired by Browning's work.
Melbourne’s Palace with author Dr. Michelle Stevenson
6:30pm | Foyer, Ground Level | Expert Talk
In most great cities there is one building that epitomises its spirit and history. In Melbourne, it is the Royal Exhibition Building, surrounded by the magnificent Carlton Gardens. Built for the Melbourne International Exhibition held in 1880–81, the site was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004 – the first building in Australia to achieve that honour. This iconic site continues to unite people and ideas from across the globe.
Dr Michelle Stevenson, Head of History & Technology at the Museums Victoria Research Institute, has written the authoritative guide to this remarkable site, presenting the grandeur and opulence of Australia’s most historically significant building and stunning vistas of Carlton Gardens across the seasons. The book features engaging text alongside beautiful modern photography and a diverse array of archival imagery, including early plans and illustrations of the building and gardens.
Come along to hear Dr Michelle Stevenson share a wealth of fascinating stories connected to the site’s rich heritage. There will be an opportunity to meet the author and have your book signed after the talk, 6:45 at the Museum Store.
ROME: Empire, Power, People special performances by Harpist Genevieve Fry
6pm, 7pm & 8pm | Touring Hall, Lower Ground Level | Performance
Genevieve Fry is an interdisciplinary artist based in Narrm. Interested in exploratory music and improvisation drawing inspiration from the natural world, their soundscapes encourage an inward journey touching on deep time, memory and sense of place.
ROME: Empire, Power, People Spot Talks
6:30pm, 7.30pm & 8.30pm | Touring Hall, Lower Ground Level | Visitor Engagement Led Talk
Step into the grandeur of the Roman Empire and view more than 180 original objects that are being displayed in Melbourne for the first time. These hourly, ten-minute spot talks, held in the exhibition by a Rome exhibition guide, will offer intimate details about the exhibition and Roman life, with the opportunity to continue exploring it at your own pace afterwards.
Are you smarter than a fish, and are you stupid enough to ask? with Maëlan Tomasek
7:30pm I FOYER, GROUND FLOOR I EXPERT TALK
Humans like to think they sit on top of the pyramid of intelligence, but what does “intelligence” even mean? For decades, animal cognition research has been dissecting the concept of intelligence and has given other animals the opportunity to show what it means to be smart. Dive in the fascinating world of fish cognition with Maëlan Tomasek, beyond the fishbowl and into the wild, and discover how fish redefine the contours of intelligence and ask us a simple question: if pyramids have pointy tops; why are we so set on building one to sit on?
Triceratops with Amelia Ingram
8pm | Triceratops, Ground Level | Tour
Embark on an insider's journey through Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs and uncover the secrets behind one of the most complete triceratops fossils ever found.
ACCESSIBILITY
Please view our accessibility page for general information. A sensory map of Melbourne Museum can be found on our Visual Stories page where step-by-step visual and written access guides are available. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your visit.
