By Christopher Klein, Globe Correspondent

Looking for a getaway with the kids close to home during the February school vacation? The Hotel Commonwealth will be hosting its third annual Bedtime Stories storytelling and pajama party for families from 7-8:30 PM on the evenings of Feb. 24 and Feb. 25.

Kids are encouraged to wear their PJs while listening to professional performers and storytellers from ReadBoston. After hearing some of their favorite tales, kids can head to the make-your-own hot chocolate bar that features various types of hot cocoa and toppings. The suggested donation for the event is $10 per family. The hotel will match each donation, with all proceeds going to ReadBoston.

If you want to make a night of it, the Hotel Commonwealth is offering a “Hotel for Kids” overnight package on either Feb. 24, 2012, or Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at a special rate of $219. Included in the package is a special morning kids’ pancake-making class with Executive Chef Jeremy Sewall of Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks and Island Creek Oyster Bar.

The Hotel for Kids package includes:
• Deluxe family accommodations (up to two adults and two children; additional children can be accommodated for $49/child) in a Commonwealth Suite (more than 500-square feet of space, including a separate area with pull-out sofa bed that can be closed off with drapes)
• Welcome backpack for kids stuffed with slippers from LL Bean, a custom bedtime story featuring the hotel’s signature Terry bear and a flashlight
• Board game and family-friendly DVD selection (delivered to each room with complimentary popcorn)
• Homemade cookies and milk upon arrival
• Complimentary valet parking
• Access to the hotel’s Family Concierge to help with planning family-friendly activities around Boston
• Families can extend through the weekend at a special rate of $169/each additional night.
After February 25, 2012, the Hotel for Kids package starts at $289 per night and is available through March 31, 2012. For more information, visit www.hotelcommonwealth.com or call 617-532-5019.

To qualify for this promotion you must purchase by midnight for travel from Feb. 21 and April 3, 2012, largely on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, and there is a seven-day advance purchase required. You'll find all the fine print at: http://www.jetblue.com/deals/the-love-a-fare-sale/?intcmp=HERO120120214.

Here are some sample one-way fares from Boston's Logan International Airport: $49 to New York (JFK); $50 to Newark, Washington(Dulles), Richmond, VA, and Pittsburgh; $60 to Washington (Reagan) and Baltimore; $75 to Charlotte; $80 to Raleigh-Durham $85 to Chicago; $100 to Jacksonville; $110 to Denver and Phoenix; $120 to Fort Lauderdale; $130 to Seattle and Tampa; $140 to Orlando and New Orleans; $149 to Turks and Caicos; $150 to Los Angeles and San Francisco; $159 to St. Thomas; $160 to San Diego; $163 to Nassau, Bahamas; $170 to Las Vegas; and $184 to Santiago, Dominican Republic.

JetBlue also announced that it begin selling seats today ($98 roundtrip for travel between May 17- June 13. Non-sale fares start at around $145 roundtrip) for its daily seasonal service from Boston to Nantucket. Flights will leave Boston at 4:50 p.m. starting May 17 through Sept. 4.

JetBlue Airways - the official airline of the Boston Red Sox - unveiled the latest addition to its fleet today, a custom Red Sox-themed plane that will fly out of Logan Airport.

"There is a lot of excitement around the Red Sox camp as they prepare for what will surely be another great year in baseball. As the largest carrier in Boston, we're grateful to be a part of the electric energy to have their colors soaring the skies and runways of Boston's Logan," JetBlue's senior vice-president of marketing and commercial strategy Marty St. George said in a statement. "We're proud of our partnership extension agreement signed last year, and have a lot of very exciting things coming up like JetBlue Park in Fort Myers opening later this month. More than a partnership, this is quickly becoming a great friendship that we trust will last for many years to come and bring much joy to Boston fans and our customers in the New England region."

JetBlue also has the naming rights to Boston's new spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla.

"We are thrilled that JetBlue has honored our team with this specially painted Red Sox aircraft," Red Sox COO Sam Kennedy said. "The tribute has added meaning for us this year as we prepare for Spring Training in our new ballpark, JetBlue Park, and as we celebrate Fenway Park's centennial. JetBlue has been a great supporter of our team and brand, and we look forward to continuing to build on our partnership in the coming years, both in Boston and Fort Myers at our new spring training home."

The Airbus A320 traded signature blue branding for a gray paint scheme inspired by Red Sox road uniforms and features dangling red socks. The aircraft also includes a banner commemorating Fenway Park's 100th anniversary. The jet officially entered service today with its first flight heading to Fort Myers. Customers on that flight found Red Sox hats and jerseys waiting for them on their seats.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Caffeine lovers, unite: Krups, maker of coffee and espresso machines, kicked off its Krups Best Brew Awards 2012, a campaign seeking the best coffee shops across the country. Nominees in the Boston market are Polcari's, Thinking Cup, and Wired Puppy, all in Boston, Barismo in Arlington (a winner in last year's inaugural contest), and 1369 Coffee House in Cambridge.

Krups is taking votes for the awards through Feb. 24, with winners announced Feb. 27. Participants can vote for one of five local shops in each participating city, a list comprised of last year's winners and overall top picks. They can also write in their favorite shop if it's not on the list of nominees. Cities in the contest are Boston, New York, LA, Miami, Chicago, Philly, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. To vote, visit the Krups Facebook page, www.facebook.com/krupsusa.

The contest is expanding this year to find the best baristas throughout the country in those cities who are interested in winning a seat on the Krups Coffee Council. Entrants must submit a video showing their talents and complete a questionnaire, which can be found on the Facebook page as well. Krups uses the coffee council members throughout the year for regional events and promotions, media opportunities, new product demos and more.

Pour yourself a cup of joe, sit down and vote. It is an election year, after all.

The TSA said yesterday that it would extend to Logan International Airport and 27 other major airports this year a new screening program that will allow some travelers to avoid removing their shoes and belts, speeding passage through security checkpoints.

The agency already has put the PreCheck program in place at seven airports. The move reflects an attempt by TSA, first announced in May, to respond to consumer complaints about passenger screenings.

This is the way it works: To participate in the program, travelers must be part of American or Delta airlines' frequent flier programs, or Global Entry, SENTRI, or NEXUS' Trusted Traveler programs. (Other airlines, including United, Continental and US Airways, are expected to join the system within months.)

Trusted Traveler program members get an identification number to be used when booking an airline ticket online with a participating carrier. Frequent fliers will likely receive an email from the airline offering directions for participating in PreCheck.

Travelers won't discover whether they have been approved until they get to the airport. Participating passengers will go to dedicated lanes at airport security checkpoints and hand TSA officers specially marked boarding pass that will be scanned. If an embedded code indicates that the passenger has been approved, the traveler will be directed to a faster security line and likely allowed to keep on belts, shoes, and jackets and leave laptops and liquids in bags during screening.

Currently, participating airports include Dallas/Fort Worth International, Las Vegas’ McCarran International, Los Angeles International, Miami International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International airports.

Besides Boston, this year TSA plans to add: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Denver International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Honolulu International Airport,
Indianapolis International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport,Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, O’Hare International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, Portland International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,
Salt Lake City International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Don't say we didn't warn you. My pal Katie Johnston wrote this morning that flights from Boston to Philly would double in price to about $520 after Southwest drops the service Feb. 11, leaving US Airways as the sole nonstop carrier on the route.

Last week I wrote that Southwest would have no nonstop service between New England and Philly after it halted its five daily Boston nonstops to the City of Brotherly Love this Saturday. The carrier announced in July that it would halt its four nonstops to Philadelphia from both T.F. Green in Warwick, R.I., and Boston Manchester Airport in New Hampshire in January.

Southwest representatives have said that the carrier halted the 1 1/2-hour flights because they simply didn't generate enough revenue. And this isn't the first time that airlines dropped the route and left travelers holding the bag. This is what Katie wrote:

AirTran Airways, now owned by Southwest, stopped flying between the two cities in late 2007, sending the cheapest round-trip ticket soaring to $344 from $152.

The price climbed to $462 when Delta Air Lines pulled out in 2009. US Airways was the sole nonstop carrier on the route, charging a whopping $1,100 round trip, until Southwest entered the market in 2010.

Bottom line is that right now Boston-area air travelers have only two options to get to Philly: either US Airways or Streamline Air, which flies 30-seat turboprops nonstop between Hanscom Field in Bedford and Trenton-Mercer Airport, about 35 miles from Philadelphia, for as low as $200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The updated NYCWay, from the MyCityWay collection of Apple apps, has just been released. The updated app lets you peruse lists from locals and visitors on the best places, and there's a new Quick Guide with insider tips to the city which includes a "Know Before You Go" section on the best times to visit and how to budget for trips. Created in 2009, MyCityWay apps (which includes Boston) are free and downloadable to iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. They list places to eat, subway maps, lists created by locals and visitors, traffic camera views, attractions and itineraries. The apps list keeps growing, and now includes more than 40 urban markets across the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Check it out at http://www.apple.com/itunes/affiliates/download/

Southwest will no longer offer any nonstop service from New England to Philadephia when it ends its five daily nonstops from Boston on Feb. 11.

The carrier announced in July that it would halt its four nonstops to Philadelphia from both T.F. Green in Warwick, R.I., and Boston Manchester Airport in New Hampshire in January. A month later, Southwest noted on its flight schedules that it also would halt its Boston service in February.

Southwest spokeswoman Ashley Dillon said that the carrier made the decision because it decided that business was not robust enough to merit keeping the flights.

Southwest is in the process of reviewing its operations after acquiring AirTran last year. But Dillon said that this latest move had nothing to do with that but was part of a continuing review process that the carrier has embraced. In the past couple of years in reaction to higher fuel prices and the soft economy, Dillon said, the airline has taken to keeping tighter reins on flight schedules. In past years it revised service quarterly but now it makes changes as often as every month or two, adding and subtracting flights according to projected demand.

Southwest, which began service out of Logan in 2009, added the flights to Philadelphia in 2010. Going forward, it will offer nonstop service to six destinations -- Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Denver, and Phoenix -- with connecting flights to a number of other cities.

One-way fares from Logan International Airport begin at $39 (to Baltimore, Newark, Buffalo, Washington -- Dulles and Reagan -- Pittsburgh, and Richmond, Va.) for travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only between Jan. 23-April 3. A seven-day advance purchase is required. Click here for all the details.

Here are some other sample one-way fares from Boston: $59 to Charlotte, N.C.; $69 to Raleigh-Durham and Chicago; $99 to Jacksonville, Fla., and Denver $109 to
Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Santiago, DR; $114 to Phonix; $125 to Nassau and Turks and Caicos; $129 to San Juan, PR, Santo Domingo, DR. Seattle, and New Orleans; $134 to Austin; $149 to Los Angeles and San Diego; $159 to Las Vegas and San Francisco; and $199 to Aruba.

Southwest Airlines said today that it would redesign the interiors of most of its planes, changing the color scheme, carpets, and seats with newer models that will allow the airline to add a half dozen more to each flight.

In a press release, Southwest said that the new lighter-weight seats and fixed-wing head rests offer improved ergonomics so will be more comfortable without reducing personal space. Another bonus: increased under-seat room for carry-on luggage. The airline says it was able to create room for the extra seats by using lighter, thinner padding, reducing the recline distance of seats from three inches to two, and installing new streamlined netted seatback pockets.

Southwest says the redesign will begin appearing on its Boeing 700s in March and be completed sometime next year and will help it improve efficiency as the changes will allow it to carry more passengers and at the same time an estimated 635 fewer pounds per aircraft. It also pointed out that the interior design materials will be eco-friendly.

Southwest put the pricetag for this first-stage of the overhaul at $60 million, but Bloomberg News said the estimated reduction in weight and fuel use along with the addition of seats will lift revenue by at least $250 million a year.

Southwest is still evaluating its remaining planes for the changeover and it expects to gradually retrofit its AirTran Airways jets as it continues to integrate the new unit.

Below is a video of a plane being retrofitted.

National Park Service says that all 397 national parks will offer free admission from Saturday, Jan. 14- Monday, Jan. 16 to mark Martin Luther King Day. In New England there are more than two dozen parks, with the bulk of them being in Massachusetts (15). On its website, the NPS maps out locations by state.

For those interested in King himself, BudgetTravel offers these suggestions:

Those wishing to learn more about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., can pay a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia, where both the home he was born in and his tomb with the Eternal Flame are on display. Follow in his footsteps along the National Historic Trail from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, now a designated historic byway. If you happen to be on the east coast, visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and sit on the steps from which Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, or visit the newly opened Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in the National Mall. Events commemorating Dr. King's life will also take place at Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Tennessee, while the MLK Film Festival will be held at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington D.C. from January 14-16.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you see a pink taxi cab roaming the streets of Boston, take a photo of it. The effort may net you a free trip to London. The taxi belongs to The Langham in Boston, a luxury hotel, once the Federal Reserve Bank, that takes its name from the Langham Hotel in London. The specially outfitted pink taxi – the color is Langham's signature shade - was brought from London in November.

The contest ends Jan. 12 and is being held to commemorate the addition of the taxi used to shuttle hotel guests around the city.

Anyone spotting the taxi can snap a photo and upload it to The Langham's Facebook page, and will be automatically entered into a contest to win a London getaway on Virgin Atlantic Airways, which includes air, and three nights at the Langham there, which opened in 1865, reportedly as Europe’s first grand hotel. It lays claim, by its location at the top of Regent Street, to being the most centrally located luxury hotel in London.

The winner will be picked at random and announced on or about Jan. 31. Once you snap a photo of the Langham taxi, upload it at www.facebook.com/langhamboston. You could end up in the London pink.

This latest promotion features one-way fares as low as $39 and purchases must be made before Thursday Jan. 5. There are a number of restrictions: Sale fares are limited to Tuesdays and Wednesdays for travel between Jan. 10 and April 3 with blackout dates of Feb. 16-27 and between Jan. 10-Feb. 15 for routes to/from Florida; Austin, Texas; Phoenix; Puerto Rico; or any international city. A 7-day-advance purchase is required. Here is all the fine print.

Some sample one-way fares from Boston's Logan International Airport: $34 to Baltimore; $39 to Buffalo, Washington, DC (both Dulles and Reagan), Newark, N.J.; Pittsburgh, and Richmond, Va.; $59* to Charlotte, N.C.; $69* to Chicago and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; $99 to Tampa, Denver, Jacksonville, Fla., Phoenix, Orlando; $109 to Fort Lauderdale and Santiago, DR; $129* to New Orleans, Seattle, San Juan, PR, and Santo Domingo, DR; $134 to Austin; $149* to Los Angeles and San Diego; $159 to Las Vegas and San Francisco; and $199 to Aruba.

By Jaime Lutz, Globe Correspondent

Amtrak suspended its service between New York and Boston this morning after a tree fell onto the overhead wire system in Connecticut, the train service said.

Passengers who have already paid to travel on this route can get a refund or rebook for the future without any fees, according to an Amtrak advisory.

The tree fell at about 8 a.m. today in Guilford, Conn., not far from the tracks, the advisory said. This resulted in a loss of power to trains.

Though Amtrak is performing repairs, it is uncertain how long the service suspension will last, the advisory said.

Service between New York and Washington, D.C., was not affected.

Kaime Lutz can be reached at jaime.lutz@globe.com.

Bob Burns, a social media analyst and blogger with the TSA, offered an update on the agency's response to the uproar over recent reports of three elderly woman who claimed they either were "strip searched'' or forced to undergo intrusive searches, requiring them to remove some clothing.

Burns begins his latest blog by reiterating the agency's position on strip searches:

"TSA does not, and has never, conducted strip searches and no strip searches occurred in any of these incidents.''

He goes on to say that TSA officials convened a call last week with members of various advocacy groups to talk about policies and procedures and to let them know that the agency plans to set up an 800 number to offer guidance to travelers with disabilities and medical conditions about screening procedures.

Bob then offered some tips, including these two:

TSA officers do not ask passengers to remove clothing to expose a sensitive area or to remove a medical device or brace. We have special procedures that allow us to safely screen passengers with disabilities.

Notification cards, are a great way for passengers to discreetly let us know about a medical condition or disability. Passengers may present these cards at the checkpoint to our officers.

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Writer and photographer Jonathan Scheff grew up in Brookline but has since traveled in more than 20 countries and lives in New York City. So he brings a worldly eye to his former home turf in Boston Icons: 50 Symbols of Beantown (Globe Pequot Press, 2011, $16.95). Predictably enough, he covers a lot of familiar territory. (After all, how many icons can one city have?) But Scheff's photos often surprise with a different angle or view that might make even long-time Bostonians take a fresh look at such landmarks as Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution, or the Bunker Hill Monument. He also frees Boston from the grip of history by conferring icon status on the Samuel Adams Brewery and the Zakim Bridge, which became a highlight of the Boston cityscape even before the first car drove under the soaring cables. No book of icons would be complete without a mention of America's game. But Scheff chooses to focus not on Fenway Park or the Red Sox. Instead he gives a call out to the diehards of Red Sox Nation. Scheff is mum on the issue, but I bet he still roots for the home team.

By Katie Johnston, Globe Staff

JetBlue Airways, Logan International Airport’s largest carrier, will start flying between the two cities three times a day on May 1.

Spirit Airlines will start flying the route once a day on March 22.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is a new destination for JetBlue, the largest metropolitan area in the country it isn’t currently serving. The airline said it had nothing to do with American’s bankruptcy.

“We had this on the books for some time,’’ said spokesman Mateo Lleras.

Boston is the first Dallas/Fort Worth connection JetBlue has announced.

Spirit, which already flies from Dallas/Fort Worth to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Las Vegas, and Chicago, is also expanding from there to Orlando, Atlanta, and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Want to stick close to Boston over the Christmas holiday? The Fairmont Copley Plaza has a few seasonal deals it is offering to keep folks, and their spending dollars, in the Hub.

The Fairmont's "Twelve Days of Christmas Package," which runs Dec. 14-30, includes a night's stay at the hotel, a "Sleigh Ride: A Traditional Holiday" CD from the Boston Pops, and late check-out of 4 p.m., with rates starting at $239 a night.

New Year's Eve revelers can do the Fairmont First Night package, which includes two nights, Dec, 30 and 31, and two First Night Boston buttons that provide access to all activities in the city, with rates starting at $279.

You can ramp it up with the Fairmont's New Year's Eve gala package, with rates starting at $779 that includes a room for the night and a five-course dinner for two in the hotel's famous Oak Room, with live entertainment and dancing later in the Oak Bar.To book or for more information, visit www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza or call 617-267-5300.

Megabus.com, which offers fares from $1, said that it would give away 200,000 seats for travel Jan. 4 to March 1, 2012 starting today.

The free seats will be subject to availability for travel anywhere megabus.com goes in the United States and to Toronto. Travelers will need to use the promo code GOFREE to book their seats online.

From Boston's South Station, Megabus, which offers travelers free WiFi and power outlets, travels to New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Phildelphia, Hartford, New Haven, Portland, Me., Burlington, Vt., and Secaucus, N.J. The company, a unit of Coach USA, serves more than 70 cities in North America.

Virgin America goes just coast-to-coast from Boston so one-way sale fares to either San Francisco or Los Angeles are $128 Monday-Thursday and Saturday and $149 Friday and Sunday for travel from Dec.15- March 14. Tickets must be purchased before Dec. 1 and require a 7-day advance purchase. Blackout dates are Dec. 22-24, 26, Jan. 2, Feb. 17, and Feb. 20, 2012.

One-way fares for this one start at $39 from Boston's Logan International Airport for travel from Dec. 6-Feb. 15, and tickets must be purchased by midnight. Blackout dates are Dec. 16-Jan. 3 and all Fridays and Sundays, and discounts require a 7-day advance purchase. Here is the fine print.

This sale comes one day after Southwest-Airtran launched a four-day promotion, with similar restrictions -- most salient being the blackout days around the Christmas-New Year's holidays (although some with more flexible schedules might be able to work around Southwest-Airtran's Dec. 22-Jan. 3 dates).

As these sales are coming amid news of the American Airlines bankruptcy filing, smart shoppers will want to sniff around a little before buying as other big carriers, hoping prospective travelers will unfairly give American a wide berth, may be in the mood to aggressively match or beat prices.

By Katie Johnston, Globe Staff

This morning’s bankruptcy filing by the parent companies of American Airlines is not expected to have an immediate impact on the airlines’ flights in and out of Logan International Airport.

“I am not aware of any impact on their operations in Boston,” said Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Logan.

Attempts to reach American Airlines were not immediately successful.

A few years ago, American was the biggest airline at Logan, but has since been eclipsed by JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines. American has been cutting back on domestic service as it focuses on international destinations such as London and Paris.

American is one of several airlines to recently upgrade their lounges at Logan in a bid to win more first-class business.

According to the Associated Press, American Airlines said it is seeking bankruptcy protection as it looks to reduce its costs and debt as a way to remain competitive in the airline industry

Sale fares must be purchased before Dec. 2 and they start as low as $59 for travel Dec. 8-Feb. 15. Note that there are blackout dates -- Dec. 22-Jan. 3 and all Sundays -- and a 10-day advance purchase is required. Here is the fine print for Southwest and for its AirTran unit. It may pay to shop around as I expect competitors will start matching fares and you might be able to get better flight days/times.

Fares begin as low as $59 and must be purchased before Nov. 15 for travel Nov. 14-Feb. 14, and though it ends on Valentine's Day the carrier gives up little love for the holidays as the exclusion dates include: Nov. 20 and 23, Nov. 26 -28, and Dec. 22 - Jan. 3.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how it appears holiday travelers will be paying more for airline tickets this year as the carriers, facing surging fuel prices, have been boosting tickets prices in the wake of plans to make deeper cuts than usual for the holiday season to ensure fuller planes and higher fares.

If you can work around the blackout dates, prices are pretty good. Here is the fine print and some sample one-way fares from Boston:

$59: Baltimore, Buffalo, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh

$79: Raleigh-Durham

$117: Cleveland

$121: Chicago

$127: Minneapolis/St. Paul

$129: Denver

$132: Milwaukee

$137: Columbus

$139: Nashville

$142: Kansas City

$144: Jackson, Miss.

$147: San Antonio

$149: Los Angeles, Burbank, Calif., Ontario/LA, Orange County, San Diego

$158: Louisville, Ky., Panama City Beach

$159: Birmingham, Ala., Tucson, Sacramento

$161: St. Louis

$162: Albuquerque, Salt Lake City

$165: Houston

$168: Detroit

$178: Reno/Lake Tahoe

$179: Little Rock

$184: Phoenix, San Jose, Calif.

$187: Portland, Ore.

$194: Oklahoma City

$199: Dallas, El Paso, Tulsa

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

Museum of Science in Boston.

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

Battleship Cove in Fall River

New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, Conn.

AROUND THE US

American Museum of Natural History in New York City

Field Museum in Chicago

Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington

The Spy Museum in Washington

National Aquarium in Baltimore

Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh

Natural History Museum in Los Angeles

San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park

SeaWorld in San Diego

Seaworld in Orlando, Fla.

Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Fla,