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 2026
These winter school holidays, Melbourne Museum is bringing ancient Rome to life with hands-on activities, creative workshops and immersive family experiences inspired by the blockbuster exhibition Rome: Empire, Power, People.
Kids can design gladiator masks, help build a giant community mosaic, discover the wonders of our planet and even sleep overnight beneath the dinosaurs.
There’s a great mix of free and ticketed activities running across the school holidays, making Melbourne Museum an easy full-day outing for families.
Creative Lab: Rise of the Gladiators
Dates: Saturday 27 June – Sunday 12 July
Time: 10am, 11am, 12 noon & 1.30pm
Cost: Child $12 / Members $10
Step into the armoury beneath the Colosseum in this hands-on creative workshop inspired by ancient Rome. Kids will design and build their own gladiator mask while learning about Roman helmets, symbols and the different types of gladiators who once battled in the arena.
Designed for children aged 6 to 12, this immersive workshop combines history, storytelling and craft in a fun and engaging way. Get tickets.
Mosaic Monuments
Dates: Saturday 27 June – Sunday 12 July
Time: 11am–3pm
Cost: Included with museum entry
Mosaic Monuments invites families to help transform the Melbourne Museum foyer into a colourful community artwork inspired by ancient Rome.
Kids can colour their own mosaic tile designs and add them to towering Roman-style columns, creating an ever-changing collaborative installation throughout the holidays.
This drop-in activity is suitable for all ages and is a great option if you’re looking for a quieter creative activity between exhibitions and museum exploring. Find out more.
Our Wondrous Planet
Dates: Open daily during the school holidays
Time: Museum opening hours
Cost: Included with museum entry
Discover a world four billion years in the making in Melbourne Museum’s brand-new Our Wondrous Planet exhibition.
Families can explore the incredible forces that shaped Earth, uncover fascinating natural history displays and learn more about the habitats, animals and ecosystems that make our planet extraordinary.
It’s the kind of exhibition where kids can wander, explore and ask a million questions along the way.
Read our review of Our Wondrous Planet.
ROME: Empire, Power, People
Dates: Open daily during the school holidays
Time: Museum opening hours
Cost: Adult $35 / Child $15 / Concession & Senior $30 / Children under 3 free
Step back in time and explore one of history’s most fascinating civilisations at ROME: Empire, Power, People, a major new exhibition now showing at Melbourne Museum.
This Melbourne-exclusive exhibition features more than 150 original artefacts from Ancient Rome, many of which have never been displayed in Australia before. Families can discover real Roman statues, intricate mosaics, ancient jewellery and everyday objects used during the height of the Roman Empire.
Read Amy’s review or ROME: Empire, Power, People
Museum Sleepovers
Dates: Selected dates during the school holidays
Cost: Varies depending on session
Museum Sleepovers are back these winter school holidays, giving families the chance to experience Melbourne Museum after dark.
This unforgettable overnight adventure includes exclusive after-hours access to the museum and IMAX, behind-the-scenes experiences, special tours, a hot breakfast and the chance to sleep beneath the dinosaurs.
Each sleepover is designed for either families or adults-only groups, with different experiences available across the holiday period. Find out more.
Tiny Tours – Rainforest to Reef
- Dates: Every Tuesday 27 June-12 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
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.
Read Amy’s review for Tiny Tours.
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 (Safe) Cardboard Car
- Dates: 29 June-11 July, excluding Sundays
- Time: 10am-3pm
- Cost: Free
Get creative and learn how car safety features, like Lane Keep Assist and Reversing Cameras, protect our families and other people on the roads every day. Suitable for families with children three years and over.
Shark Kingdom 3D
- Dates: Opening 20 June
- Time: Daily | Runtime 45 minutes
- Cost: Adult $30 / Senior $23 / Children $14 / Concession $18 / Members $12
Audiences across the globe will journey from Tahiti to New Zealand and Australia’s very own Lord Howe Island, getting up close and personal with these awe-inspiring creatures in some of the world’s best diving locations
Save on IMAX documentary tickets when buying tickets to Melbourne Museum. Adults save $7.50 and Seniors $5!
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.
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.
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