WINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS AT MUSEUMS VICTORIA

Museums Victoria has got it covered these winter holidays with affordable and free programs for kids and their families. From sport, science and history, there is something for everyone.

Families can explore the fascinating world of iridescence in nature at Scienceworks’ Colour exhibition. Fresh from the much-loved Questacon in Canberra, it features 21 hands-on experiences. Play with coloured bubbles, lose yourself in optical illusions, encounter jewelled insects and discover how light creates the beautiful colours all around us. Visitors of all ages can experiment, explore and be amazed at the science and sensations behind one of the most powerful forces shaping how we see and experience the world.

Over at Melbourne Museum, ancient Rome is still on the itinerary. Kids can get crafty creating their own mosaics to add to the towering pillars in the foyer, or fashion a gladiator helmet to live their best warrior lives as they imagine storming the arena. For curious kids who want to learn about the world around them, Our Wonderous Planet celebrates the incredible biodiversity and wonders of nature. Traverse the globe and experience four of Earth’s biomes: reef, rainforest, ice and soil and encounter the animal ecosystems that make up our natural world.

As world cup fever hits, learn about how football brings a vital sense of community and belonging in the new Home is Football exhibition at the Immigration Museum. The exhibition features incredible and inspirational experiences from players around Australia showing that football is so much more than who wins and loses.

At IMAX, kids and their families can experience some of the most elusive and extraordinary animals with WILD ASIA 3D. Narrated by Colin Firth and developed by BBC Studios, WILD ASIA 3D showcases never-before-seen wildlife moments including snow leopards, red pandas, jerboas, sea bunnies and more. From the towering Himalayas to the vibrant coral seas of the Pacific, this giant screen adventure takes audiences on a journey across Asia’s most extreme landscapes in IMAX 3D.

Read on for winter holiday program highlights or see the full program of activities and events here.

Melbourne Museum

Our Wondrous Planet
Open daily | 9am–5pm | Cost: Child Free / Adult $18 / Members Free / Senior $12 / Concession Free | Included with museum entry

Discover a world four billion years in the making. In Our Wondrous Planet, you’ll come face to face with animals from around the world: step into their vibrant ecosystems and experience the incredible connections that unite all life on Earth. Play your part in helping to shape a thriving future for our planet.

Mosaic Monuments
27 June–12 July | 11am–3pm | Included with museum entry

Explore the world of ancient Rome as Mosaic Monuments invites families to discover towering ‘ruins’ of the Roman Empire in the museum foyer. Add your own mosaic-inspired designs and watch a vibrant, community-created artwork come to life. A hands-on activity that brings creativity, history and fun together for visitors of all ages.

Creative Lab: Rise of the Gladiators
27 June–12 July | 10.30am–11am / 11am–12pm / 1pm–1.30pm / 2pm–2.30pm | Cost: Child $12 / Member Child $10 / Adult Free

Children aged 6 to 12 can design and build their own gladiator mask in this 30-minute workshop blending hands-on making with theatre and imagination. They will learn about different gladiator styles, the anatomy of Roman helmets, and discover how Roman fighters used helmets, masks and symbols to tell powerful stories in the arena.

Tiny Tours: Rainforest to Reef
Every Tuesday | 10am | Cost: Child $22 / Member Child $18 / Adult $18 / Member Adult Free / Concession Free | Includes museum entry

Get ready to explore how animals survive in some of the world’s most incredible habitats. Designed for curious young minds, this guided tour takes little explorers from the tallest trees to the deepest seas, discovering creatures that are perfectly built for the places they call home. Along the way, uncover how different environments shape the way animals move, eat, hide and thrive.  With interactive storytelling and playful moments throughout, this tour is a fun, hands-on way to spark a lifelong love of nature. The tour takes guests through the Our Wondrous Planet exhibition in the Biodiversity Gallery.
Generously supported by Major Partner, Best Start, Best Life.

Road To Zero

Road To Zero’s Big (Safe) Cardboard Car
29 June–11 July | 10am–3pm | Cost: Free

Kids can colour, stick and discover how car safety features protect our families and other people on the roads every day. Adult visitors can put their knowledge to the test – predicting and checking their vehicle’s safety rating and safety features.

IMAX Melbourne

WILD ASIA 3D at IMAX Melbourne
Opens Thursday 11 June | Check website for session times | Book tickets

Narrated by Colin Firth and developed by BBC Studios, WILD ASIA 3D showcases never-before-seen wildlife moments, featuring some of the continent’s most elusive and extraordinary creatures, including snow leopards, red pandas, jerboas, sea bunnies and many more! From the towering Himalayas to the vibrant coral seas of the Pacific, this giant screen adventure takes audiences on a journey across Asia’s most extreme landscapes in IMAX 3D.

Scienceworks

Colour
Open daily | 10am–4.30pm | Cost: Child $10 / Adult $25 / Senior $22 / Concession $10 / Members $8 | Includes Scienceworks entry

Bursting with curiosity, play and discovery, this spectacular new exhibition from Questacon, Canberra, reveals the surprising science and sensations behind one of the most powerful forces shaping how we see and experience the world. Featuring 27 hands-on experiences, Colour invites visitors of all ages to experiment, explore and be amazed. Play with coloured bubbles, lose yourself in optical illusions, encounter iridescent insects and discover how light creates the colours all around us.

Nature: A Kaleidoscope of Colour
27 June–12 July | 12pm / 1pm / 2pm | Cost: Free with entry to Colour exhibition

In this colourful and creative workshop that blends science and artistry, explore the fascinating world of iridescence in nature. See natural objects in a new light under the microscope, uncover the science behind the vibrant hues found in nature, and create your own irresistibly iridescent bug to take home.

Lights, Colour, Action!
27 June–12 July | 12pm / 2pm | Cost: Free with Scienceworks entry

Prepare to be dazzled in this fun and interactive science show that amazing world of light and what happens when colours mix, bend and bounce. Expect surprising demonstrations, audience participation and plenty of “wow” moments for curious minds.

Solar System Adventures: The Planets
27 June–12 July | 12pm / 2pm | Cost: Child $10 / Adult $25 / Seniors $22 / Concession $10 / Members $8 | Includes Scienceworks entry

Journey through the Solar System in this special presenter-led show in the Planetarium all about the planets. It starts right here on Earth, looking up at the night sky from Melbourne, and then ventures out to our other planetary neighbours. Visit the inner rocky worlds, including the red planet Mars, and then head all the way out to the gas giants. Learn about what makes all these planets special (and strange) as you whizz through the Solar System! For ages 6+.

Planetarium Shows
Daily | 11am–4pm | Cost: Child $10 / Adult $25 / Seniors $22 / Concession $10 / Members $8 | Includes Scienceworks entry

Book into the Planetarium and enjoy an out-of-this-world show exclusive to Scienceworks.
11am and 1pm – Tycho goes to Mars
3pm – Black Holes
4pm – Starlight

Immigration Museum

Home is Football: Belonging in Australian Soccer
Opens 13 June | 10am–5pm | Cost: Child Free / Adult $15 / Members Free / Senior $12 / Concession Free | Included with museum entry

As the world gets consumed by world cup fever, this exhibition explores the ways in which the much-loved universal sport is a source of community for Australians from a broad range of groups and identities. Home is Football features incredible and inspirational experiences from players around Australia which mean so much more than who wins and who loses.