A Night at the Museum: Bring your PJs
An overnight visit to a museum is a great way to bond with your grandchildren
by Beryl Shereshewsky
The term "sleepover" has long evoked images of pajamas, movies, scary stories told by flashlight, and lots of junk food. These days, the same elements are still in place, but the venues have changed. Instead of a home-based get-together for kids only, museums, aquariums, zoos, and even retail stores are now the chosen locale to spend the night, and best of all, they are including the entire family. While a smattering of institutions have been inviting the public to bring PJs and sleeping bags for years, many more locations have begun extending their hours — especially since the 2006 hit film A Night at the Museum — and offering families the option to spend the night among the dinosaurs, sparkling gemstones, and walruses.
“The overnights really help open up the museum to kids,” explains Nora Lenhart, the assistant director of public programs at the Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, which has been conducting family sleepovers for some 20 years. “Kids feel a connection with the museum after they spend the night.”
Overnights with your grandchildren are not only an easy way to snag quality time, but also a great way to interact. On the educational front, these excursions, which are on average, for children age 5 and older, address a wide range of topics. So, whether your grandchildren are interested in fish, mammals, cars, boats, or anything ancient, you can be sure to find something that piques their interests. For example, at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, families can relive the life of an immigrant shipworker employed on the Star of India. “The family sleepovers we address the issues of past generations,” says Susan Sirota, educational director. “We don’t focus necessarily on school content; it’s more of a family experience.”
For the most part, the sleepovers are organized with structure, free time, and designated meal time. Typically, the sleepover location will supply kids with a dinner, snacks, and breakfast. “During the sleepover there is free time both at the beginning and end, then there are organized events like scavenger hunts, games, arts and crafts, and movies,” explains Erin Hardee, of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
And if you want to spend time with more furry animals, zoos are the way to go. “We hope that families will have an opportunity to connect with zoo staff and our animals," says Erin McCool, program coordinator for sleepovers at the Philadelphia Zoo. "Our programs highlight our amazing animal collection and conservation projects dedicated to helping save wild animals.” And how do kids feel about getting an up-close look at lions, tigers. and bears? “They love it," enthuses McCool. She said that one grandmother remarked about her experience in a museum survey. "We did the Night Flight overnight program," raved this grandma participant. "It was awesome. We got particularly lucky. No other groups signed up for that night, so it was just our group. We had the whole treehouse to ourselves. It was definitely something the kids will always remember."
For the past ten years, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., has been hosting an overnight. “The aquarium's mission is to instill a sense of wonder and respect of our Pacific Ocean and its inhabitants," says Alicia Hipp, the aquarium's overnight coordinator. "Hosting a variety of sleepover programs allows us another opportunity to inspire families to learn more about the ocean.” Dining beside the sea lions and petting stingrays are part of the evening's adventures.
After the crowds have left and the hallways no longer echo with children’s giggles and hurried footsteps, those participating in the museum sleepovers are free to roam around and visit the exhibits on a completely new and personal level. “There is a sense of intimacy between the museum and the children when there are only 465 people in a building that can hold 30,000,” says Brad Harris, senior director of visitor services at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. “Families can wander around together. It’s a great bonding experience.”
