H18 Halloween at Science Center
K-18 Adults Only Halloween Special

H18: Halloween at Science Center

The Night of the Lizards – science party of the year after dark!

By Sanna Korpi • October 3, 2026
Event

H18: Halloween Science Party

Theme: The Night of the Lizards.

When

Friday 30.10.2026

7:00 PM – 12:00 AM (midnight).

Age restriction

K-18 Strictly

Alcohol permitted throughout exhibits (except dome & auditorium).

Tickets

18 € advance / 20 € door

Limited capacity, book online!

Buy tickets

Rumour has it that living dinosaurs have been spotted at the science centre

Just rumours… or are they? If you hear an alarm during the evening, stand still and remain quiet if you are in a queue. Otherwise, find a safety zone marked with tape on the floor and stay there until the alarm stops.

Pre-party at the Science Restaurant from 5:45 PM

The pre-party costs €23 per person, including a special tapas menu, a keynote talk by Vili Koskinen (in Finnish) and priority entry to the H18 event. Event ticket purchased separately.

Reserve pre-party

Welcome to the secret science center!

What happens inside the building next to Tikkurila station after dark? Would the experiments conducted there stand up to the light of day? And could the rumours about living dinosaurs be true? Surely not… but you never know.

Welcome to the science party of the year! Take part in memorable workshops, hear fascinating talks and explore Science Center’s exhibitions in the company of other adults. Scroll down to see what’s happening throughout the evening!

Workshops

Beer brewed with murder water – come turn it into sorbet!

Come make beer sorbet using Fat Lizard’s Lake Bodom beer! At the start of the workshop, Fat Lizard’s experts will explain how the beer is made. You’ll also get to see the “murder water” brought from Lake Bodom.

Workshop note: Places in this workshop are limited. Arrive early to secure your spot.

Synsepalum dulcificum (The Miracle Berry)

Have you heard of the miracle berry? It contains a glycoprotein called miraculin. What makes this berry special is that, after you eat it, foods that normally taste sour or tart taste sweet instead. We challenge your tongue and brain!

Do you have a predator’s instincts, or are you easy prey?

Did you know that, through evolution, 70% of people have developed the ability to taste poisons in plants? Around 30% of people lack this ability. In this genetic taste workshop, find out which category your tastebuds fall into.

Good to know

  • • The Museum Card, Science Center Club annual pass, Kaikukortti card, press card and free tickets cannot be used for admission to this special event.
  • • Cultural benefits (Edenred, Smartum) cannot be used to pay in the online store.
  • • Workshops will be held in Finnish and English. The talks will be in Finnish.
  • • Photos will be taken at the event, so remember to dress for the theme!
  • • The programme is subject to changes and additions.
Event Square Stage

The Stage Lab

Talks and interviews on the Event Square stage. You can listen through wireless headphones available in front of the stage. Note: Talks are in Finnish.

Special Effects & Monsters

Mom, there is a monster on my sofa!

Ari Savonen opens the doors to his creative laboratory and reveals how visual illusions and traditional practical special effects take shape in moulds and become monsters you can almost touch.

Guest: Ari Savonen, special makeup effects artist
Psychology of Fear

Welcome to horror therapy

Horror is a poison that heals! Instead of fearing real-world headlines, try worrying about the monster under your bed. A horror author shares his secrets for finding the thrill and emotional relief in fear.

Guest: Marko Hautala, horror author
Extinction Science

We will all die! WE WILL ALL DIE!

The history of life on Earth shows that nature is relentless. If species don’t go extinct on their own, mass extinction events wipe the slate clean. What lessons can modern humans draw from past planetary crises?

Guest: Johannes Enroth, evolutionary biologist
Medical Breakthroughs

Bloody fascinating – from dinosaurs to treatments of the future

Explore the microscopic universe inside our bloodstream: blood cells, plasma proteins, and extracellular vesicles that carry molecular messages. How blood analysis is revolutionising cutting-edge medicine.

Guest: Lotta Sankkila, biomedical researcher
Auditorium

Dinotorium

Deep dives into paleontology and dinosaur science. No food or drinks permitted inside.

Whose eggs, whose nest? A brief history of mating from T. rex to humans

Were dinosaurs faithful to their partners? Who cared for whose offspring? Exploring reproductive strategies across 200 million years.

Dinosaurs and the natural world of the Mesozoic Era

What can dinosaur bone histology and tooth chemistry reveal about ancient climate oscillations and prehistoric vegetation?

Fearsome giants and cooing birds – dinosaur diversity

How did feathered agile theropods survive the asteroid catastrophe while gigantic sauropods disappeared?

Special Collaboration

Death Valley

Presented in cooperation with Mononen Funeral Home and Kivilähde. 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM.

Social death

Admitted you saw a dinosaur or did something embarrassing? Get your satirical official Certificate of Social Death and draft your digital humorous will.

What do you need to bury?

Write down whatever weighs you down – regrets, awkward moments, lingering heartbreaks – and literally bury them into our symbolic sands.

Ask about death!

Professional funeral directors and memorial masons answer all curious questions about the traditions, science, and rituals of mortality.

Hands-on science

More workshops & games

Moral Judgement Day

Step into a secret executive committee boardroom. You get 60 seconds to resolve a complex bioethical dilemma. Will you make the right call?

Wheel of Doom

Liquid nitrogen cryo-smashing! Spin the wheel to decide which frozen food item gets smashed to smithereens by our lab hammers.

Beware of the spy (in Finnish)

Interactive espionage role-playing game through audio headsets: infiltrate the Syndicate’s headquarters without blowing your cover.

Insect lollipop

Dare to eat like a lizard? Create your own edible insect candy lollipop with edible crickets and sweet syrup!

DinosaurQuiz

Interactive pub quiz projected across Science on a Sphere! Compete with other visitors for paleontology glory.

DNA capsule

Extract DNA strands from your own cheek cells in our biochemistry laboratory and take them home inside an eerie keepsake glass vial.

Did your senses get it right?

Blindfolded olfactory and gustatory tasting lab testing how multisensory cross-modal illusions manipulate taste perceptions.

Costume photo card (4 €)

Pose in your costume with AR-GO lab’s augmented reality characters and receive a high-gloss printed souvenir photo.