A Season of Strange Encounters at Science Centre Singapore: Robot Spiders and a Glowing Plankton Lagoon

Spookology transforms the Centre into a Halloween Fear Lab from 27 October to 1 November, before Glowing Oceans, Asia’s first full-scale living bioluminescence exhibition, opens on 3 November, as Quby celebrates its 10th birthday with five new Science Explorer Buddies.

This Halloween, Science Centre Singapore will turn into the scene of a science investigation. From 27 October to 1 November, Spookology Glitch in the Web will recruit guests as Community Science Investigators (C.S.I.) to uncover what happened after a secret experiment went wrong. They will search for evidence and experiment in solving tasks across four Fear Labs before facing a final three-minute challenge involving a giant spider.

As day turns to night, the investigation will shift with it, and on 30 and 31 October Spookology: AFTERDARK will bring DJs, music and different experiences across multiple zones.

On 3 November, Glowing Oceans will open as Asia’s first full-scale living bioluminescence exhibition, where guests will be able to step into a lagoon of living bioluminescent dinoflagellates and watch the water light up with their movement.

The Centre is also celebrating the 10th birthday of sticker icon Quby with five limited edition Science Explorer Buddies plushies, including Kueh Tutu Quby and Whale Quby, on sale from 28th October.

“The way we share science keeps changing, but what sits underneath it does not. A Halloween investigation unfolding across the Centre; DJ sets after dark or a lagoon of living organisms that light up in response to movement may not look like what people expect from a science centre. But each gives our guests a reason to stop, look closer and ask what is really happening. That curiosity is where discovery begins,” said Ms Tham Mun See, Chief Executive, Science Centre Board.

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Glitch in the Web: Something Has Escaped

Following Celestial Nights and MOONBEATS: AFTERDARK, which brought Singapore’s biggest Silent Disco to the Centre, Sundown Science will shift gears for Halloween with Spookology, the third and final instalment of the Centre’s after-dark series for 2026.

At the heart of Spookology is Glitch in the Web, an investigative trail that recruits guests as Community Science Investigators (C.S.I.) after a secret experiment goes wrong. Armed with a case file, investigators will search for evidence and complete experiments across four Fear Labs before unlocking the hidden Secret Lab. Together, the Fear Labs explore how movement, touch, sound and illusion can shape what we see, hear and feel.

Those who complete all four labs will unlock the Secret Lab, where investigators will face one final challenge: working together to stop a giant spider, with three minutes on the clock.

On 30 and 31 October, Spookology: AFTERDARK will take the investigation into the night. Familiar spaces will become part of the mystery as house lights dim and the galleries take on an eerie glow. Resident robots will roam the Centre handing out Halloween treats. Exhibits including Phobia, Savage Garden, Some Call It Science and the Mirror and Laser Mazes will stay open into the night, while DJs and music take over multiple zones and the Fire Tornado and Energy Titans shows get special after-dark editions.

Beyond the main investigation, guests can step into Insanity, a PG13 short horror film produced by the Centre and screening at the Omni-Theatre or look to the night sky with Halloween stargazing at the Observatory.

Ahead of Spookology, Science Café: Face Your Fears on 23 October will explore fear from another angle. Guests can hear from speakers, encounter some of the Centre’s resident creepy crawlies and sample insect protein at The Bug Bar, before a preview screening of Insanity at the Omni-Theatre.

Younger ones can join the quest via Spookology Juniors at KidsSTOP™, running from 30 October to 1 November. Gallery missions will invite little explorers to build and test a flying spectre, discover nocturnal creatures and search through a wizard’s sensory brew. Those who complete three missions will receive a limited-edition Halloween sticker. Guests can also take part in a pumpkin hunt, while the night sessions on 30 and 31 October will feature a Halloween mass dance.

Glowing Oceans: Walk through Living Light

Most people have only seen bioluminescence on a screen. From 3 November, guests will get to experience the real thing for themselves.

Glowing Oceans is Asia’s first full-scale living bioluminescence exhibition, featuring live dinoflagellates, single-celled marine plankton that emit blue light in response to movement. At the heart of the exhibition is the Lagoon, a shallow body of water that guests can step into wearing booties provided on site. As they walk through the water, the dinoflagellates respond to their movement, creating trails of blue light around their feet.

Beyond the Lagoon, guests can trace glowing patterns with their fingertips at the Galaxy Tables, gently swirl the water at the Touch Tables and Tanks to watch the organisms respond, and observe them up close in the Bubble Pods.

At the Lab Area and Educational Cove, guests can discover why these organisms glow, what triggers their response and how living bioluminescent cultures are cultivated and cared for. Glowing Oceans is presented in partnership with Popular Biology, Inc. from the United States

Meet Quby’s Science Explorer Buddies

The Centre celebrates Quby’s 10th birthday with the launch of specially curated five Science explorer buddies: Whale Quby, Scallop Quby, Manta Ray Quby, Baby Quby and Kueh Tutu Quby – a nod to the traditional Singapore snack. Each has its own personality and connection to science, bringing a different side of Quby to the collection.

The five special edition plushies extend Quby’s collaboration with the Centre since it was introduced as a companion for discovery at SG Science Fest earlier this year and an SCS x Quby WhatsApp sticker pack.