Fright Night at the Museums, CAMD, 2026

This Halloween, museums are embracing the spooky season with events blending science, history and theatrical fright.

Melbourne Museum returns with an expanded Halloween offering after 2025’s event drew over 4,200 visitors. This year splits into two nights: an all-ages evening on 30 October featuring real specimens, live music and a costume parade, and a darker, glamorous 18+ gala on 31 October. Both nights draw on genuine oddities from the museum’s collections, proving nature is often stranger than fiction. More info.

Scienceworks gets in early with Science in the Shadows on 23 October — an 18+ evening combining a Planetarium deep-dive into the terrifying scale of the universe with a look at nature’s colourful camouflage in the Colour exhibition. More info 

Australian Museum in Sydney brings back its beloved Jurassic Lounge on 26 September with a gothic twist, tying in with the final weeks of its Bloodsuckers: Nature’s Vampires exhibition. Expect DJs, live performers, pop-up bars and spooky science activations among the dinosaur halls — open to all ages, from loyal regulars to first-timers. More info

Museums of History NSW takes a family-friendly approach at Vaucluse House, where kids aged 5+ can join author Lucie Stevens on 30 September to craft their own haunted house mini-zine, inspired by the property’s spooky history. More info