National Science Week 2025

Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability.

Curious minds wanted - step behind the scenes and see science like never before.

Unearth hidden worlds, meet the minds behind the Museum, and experience science in action during National Science Week 2025. This August, Museums Victoria invites you to Decode the Universe through rare encounters with collections, researchers and ideas that shape our understanding of life, Earth, and the cosmos.

Wander through deep time and living science as the Museum comes alive with pop-up talks, hands-on workshops, and behind-the-scenes insights. From glittering minerals to prehistoric giants, discover the secrets of our natural world alongside the scientists who study it every day.

Whether you're diving into biodiversity, peering into prehistoric life, or tracing the building blocks of nature itself, every visit opens up a new way of seeing the world. With programs designed for a range of ages and interests, this once-a-year celebration of science is curious, collaborative, and full of wonder.

Activities

Man carrying a young child looking at minerals display in Dynamic Earth exhibition in Melbourne Museum.

Special event Melbourne Museum 16 to 17 August

Science On Show

Meet the experts, uncover hidden stories, and discover the science behind Melbourne Museum’s rarest wonders.

Adults listening to a talk about Horridus the triceratops while standing around the imposing 85% complete fossil.

18+ event Melbourne Museum Thursday 18 September

Museum After Dark | Force of Nature

Step into the wild after-dark and marvel at the wonders of the natural world at Nocturnal: Force of Nature, your adults only invite to explore Melbourne Museum after-hours and child free.

Activity Scienceworks 9 to 17 August

Growing the Future

Plant seeds for the future at one of our nationwide community science sessions inside the geodesic dome in the Scienceworks Arena.

Dinosaur skeletons and lush vegetation transposed over a view of Gandel Gondwana Garden at Melbourne Museum

Visit Melbourne Museum

Home of Dinosaurs

Melbourne Museum is the Home of Dinosaurs. Discover Dinosaur Walk, meet Horridus the Triceratops and explore Gandel Gondwana Garden. Adventure will never be extinct.

Activity Melbourne Museum Tuesday 12 August

Digital Art Class: Instruments of Discovery

In Digital Art Class: Instruments of Discovery, you'll explore the fascinating tools scientists use to decode the universe – from microscopes and telescopes to curious gadgets of the past.

Exhibitions

Exhibition Scienceworks Until 26 January 2026

Tinkertown

A hands-on exhibition to build your imagination! Solve challenges, send secret messages and invent wacky contraptions.

Exhibition Melbourne Museum Daily

Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs

Come face to face with one of the most awe-inspiring creatures ever to walk the Earth—the Triceratops.

Exhibition Melbourne Museum Daily

Research Institute Gallery

Encounter cutting-edge research, fresh discoveries and valuable collection objects on display for the first time.

A boy looking into the jaws of a dinosaur figure

Exhibition Melbourne Museum Daily

Gandel Gondwana Garden

Explore Victoria’s ancient landscapes and learn about creatures that once walked this land, from dinosaurs and megafauna to the ancestors of today’s iconic Australian species.

Exhibition Scienceworks Daily

Sportsworks

Stretch your mind and your muscles.

Assembly of the Great Melbourne Telescope, Melbourne Observatory, 1869

Exhibition Scienceworks Daily

Great Melbourne Telescope Restoration

See the Great Melbourne Telescope returning to its former glory as an icon of Marvellous Melbourne and late 1800s astronomy.

Education Programs

Students engaging with the TAC Road To Zero Education Learning Centre interactives.

Museum Staff-led Melbourne Museum Years 9 to 10, VCE VM

Road to Zero Physics Challenge

Students participate in a virtual reality physics experiment to explore the relationships between vehicle speed and stopping distances.

Student hand holding booklet with colour coded worksheets linking to the Museums Victoria Institute Gallery at Melbourne Museum. Background of the image is the face of a taxidermy Thylacine.

Museum Staff-led Melbourne Museum Years 7 to 10

Biodiversity and Evolution (VCES)

In this free program for government schools, explore the theory of evolution by natural selection by looking at the fossil record.

Audience watching a science show about electricity

Visit Scienceworks

Lightning Theatre

Discover the ultimate hair-raising experience with a science show in the Lightning Theatre.

This illustration captures the excitement of visitors to the National Museum (now Museums Victoria) when it was located at the University of Melbourne. The central scene depicts the Paul du Chaillu Gorillas family, still on display at Melbourne Museum.

Museum Staff-led Melbourne Museum Years 7 to 10

National Science Week: Evolution! (VCES)

A case of Gorillas, stolen dinosaur eggs, and superfluous whale bones – discover evidence for evolution in this free program for government schools!

Museum Staff-led Melbourne Museum Years 7 to 10

Biodiversity and Evolution (VCES)

In this free program for government schools, explore the theory of evolution by natural selection by looking at the fossil record.

Two children looking a ipad. There is a large scale globe in background

Museum Staff-led Melbourne Museum Years 5 to 6

Climate Change and Us: Impacts and Management

Investigate how Earth changes over time, the human impacts causing the climate to change, and how we have the technological solutions to take action now.

Museum Staff-led Melbourne Museum Years F to 6

National Science Week: Home of Dinosaurs!

Decoding Dinosaurs – Exploring the known, unknown, and the thrilling adaptations and survival of dinosaurs!

See more science education programs here

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Listening out for the elusive Plains-wanderer

How do you search for one of Australia's rarest birds? When it comes to the elusive, ground-dwelling Plains-wanderer, listening is key.

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Mysteries of the Bogong Moth

How much do you know about the Bogong Moth? They may not be much to look at, but these little moths have a fascinating story that begins with a mammoth migration across eastern Australia.