Big science, big fun! These autumn school holidays, Scienceworks is packed with hands-on experiences, live shows and interactive exhibitions for curious kids.
From experimenting with colour and light to launching rockets and exploring Melbourneโs historic pumping station, there is plenty to see, do and discover. Whether your kids love space, sport, science experiments or fascinating history, a day at Scienceworks is guaranteed to keep young minds busy.
Hereโs what families can look forward to during the 2026 autumn school holidays.
Scienceworks AUTUMN School Holiday Program
1. Colour Exhibitions
Bursting with curiosity, play and discovery, Colour is a spectacular new exhibition from Questacon in Canberra.
Featuring 27 hands-on experiences, this interactive exhibition explores the science behind one of the most powerful forces shaping how we see the world. Kids can play with coloured bubbles, experiment with optical illusions, encounter shimmering iridescent insects and discover how light creates the colours around us.
Itโs playful, surprising and perfect for curious young minds.
Book your spot at Colour! | Opening 27 March | Daily | Included with entry | 10.00amโ4.30pm | Adult $25 / Senior $22 / Child $10 / Concession $10 / Member child $8
2. Sportsworks
Ready to burn some energy? Head to Sportsworks, the interactive gallery where kids can test their strength, speed and coordination.
Race against Olympic champion Cathy Freeman, try your skills as a soccer goalkeeper or zoom down the slopes in the snowboarding simulator. Along the way, children will also learn how science influences sporting performance, from specialised footwear to the design of balls and equipment.
Itโs part science lesson, part energetic playground.
Book your spot at Sportsworks! | Daily | Included with Entry | 10.00amโ4.30pm
3. Ready To Launch Show
These school holidays, Scienceworks is blasting off into space.
In this free 20-minute amphitheatre show, families will discover the science behind rockets and what it takes to launch beyond Earth. Expect exciting demonstrations as the Scienceworks team fires up a range of rockets while explaining the powerful forces that make space travel possible.
Perfect for future astronauts and curious kids alike.
Book your spot at Ready to Launch! | 4 April โ 19 April | Daily | Included with Entry | 12.00pm & 2.00pm
4. Museum of the Moon
Look up and experience the Moon like never before.
Installed in the Planetarium foyer, Museum of the Moon is a stunning four-metre artwork that recreates the lunar surface in breathtaking detail. Using NASA imagery, the installation reveals every crater and ridge of our nearest celestial neighbour.
Itโs a beautiful and immersive moment that will leave visitors starstruck.
Book your spot at Museum of the Moon! | Daily | Included with Entry | 10.00amโ4.30pm
5. The Glow Show
Step into the Lightning Theatre for The Glow Show, a visually spectacular 30-minute science performance.
This mesmerising live show explores glowing reactions, dazzling light effects and fascinating scientific phenomena. Expect plenty of โwowโ moments as the theatre lights up with colour and energy.
Itโs science, but not as youโve seen it before.
Book your spot at The Glow Show! | 4 April โ 19 April | Daily | 12.00pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm, 3.00pm | Child/Concession $10 / Adult $25 / Senior $20 / Member child $8
6. Planetarium Shows
Take a seat under the giant dome and enjoy an out-of-this-world experience at the Scienceworks Planetarium.
Each day features a rotating program of immersive shows exploring space, astronomy and the wonders of the universe.
Daily program:
11.00am โ Tycho Goes to Mars
12.00pm โ Tilt
1.00pm โ Tycho Goes to Mars
2.00pm โ Ticket to the Universe
3.00pm โ Starlight
These shows are always popular, so itโs a good idea to book early.
Book your spot at the Planetarium! | Daily | 11.00amโ4.00pm | Child/Concession $10 / Members $8 / Adult $25 / Seniors $20
7. FlushBack iPad Activity
Step back in time with FlushBack, Scienceworksโ award-winning augmented reality adventure.
Using an iPad, families travel through the historic Spotswood Pumping Station to complete challenges based on real historical events. Your mission is to help keep Melbourneโs sewerage system running and prevent the city from returning to its infamous nickname โ โSmellbourneโ.
Itโs a clever mix of history, technology and interactive storytelling.
Book your spot at FlushBack! | Daily | Included with Entry | 1.00pm & 2.00pm | iPad add-on $3 public / $2 members
8. Historic Pumping Station
Donโt miss the chance to explore the original Spotswood Pumping Station, one of Melbourneโs most fascinating industrial heritage sites.
Built in 1898, this enormous facility once pumped the cityโs sewage until 1965. Inside the grand building, visitors can see massive steam engines, towering boilers and machinery that played a crucial role in transforming Melbourneโs sanitation system.
The architecture alone is worth the visit.
Book your spot at the Pumping Station! | Daily | Included with Entry | 10.00amโ4.30pm
9. Pumping Station Guided Walk
Join a guided tour to uncover the remarkable stories behind the pumping station that helped transform โSmellbourneโ into modern Melbourne.
Visitors will explore the boiler room where workers once shovelled coal in extreme heat, hear about the enormous tunnels constructed beneath the city and see the impressive Austral Otis Pumping Engine No.8 brought to life.
Thankfully, these days the only smell youโll notice is machine oil.
Book your spot on the Pumping Station Walk! | Thursdays & Saturdays | Included with Entry | 11.00am
Discover Scienceworks Permanent Exhibits
While you visit during the school holidays, make sure you stop by these awesome exhibits at Scienceworks
- Think Ahead (Daily Exhibition) โ With more than 200 objects from the past, the present and the speculative future, this exhibition blends technology with hands-on experiences.
- Ground Up: Building Big Ideas, Together (Daily Exhibition) โ A fun exhibition thatโs focused on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) learning for children under 5 years.
- Beyond Perception: Seeing the Unseen (Daily Exhibition) โ Explore the invisible fields and forces that surround us, such as gravitational waves, invisible light, sound and aerodynamics.
- Sportsworks (Daily Exhibition) โ A place to leap, run, throw and row.
Check out the Scienceworks’ must-do permanent exhibitions including Ground Up and Beyond Perception
Eat and drink at Grazeland next door
Click here for more things to do in Melbourne this Autumn
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This sponsored post has been published in collaboration with Museums Victoria. It also contains affiliate links. If you order using the links there is no extra cost to you and I earn a small commission that helps me to provide valuable and useful information for you! Thanks in advance โ Joyce
