As the autumn season arrives, it’s time to remember some fun indoor experiences suitable for the whole family. In New York, for example, a museum visit can turn into a midnight adventure — an overnight sleep-in for both kids and adults.
This month, the American Museum of Natural History in New York revived its beloved tradition — the “museum sleepover,” an experience allowing participants to fall asleep under the 94-foot blue whale or beside the skeletons of dinosaurs.
The tradition began in 2006, inspired by the film Night at the Museum. Since then, the museum’s program has become a hallmark cultural experience for all ages.
Activities include flashlight tours among the dinosaurs, games and quizzes in the galleries, karaoke and a bedtime story — all before drifting off beneath the huge blue whale in the Ocean Life hall. The next morning brings breakfast, a souvenir and a voucher for a return visit — a win-win for families and for the museum, which sees increased attendance and revenue.
Museum Sleepover makes a comeback
Overnight stays are typically for children aged 6 to 12 plus a parent, and similar events are held elsewhere in the U.S.: in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where kids might spend the night among space capsules or mammoths; in Chicago the Field Museum offers “Dozin’ with the Dinos” — where guests literally sleep beside the world-famous T-Rex named Sue; in Baltimore the Science Center Baltimore hosts family sleep-ins with experiments and science workshops; and even zoos in Philadelphia or San Diego offer nights spent among animal sounds.
In total, more than 50 museums, science centers and zoos across the U.S. now offer these “sleepover” programs, all enjoying strong demand.
In New York, interest is extraordinary — tickets for October, November and December sold out within weeks. And for 2026, new dates have already been announced and are expected to sell out months in advance. For example, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco has published early 2026 sleep-over dates including Saturday January 17, Saturday January 31, Saturday February 21, Saturday March 14, Saturday March 28, Friday April 10, Friday April 17 (Girl Scout Exclusive), Friday May 1, Friday May 15, and Saturday June 13 (Girl Scout Exclusive).
So if you’re thinking of booking one of these overnight adventures — plan early, sleeping bags at the ready!
