18+ event

Museum After Dark | Nocturnal: Decoded

Thursday 14 August

Museums Victoria / Melbourne Museum / What's on / Museum After Dark | Nocturnal: Decoded

Overview Program & schedule Gallery Accessibility

Explore a world teeming with life this National Science Week at Nocturnal: Force of Nature, your adults only invite to experience Melbourne Museum up late and child free.

Decode the wonders of our universe and celebrate National Science Week at Nocturnal, your adults only invite to experience Melbourne Museum up late and child free.

Whether you’re looking for a Thursday night out or a unique date night spot, we have you covered with two levels of exhibitions, interactive activates, a full program of themed talks and surprises.

Start the weekend early, learn something new with friends, and enjoy food, drinks, music and more until 9pm.

Tickets

Adult $25

Concession $22.50

Member $20

Date & Time

Thursday 14 August

6 to 9pm

Get Tickets Join members

PROGRAM & SCHEDULE

A group of friends laughing and chatting at an after dark Melbourne Museum Event

Enjoy this rare opportunity to see Melbourne Museum's exhibitions child-free.

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 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

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, and see a world of insects, spiders, snails and other invertebrates in Bugs Alive!

Learn something new with short talks and tours led by our museum experts.

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.

Get up close with our rarely seen collections and hear from the expert curators who know them best.

First Peoples Exhibition Introduction

6:30pm & 7:30pm | Bunjilaka, Ground Level | Expert Talk
Learn about Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre and the First Peoples exhibition with Jess Alderton, First Peoples Senior Programs Officer at Museums Victoria.

Deep Freeze

6:45pm & 7:45pm | Museums Victoria Research Institute Gallery, Ground Level | Expert Talk
Explore the science of cryobanking – where living cells are frozen in time, unlocking new frontiers in species recovery and genetic research. Presented by Jennifer Hetz Rodriguez, ARC-Linkage Research Fellow at Museums Victoria.

Deciphering Soundscapes

7:15pm & 8:15pm | Museums Victoria Research Institute Gallery, Ground Level | Expert Talk
Recording nature’s soundscape can reveal new insights into the complex relationships of animals within their environment. But how do we identify those animals’ sounds? Hear from Museums Victoria Senior Curator of Birds Dr Karen Rowe on the new ways we are using machine learning to analyse years of data in mere minutes.

Triceratops Tour

7pm & 8:30pm | 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. Presented by Sydney Shuherk, Visitor Engagement Team Leader at Museums Victoria.

Unplug and play with fun activities for adults, music and more.

A group of adults at a make and take crafting table enjoy a fun activity at Nocturnal, Melbourne Museum

Make and create something to take home at our Mini Masterpieces activity station.

DJ Lou Rose

6 to 9pm | Main Foyer, Ground Level | Music
DJ Lou Rose is one half of underground dance duo Love Sensation. They bring fun-filled disco, boogie, electro funk & synth-pop sets to ignite the dancefloor.

Mini Masterpieces

6 to 9pm | Main Foyer, Ground Level | Art Drop-in
Learn the basics of computer language while creating something uniquely yours by creating a beaded bracelet from binary code.

Three museum goers take a break and grab a bite and a drink.

Fuel for your mind and body is available all night!

Chicken katsu burger, tonkatsu sauce, spicy slaw $16.50
Cheeseburger, angus beef patty, bread & butter pickles, seeded bun $16.50
Vada pav sliders, spiced potato fritters, tamarind, coriander chutney (2) vgn $16.50
Nachos, pico de gallo, guacamole, jalapeno, cheese sauce v, gf $16.50

Grab & Go

Tyrells Crinkly Chips – Sea Salted / Cheddar / Salt & Vinegar $6
Maltesers $7
Popcorn – Sweet & Salty / Butter $8
Choc Tops – Vanilla / Boysenberry / Chocolate $8.50

Drinks

Signature Cocktail $16
Signature Mocktail $14
Morgan’s Bay Cuvee Sparkling $12
Morgan’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc $11
Morgan’s Bay Shiraz Cabernet $11
Furphy Lager $10
Pipsqueak Apple Cider $10
James Boags - Premium Light $8
Heaps Normal XPA $8
Pepsi / Pepsi Max / Solo / Lemonade / Cool Ridge $5

Gallery

Five friends with arms around each other smile for the camera behind the massive spine and vertebrae bones of a dinosaur.

Museum Expert Tim Ziegler giving a talk in 600 Million Years exhibition during January 2018 Nocturnal event in Melbourne Museum.

Bar staff serving drinks at the November 2023 Nocturnal.

Adults crafting during Nocturnal, Melbourne Museum.

DJ Carolina Gasolina performing a live DJ set at Nocturnal, Melbourne Museum

ACCESSIBILITY

Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at mvbookings@museum.vic.gov.au to discuss how we can support your visit.