Luna Park museums aquarium welcome visitors as venues throw open doors

By Ellie Mitchell November 5, 2021 â€" 7.15pm

Amusement parks, the aquarium and museums are among the attractions opening their doors this weekend to entertain Melburnians looking for post-lockdown fun.

Luna Park will be open to the public for the first time in months now that 80 per cent of Victorians are fully vaccinated.

The Luna Park facade in St Kilda is being cleaned before the grand re-opening.Credit:Paul Jeffers

Chief executive Matt Butta said visitors would have new - and old - rides to enjoy.

“The newest ride that we have is our supernova ride, it swings you up over 32 metres high and you just get the most amazing views of the bay and Melbourne,” Mr Butta said.

“But everyone’s favourite rides here are always the scenic railway and the carousel, just classic Melbourne Luna Park rides.”

Sea Life Aquarium spokeswoman Genevieve Le Hunt said a lot of hard work had gone into preparing the site for reopening this week.

Melbourne Aquarium will again welcome visitors.Credit:Simon Schluter

“We have a beautiful clean aquarium - we’ve had all our divers in the tank scrubbing everything and getting everything ready for our guests,” she said.

And crowds to the aquarium would not be the only new arrivals at the site, she said.

“While we were closed we’ve had our Gentoo penguins nesting, so new visitors to the aquarium will see all our beautiful Gentoo penguins on their nest incubating their eggs, which is very exciting,” Ms Le Hunt said.

An adult gentoo penguin with a chick at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium.

Melbourne Museum in Carlton opened its doors last Saturday but this weekend two new exhibitions will open at the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre.

Still in my Mind explores the Gurindji Walk-Off which sparked the national land rights movement while Fight for Survival tells the story of the fight to save Northland Secondary College.

Access to both exhibitions is included in the museum entry ticket.

Similarly, Scienceworks has already welcomed visitors back but from Friday night the Planetarium Nights show returns.

There will be two shows every Friday night for the outer space experience under the Planetarium dome.

Chadstone’s LEGOLAND Discovery Centre will also be open.

The Old Melbourne Gaol opened on Friday at 10am with added safety measures in place.

National Trust Victoria chief executive Simon Ambrose said more of the gaol had opened up, making the space largely self-guided, so visitors could explore all corners.

“Visitors can help us solve the Cluedo mystery, follow the new audio discovery trail and wander the halls as some of history’s most notorious criminals, from Ned Kelly to Squizzy Taylor, discovering the stories that never left,” he said.

There is also a new audio trail in the City Watch House where crime and history buffs can scan QR codes to discover stories and recollections of times past.

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