Activities for Kids

The Best Museum & Zoo Sleepovers in the U.S.

When the doors lock and the lights go out the magic ignites at these museums. Here are the overnights worth signing up for.

By Annette Benedetti November 16, 2017

Experience your own night at the museum! Explore the exhibits after-hours and discover the deepest depths of the oceans, travel to the tops of rainforests, blast off into outer space at your own private planetarium show, and then settle in for story time after snacking on milk and cookies. When the lights go out, unroll your sleeping bag next to the swaying kelp of the California Coast tank, or even at the Swamp window, face-to-face with Claude, the albino alligator. In the morning, rise and shine, then head over to the Academy Café for breakfast.

Thank the movie Night at the Museum for not only igniting your kid’s interest in historical artifacts, buildings and things of the past, but also opening up doors across the U.S. for after-hours fun. Wonder what you can do at these galleries when the lights out? Click through our flipbook to see the top 18 museums and zoos where you can stay the night and let your curious mind wander.

Night Exploration at the Cincinnati Museum Center – Cincinnati, Oh

Theme nights at the Cincinnati Museum Center are slightly different from your average museum. On top of venturing into the wild and hanging out with the superheroes of science, there are cultural fests that’ll take you around the world and appeal to any history buff.

Ages: 6-14
Cost: $30/person

Online: cincymuseum.org

photo: Steve Schroeder via Flickr