Whirlwind at Immigration Museum

Venue

• Long Room, Immigration Museum
  400 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
  Google Maps link here.

Dates & Times

• Saturday 18 October: 10am, 11.30am, 2pm, 3:30pm
• Sunday 19 October: 10am, 11.30am, 2pm

Tickets

Tickets include both Immigration Museum entry and Whirlwind entry. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

• Adult: $15
• Child: Free
• Concession: Free
• Senior: $10
• Museum Member Adult: Free
• Museum Member Child (up to 16 years): Free
• Museum Member Concession: Free

Book now via Melbourne Fringe: melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/whirlwind

A single $5.50 transaction fee applies to your booking, even if all tickets selected are free.

• Whirlwind will take place indoors, in the Long Room at the Immigration Museum.
• Gendered and accessible toilets are available on ground and first floors:
  Ground Level: Festival Courtyard (accessible, 800 mm door, right-hand transfer); Discovery Centre (family toilets, baby change table, braille, 750 mm door, right-hand transfer).
  First Floor: Getting in Exhibition (family toilet, 750 mm door, right-hand transfer).
• Wheelchairs (standard size) and a mobility scooter (130 kg limit) are available free of charge at the ticket desk. Book in advance by calling 13 11 02.
• All exhibition galleries and public spaces have lift and/or ramp access.
• A wheelchair access map is available on request from the front desk.
• There are two accessible entrances:
  Via Market Street gate (near Flinders Street) and ramp to main entrance with automatic doors.
  Via ramp further up Market Street to Festivals Courtyard; automatic doors at rear lead to Flinders Street foyer.
• Heritage building restrictions mean step-free access is limited; however, the front doorway has a flat paved surface and gently sloping kerb for wheelchair access.
• Sensory bags are available from the admissions desk in the entrance foyer.
• Guide dogs and registered assistance dogs are welcome.
• Maps of high and low sensory spaces, plus social scripts, are available.
• Museums Victoria participates in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program. Visitors can use a lanyard or wristband to discreetly communicate support needs to staff.
• For more information about accessibility at Immigration Museum, please visit museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/plan-your-visit/accessibility

Whirlwind

• Whirlwind is an energetic, highly stimulating experience.
• There will be lots of electric fans of different sizes that will blow/move air and make noise.
• Amplified music and sound will be played.
• If you have sensory sensitivities, we recommend bringing your own ear defenders and/or goggles/sunglasses. Some will be available for use during the performance.
• You choose how you interact with the performers and the space. You can move around as you like.
• Selected performances will have Auslan interpreters present. Times and dates to be confirmed.
• A break-out area next to the performance space will include paper and tape for making, and mats and chairs for resting. Sound will be audible.
• You can come and go from Whirlwind at any time during your booked session.
• A separate, low-stimulus Quiet Space will be available if you need to take a break.
• A Visual Story to help your family prepare is coming soon.

How to prepare

• When you come to a Polyglot performance, we recommend you wear comfortable clothing that allows you to enjoy moving. Remember that you have come for an adventure and there are many ways to begin finding your play. You are curious and this space is yours. Just as you might at the beach, do you take your time and dip your toe in to warm up, or do you run and jump right in? The worlds we set up welcome you to take your time and find your own way to your imaginative play; and our performers are there to join you, or play alongside you, and look after these worlds and their inhabitants. See you soon!

• Water, infants’ bottles and breastfeeding/chestfeeding are welcome, however we do ask that there is no eating (where possible) in the Whirlwind performance space.
• The Immigration Museum is fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
• There are baby change rooms available.
• Food and drinks (including takeaway options) are available to purchase nearby from The Timbuktu Café, HAPPY ROLL, and Bossy Boots Café & Food Store.

Parking

There is no on-site parking at Immigration Museum. The closest public car parks are approximately 100m away.

• Secure Parking, 376 Flinders St
• Wilson Parking, 15 William St

Public Transport

Visit Transport Victoria to plan your journey.

• Train: Flinders Street Station is approximately 90m from the Museum.
• Tram: Routes 30, 70 and 75 stop at Market St/Flinders St, which is approximately 50m from the Museum.
• Bus: The Melbourne Visitor Shuttle is wheelchair accessible and stops on William St (Stop 11), which is approximately 80m from the Museum.

Taxi pick up / drop off

Melbourne Fringe

• The Melbourne Fringe Festival is an annual celebration of independent arts in Melbourne, known for its open-access approach that welcomes a wide range of artists and art forms. It’s a 20-day festival running from September 30 to October 19, 2025, featuring over 500 events that showcase the work of emerging and established artists. The festival is a platform for diverse voices, including First Nations artists, d/Deaf and disabled creatives, and queer storytellers.
  
  Learn more: melbournefringe.com.au

Museums Victoria

• Through our rich collections, exhibitions, events, education programs and digital content, we explore themes of migration, identity, citizenship and community through multiple perspectives. We engage with communities and creative practitioners to produce powerful opportunities for social interaction, empathy and debate.

  The Immigration Museum opened in 1998 within Old Customs House. Located on the bank of Birrarung (Yarra River), this former administrative centre of immigration and trade is a site of great historical significance and complexity.

  We welcome you to visit to connect with us, and each other.
  
  Learn more: museumsvictoria.com.au

Whirlwind was developed with support from Melbourne Fringe and The Robert Salzer Foundation. The premiere season has been Fringe Funded, as part of XS, with thanks to Daniel Besen, and Rupert Myer AO and Annabel Myer. Polyglot Theatre is supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.