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If you’ve ever dreamed of snoozing under a 94-foot-long whale or creeping through dinosaur halls with only a flashlight for company, clear your October calendar: The American Museum of Natural History’s legendary sleepovers are back after a five-year hiatus. The first event, A Night at the Museum: The Overnight Experience, kicks off Friday, October 24, and promises plenty of after-hours magic.
Originally launched in 2006 alongside the Ben Stiller flick Night at the Museum, these overnight stays quickly became a New York City family rite of passage. Designed for kids aged 6–12 and their adult chaperones (sorry, grown-ups can’t go rogue), the program turns the Museum into an all-night adventure playground. Tickets for members go on sale Tuesday, September 30, with the general public able to snag spots starting Tuesday, October 7.
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So what do you actually do at a museum when everyone else has gone home? Think flashlight tours through the fossil halls—that means locking eyes with the Titanosaur in the dark—plus trivia, scavenger hunts and karaoke in the brand-new Gilder Center. There are also self-guided explorations of crowd favorites like the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, the insectarium (where the creepy-crawlies will be very much awake) and the dazzling halls of gems and minerals. Bedtime stories are told beneath the iconic blue whale, which is about as far from a nightlight as you can get.
“Whether it’s the thrill of encountering Tyrannosaurus rex by flashlight or the awe of sleeping beneath the massive blue whale, the experience is sure to create memories that families will treasure forever,” said Sean Decatur, the Museum’s president. Each overnight also comes with a commemorative keepsake, a voucher for a future visit and private gift shop access stocked with exclusive merch you won’t find on a regular Tuesday.
Tickets start at $225 per person, including snacks, a light breakfast and all activities. Families can also opt for dinner add-ons and other upgrades. Just note the fine print: Kids under 6 aren’t allowed, every child needs an adult, and adults aren’t admitted unless they’re there as chaperones. Fair trade, considering the payoff is bragging rights to one of the coolest sleepovers in town.