What is Dark Cellars?

This Halloween, the Old Geelong Gaol opens its doors for one night only. Dark Cellars is a food and wine experience like nothing else in Victoria, transforming one of the state’s most iconic heritage venues into an immersive evening of wine, food, theatre and just the right amount of trouble.

Built from local bluestone in the 1850s, the Gaol operated as a working prison for 138 years. Its three storeys of heavy iron doors, narrow corridors and original cell blocks have stood mostly untouched since it closed in 1991. On Saturday 31 October 2026, those cells belong to the Geelong wine region’s finest winemakers, brewers, distillers, cheesemakers and artisan food producers, each locked inside their own cell block and ready to pour.

Your job is simple. Roam freely. Taste everything.

On arrival, you’ll be assigned a starting cell block and handed a personalised timetable for the evening. Get your mugshot taken at the door, then begin your journey through the corridors, moving from cell to cell at your own pace across two tasting sessions running from 3pm to 9:30pm. You’ll taste wines from across the Bellarine Peninsula, Moorabool Valley and Surf Coast alongside local craft beer, spirits and artisan produce from the region’s best makers.