[Melbourne] Build, create and explore as Scienceworks’ newest hands-on exhibition - Tinkertown

Get ready to build, create and explore as Scienceworks’ newest hands-on exhibition, Tinkertown, opens this weekend – just in time for the school holidays!  

Opened Saturday 5 April, Tinkertown is an experience designed for all ages, from families and educators to lifelong learners. Through hands-on engagement, the exhibition fosters creativity, encourages problem-solving and builds confidence in STEM. 

It’s a nuts-and-bolts approach to playful learning, inviting kids (and their grown-ups) to find creative solutions, piece together new ideas, and construct their own adventure in a hands-on world of engineering and design. 

Visitors begin their journey in the Workshop, where creativity flows as they transform loose materials into imaginative creations. With new skills in their toolkit, they can move on to the Town Round: a collaborative building space where cubbies take shape, puzzles are solved, and design challenges keep everyone on their toes. The adventure continues in the Museum, a charming collection of quirky objects curated by the Society of Tinkerers and Makers, offering inspiration at every turn. 

Throughout the exhibition, visitors can collaborate on interactives such as designing and solving a Tangram puzzle, constructing tracks on Ball-ercoaster, a magnetic ball run, and exploring the dynamic Pop-it wall, where every push and pop turns into a fidget-satisfying display or a secret coded message. The fun continues with Speaking Tubes, where voices travel in surprising ways, connecting you with fellow explorers. 

Guiding visitors through the exhibition are whimsical characters who add a playful twist. These guides bring the village to life with their unique personalities: offering tips, encouragement and fun facts as visitors navigate challenges and activities. 

Tinkertown is where creativity meets engineering, offering a space for children, families and lifelong learners to explore together. The exhibition fosters hands-on learning, problem-solving and collaboration – all in a screen-free environment. Whether designing, building or experimenting, visitors will discover the joy of learning through trial and error. 

Lynley Crosswell, CEO and Director of Museums Victoria said: ‘Tinkertown’ is a captivating new experience at Scienceworks. Through discovery and experiential learning, this exhibition encourages visitors to tinker and experiment in a fun and creative environment. Just in time for the school holidays, it’s the perfect place to explore, build and invent together.’   

Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said: ‘A favourite with kids and families, Scienceworks brings STEM learning to life in fun, playful and inspiring ways. The Allan Labor Government is proud to back this exciting exhibition which will delight engineers, designers and problem solvers of the future and is yet another reason to visit the much-loved and ever popular home of science, technology and fun - Scienceworks.’ 

If you’re looking for some fun this autumn break, Tinkertown is the perfect place for hands-on learning!  

For more details on Scienceworks’ full school holiday program, visit the Scienceworks website here. 

Tinkertown 

  • Open: 5 April 2025 

  • Location: Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood 

  • Tickets (include museum entry): Adult $25, Senior $20, Child $10, Concession $10 and Members $8. On sale at Scienceworks and online here

Autumn school holiday programming at Scienceworks:  

  • Good Vibrations Amphitheatre show 
    Dates: 5 April – 21 April 
    Time: Daily | 12.00pm and 2.00pm 
    Cost: Included with Scienceworks entry 
    Immerse yourself in the mysteries of sound with this free 20-minute live science show. Learn how sound is created and detected, watch voices take shape in laser form, and discover the strange ways humans and animals make noise. 

  • Fulldome Flicks 
    Dates    : 5 April – 28 June (every Saturday) 
    Time: 4.30pm–5.30pm 
    Cost: Children $14 / Member children $10 / Member adult $15 / Adult $19  
    Fulldome Flicks returns every Saturday this April, May and June. Sit back, tilt that chin to the heavens and enjoy your choice of not one, but three films, specially created for a hemispherical hoot at the Melbourne Planetarium.  

  • Museum of the Moon 
    Dates: Daily 
    Time: 10.00am–4.30pm 
    Cost: Included with Scienceworks entry 
    Experience the Moon like never before. This stunning four-metre art installation brings the lunar surface to life with incredible details that will leave you starstruck. Visit the Planetarium foyer and gaze up at our magnificent Moon. 

  • The Glow Show 
    Dates: Daily 
    Time:  12.00pm, 1.00pm, 2.00pm and 3.00pm 
    Cost: Child / Member child $8 / Concession $10 / Adult $25 / Senior $20   
    Take a seat in our Lightning Theatre and be mesmerised by this visually stunning 30-minute live science show.    

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