Spend a night at the museum
Even before the Ben Stiller fantasy comedies about after-hours life in museums, a number of institutions hosted nights for children to tuck in next to a T-rex. And the programs, which run from just after the museum closes until just before it opens the next day, tend to be remarkably similar. Typically, children must be accompanied with an adult. Many programs only allow groups to sign up for overnights, but some just schedule dates and invite individual child-parent pairs to roll out a bag. There is a fee for the night, which covers specially-planned activities and at least one meal -- usually a continental breakfast but some places also serve dinner. Here is a list of some places locally and around the nation that offer sleepover programs:
NEW ENGLAND
The Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester
The Children's Museum in West Hartford, Conn.
The Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover
Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor
New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, Conn.
AROUND THE US
American Museum of Natural History in New York City
Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago
Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh
Natural History Museum in Los Angeles
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