Australian Museum open for nighttime visit

SYDNEY－What would it be like touring a museum after night falls? A summer-evening program launched by the Australian Museum provides a chance to experience the scene from the Hollywood blockbuster Night at the Museum.

Located in downtown Sydney, the Australian Museum is the country's oldest museum with a history of over 190 years.

After 15 months of renovation, the museum reopened to the public in November.

The summer evening program, featuring extended hours every Thursday from January to March, is giving visitors the opportunity to wander through the museum's new spaces and exhibitions for free and enjoy late-night entertainment.

"There is something magical about the museum at night. We're thrilled to be able to extend our hours on Thursday evenings to provide a fun and vibrant space for people to connect and come together, which is now more important than ever," says Kim McKay, director and CEO of the Australian Museum.

"Visitors can pop in after work or after dinner on summer evenings and enjoy a 'night at the museum', wandering through our exhibitions, encountering special talks, enjoying live music and even late-night shopping in our new museum store."

From stunning pictures taken by the 2020 Australian Geographic Nature "photographer of the year "about the country's natural beauty, to an exploration of the museum's most precious collections, visitors can enjoy exhibitions, workshops and events in different parts of the museum.

"With free general entry and extended hours on Thursday evenings, anyone can discover and enjoy all that Australia's first－and recently revamped－museum has to offer. There is something for everyone to enjoy at the transformed museum," says Don Harwin, minister for the arts of the state of New South Wales.

The exhibition about the family of tyrannosaurs is most popular among children during the current school holiday.

Visitors can come face-to-face with a life-sized tyrannosaur and observe a colossal collection of tyrannosaur skeletons, skulls and fossilized eggs.

The interactive exhibition is also fun thanks to such technologies as virtual reality, touch screens, immersive projections and artificial intelligence.

Facing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the largely reduced visitor flow downtown, the state government hopes the summer-evening program will promote Sydney's nighttime economy and contribute to the revitalization of the Central Business District.

"With its central location opposite Hyde Park, the Australian Museum is a key attraction for residents and visitors to our city, and offering extended evening hours at our premier cultural institutions is an important step in supporting our creative economy to be back up and running," says NSW treasurer Dominic Perrottet.

Xinhua