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Since late 2024, the Museum of Desire has been inviting people to let loose and get a little raunchy. This adults-only, multi-sensory museum dedicated to love, desire and sex has brought in a wild 55,000 visitors since its inception, ranked as one of the most underrated museums in the world, and won Time Out's Favourite Museum Exhibition and the Impact Award at the 2025 Time Out Melbourne Arts & Culture Awards – all in the name of flirty fun and switching up social norms around sexuality.
But sadly, all good things must come to an end.
Unlike the permanent brick and mortar institutions we generally associate with museums worldwide, the Museum of Desire is made of more fleeting stuff. Initially beginning as a six-month experiment, this large-scale venue on Rupert Street in Collingwood was created to be here for a good time, not a long time.
But, after word spread about the museum's 25 interactive rooms, wild curios and epic installation pieces – including a boob ball pit and a kissing booth, the fun has ultimately kept flowing for the last 18 months.
Many rowdy parties, burlesque performances, shibari workshops, live art and expert talks later, the museum has proved itself to be a vibrant cultural presence in Melbourne that's generated a heap of opportunity for local artists and makers, and provided ample fodder for expansive thinkers who want to explore the depths of what modern desire and sex look like in 2026.
In tune with its commitment to the power of desire and creativity, it will be shutting its doors soon, with co-director Correne Wilkie saying: “There’s something powerful about knowing it won’t last forever. That’s when people lean in. That’s when moments matter more.”
The Museum of Desire will stay open for a few more weeks, with Melburnians and visitors alike invited to step back into the chamber of sexy secrets for the final stretch of its run. However, organisers have said that this may not be the end of the museum, with international interest suggesting that it may soon make its way to some more far-flung cities across the world.
“There’s a beautiful, full-circle feeling about ending the Melbourne season with a view to taking the Museum of Desire to other cities,” said Wilkie. “Melbourne gave this idea its life and will always be credited as the original home of the Museum of Desire.”
The exact closure date has not been confirmed yet, but you can grab some final coveted tickets to the Museum of Desire via the website.
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