If I said the phrase ‘Night at the Museum’ to you, what’s the first thing you’d think of? For a lot of people, it’d probably be the Ben Stiller movie, where he plays a night watchman who discovers that the exhibits come to life at night. But did you know that Canberra has its very own Nights at the Museum? Though the exhibits don’t come to life at these ones (apart from a robot), they are a LOT of fun.

Run by the National Museum of Australia (NMA), the Nights at the Museum are held on a Friday and based on a theme, featuring related activities, talks, food, and even a museum game—and they’re for over-18s only. There have been two so far: Superstition (you guessed it, held on a Friday the 13^th) and Love (as Valentine’s Day conveniently fell on a Friday this year). The next one coming up is Thrill, on Friday, 8 August.

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I went to both the Superstition and Love nights and had a blast. Each night is designed to include creative, physical, and mental activities. At the Superstition Night it was fun (and a bit disconcerting) to watch people far braver than me smash mirrors, open umbrellas indoors, and walk under ladders (some while holding an open umbrella!). There were also dress ups, where my friends and I put on silly hats and had photos taken sitting on the moon.

The Love Night was even better (and I say that as a single girl), with even more to do. I went with a friend and we really enjoyed drawing on the windows of the NMA shop (my contribution was an octopus) and making badges and tissue paper flowers. If you’re reading this and thinking it sounds like the sort of thing you’d do (or want to do) at a museum as a kid, yep, that was pretty much what it was like—and it was awesome. We also watched others have ‘Instant Vegas Weddings’ and heard the ‘Love to hate-karaoke’. I was very amused by the warning sign outside the karaoke room which read, ‘This karaoke is quite awful. No, it’s really awful’.

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What I’ve described doesn’t sound like your typical museum visit, does it? I was interested to know how the idea for these nights came about, so I asked the NMA staff. They told me that the idea originated when they noticed that the museum wasn’t getting as many young adults through the door as they’d like. So they thought about a way to do something different and unexpected, and show off the fun side of the museum. This turned into an idea of doing an after hours, adults only event, with bars, live music, talks, and entertainment.

As for the themes, they’ve been chosen to explore a different aspect of the NMA’s collection. The upcoming theme, Thrill, was inspired by the museum’s Eternity Gallery (which I love—the first time I visited the NMA back in 2001 I even bought a poster of all the different words and the feelings and thoughts they evoke, which is still up on my old bedroom wall back at my parents’ house in Sydney).

Once a theme is locked in, the staff then have the fun job of coming up with what activities they can run on the night, looking for quirky twists and ways that visitors can be part of the action…(I’ve been told the ideas that make others laugh out loud usually get included—I can see how the Vegas weddings one got through!). One particular way this is done is through the Museum Game, where teams of four compete in a mini tournament in the Landmarks Gallery. I haven’t yet tried this, so if any of you have, I’m keen to hear what you thought of it and how you went!

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Each Night at the Museum is different, with ideas evolving through audience feedback and the imagination of the staff. I’m really looking forward to the Thrill Night, in particular a certain culinary aspect (surprise, surprise!), the Thrill tasting plate, designed by Broadbean Catering. All I know about it are the hints given on the website, that is: ‘something from the sea, something hot and sour, a ‘surprise’ meat, and something ‘sinful’ and so, so good’. ?!?!

So if you’re looking for a fun night out, a different way of experiencing the NMA and its collection, and you want a thrill, you should definitely check out the next Night at the Museum.

The essentials
What: Night at the Museum: Thrill
When: 6pm-9.30pm, Friday, 8 August 2014
Where: National Museum of Australia
Cost: $10 entry, $25 for a Thrill tasting plate
Bookings: Via Eventbrite.