Question: Where is a great place to go with kids in Melbourne when you’re trying to keep the kids entertained through weeks of school holidays AND the weather’s wet and cold?
Answer: Melbourne Museum!
Trust me, you’ll never hear “I’m boooored’ when your kids get to explore two storeys of curiosity and wonder, plus they always put on an excellent school holiday program.
Even better, general admission to Melbourne Museum is always free for kids 16 and under!
What’s On at Melbourne Museum – Winter School Holidays 2025
These winter school holidays, Melbourne Museum‘s program of special events and exhibitions is part of Playbound, a dynamic children’s festival taking over the City of Melbourne from Saturday 5 July to Sunday 20 July 2025.
The creative children’s festival features 21 free and affordable programs spread across city venues, offering interactive experiences grounded in play, nature, science, and imagination.
Head to Melbourne Museum during these school holidays for family-friendly activities that are educational, fun and inspiring!
Little Landscapes
- Dates: 5 July- 20 July
- Time: 11-3pm
- Cost: Included with museum entry
Dive into two miniature worlds at Melbourne Museum. Explore the ancient volcanic plains of
Australia, where creatures like the Diprotodon and Thylacoleo once roamed, or immerse yourself in the
vibrant life of a coral reef, home to delicate nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and colourful anemones.
Creative Lab – Bug Out
- Dates: 5 July-20 July
- Time: Daily | 10.30am–11.15am, 11.30am–12.15pm, 1.00pm–1.45pm
- Cost: Children $10 / Members $8
Kids can unleash their creativity by designing bug habitats with tunnels, leafy hideouts, and
bustling bug communities. With plenty of fun activities, imaginations will run wild as these mini critters
come to life. Get up close and watch real bugs in action, while grown-ups join the fun or relax and enjoy
the buzz.
Tiny Tours – Ant to Apple
- Dates: Every Friday 5 July-20 July
- Time: 10am–10.45am
- Cost: Children $22 / Member Child $18 / Member Adult free / Adult $15 /Seniors and concession free. Includes general entry to Melbourne Museum. Bookings Essential
Dive into the world of insects and discover how these tiny creatures help our food systems
thrive. On this tour, young explorers will see how ants, bees, and other bugs contribute to growing food
and keeping ecosystems healthy. Through fun, hands-on activities, kids will gain a whole new
appreciation for these small but mighty critters.
NAIDOC Week Family Day
- Dates: Sunday 6 July
- Time: 10am-3pm
- Cost: Included with museum entry
NAIDOC Week 2025 marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of honouring and elevating First
Peoples voices, culture and resilience. Kick-off NAIDOC Week with a special Family Day filled with engaging activities and performances on Sunday 6 July 2025.
Dino Days
- Dates: Every Wednesday
- Time: 10am–2pm
- Cost: Included with museum entry
Dino Days invites our youngest dinosaur enthusiasts to explore all things dinosaur. From dino discos and dress-ups to story times and sensory soft play, it’s a dinosaur day out at Melbourne
Museum.
Road to Zero Helmet Heroes
- Dates: 5 July-19 July, excluding Sundays
- Time: 10am-3pm
- Cost: Free
Learn how to correctly choose and fit a helmet at Road to Zero. Suitable for families with
children three years and over, once everyone in the family is safely kitted out with helmets and gear, it’s
time to grab some props, choose a digital background and take some fun holiday pictures!
The Making of LEGO® Star Wars
- Dates: Thursday 17 July
- Time: Family session one: 3pm-4pm with exhibition access 1.30pm-5pm, Adult session two: 5pm-6pm, with exhibition access 3.30pm-5pm
- Cost: Child $50/ Member Child $35/ Adult $60/ Adult Member $54
Unlock the secrets of LEGO® mastery with Ryan McNaught, Australia’s only LEGO® Certified
Professional. Enjoy access to LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition before diving into Ryan’s world of
creativity. Hear firsthand about the challenges and triumphs of building Star Wars™-inspired LEGO®
masterpieces on an epic scale. Then, get your questions answered in a live Q&A session with the master
builder himself.
LEGO® Star Wars Brickman Masterclasses
- Dates: 11 July
- Time: Family session: 5.30pm. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult
- Cost: Child $150 / Member Child $130 / Adult $150 / Adult Member $130. Includes entry to LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition
Ryan McNaught, the Brickman and Australia’s only LEGO® Certified Professional, leads an
exclusive hands-on masterclass designed to take your LEGO® skills to the next level. Ryan will share expert tips, creative techniques, and behind-the-scenes stories from his incredible career building some of the world’s most jaw-dropping LEGO® creations—including highlights from LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition.
ELEPHANTS 3D
- Dates: Opening 20 June
- Time: Daily | Runtime 45 minutes
- Cost: Children $12 / Concession $16 / Adult $19 / Senior $12
Narrated by Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, The Impossible), get up close with these gentle giants in this inspiring tale of survival and resilience set in Africa’s Namib Desert. Moviegoers will follow the real-life Lion King as they accompany an adorable elephant calf and her family whilst they brave one of the world’s oldest deserts joined by an iconic supporting cast of giraffes, monkeys and lions.
Unmissable Melbourne Museum Exhibitions This Winter
As well as Melbourne Museums’ special programming and workshops, visit these temporary and permanent exhibitions which are particularly interesting for kids.
LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition
LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition is a spectacular showcase of 35 awe-inspiring models—including enormous Star Wars™ ships, droids, and scenes— built by Australia’s own LEGO® Certified Professional, Ryan “The Brickman” McNaught.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just discovering the galaxy far, far away, the exhibition is sure to impress with its interactive zones, fun facts, and photo-worthy displays.
Melbourne Museum’s Children’s Gallery
The Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery is one of the most popular locations for families at Melbourne Museum, full of sensory experiences and hands-on exhibits.
Inside and outside, there are so many opportunities for fun and delight with your little ones. Dig for dinosaurs, pump the bubbles, colour butterflies and more!
Note that the Children’s Gallery requires a separate entry booking in order to manage capacity, so make sure that you book a timeslot at the same time as booking your Museum ticket so you don’t miss out.
Explore the nature play space
Gandel Gondwana Garden is an outdoor nature play space, suitable for children aged six to twelve but open to visitors of all ages, that offers a rich exploration of Australia’s natural history and Indigenous culture.
Roam through diverse ecosystems, encounter prehistoric megafauna, and immerse yourself in the stories of Creation as you traverse the garden’s interactive exhibits.
Step into an urban forest
When you need some peace and tranquility, take a deep, cleansing breath of fresh mountain air when you enter the Forest Gallery.
Located at the heart of Melbourne Museum, this unique natural space abounds with hidden creatures – it’s a wonderful place to play a little game of ‘I Spy’ with the kids.
Visit Joy at the Immigration Museum
Explore Scienceworks these Winter School Holidays 2025
Discover What’s On in Melbourne Winter School Holidays 2025
