10 unexpected and educational nighttime adventures

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 24: An overview of the American Museum of Natural History's rotunda during the American Museum of Natural History's 13th Annual Family Party on October 24, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images) — **American Museum of Natural History**
*New York City* Remember Ben Stiller in the 2006 film “Night at the Museum “? Though the movie wasn’t filmed at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, you can still plan a film-inspired sleepover. The museum hosts kids ages 6 to 13 for flashlight tours of spooky fossils and a snooze on comfy cots. There are also separate programs for high school science clubs, scout troops and event adults. The museum’s “Sleepovers for Grownups” evening event (for ages 21 and up) costs $350 and includes a Champagne reception, a live jazz concert and a buffet dinner, followed by an evening tour and after-party. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

Joseph Han, 5, and sister, Mary Han, from San Jose, Calif., explore the 211,000 gallon Seal and Sea Lion Habitat at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) — **Aquarium of the Pacific**
*Long Beach, California* This award-winning aquarium offers family sleepovers for visitors ages 5 and up, and teens-only summer events for visitors ages 13 to 15. Teens who spend the night at Long Beach’s best-known attraction can steer a remote controlled vehicle through an obstacle course and enjoy their own pizza party. All visitors are guided through the marine life kitchen and past the bioluminescent tanks. And other exhibits are explored by flashlight to keep sleeping fish undisturbed. What’s more, participants can take home a T-shirt they have painted. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

**Bronx Zoo**
*New York City* At New York’s Bronx Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s “Family Overnight Safaris” for ages 5 and older sell out quickly. This expensive outing, which requires guests to bring dinner and sleeping gear (including a tent and sleeping bags), includes snacks, breakfast, tours and a T-shirt. The naturalists are excellent, the animals are exciting and it’s hard to beat waking up to the bark of sea lions. (Getty Images)

**Cheyenne Mountain Zoo**
*Colorado Springs, Colorado* To better appreciate nocturnal animals, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo encourages participants to explore the zoo by moonlight. Designed for ages 5 and older, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s “WildNights” program features hands-on giraffe feedings, as well as tours with a naturalist both at night and the next morning. The emphasis on nutrition extends to visitors’ meals, too, which include healthy treats for dinner, snacks and breakfast. Cots are available for rent upon request. (Obeastly via Wikimedia Commons) (Obeastly via Wikimedia Commons)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - DECEMBER 9: Space Shuttle Discovery illuminates the night sky as it lifts off from launch pad 39B this evening December 9, 2006 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. Discovery launched on NASA?s second attempt and is embarking on a twelve day mission and its the first night launch since the Columbia accident. NASA required the previous three missions to be in daylight so images could be taken of the shuttle's external fuel tank. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images) — **John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center**
*Titusville, Florida* A working launch pad for more than 30 missions annually, the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center is an excellent place to dream about the stars. Visitors ages 7 to 14 choose whether they want to study the Space Shuttle Atlantis or sleep beneath the Apollo/Saturn V rocket and explore each mission’s history. Plus, you can expect guided tours and the chance to try flight simulators as well as educational activities around the facility. Admission includes full-day admission, plus discounts in the shop, equipment demonstrations and a “mission briefing” from a veteran NASA astronaut. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)

Workers at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry put the finishing touches on the exhibit "Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius" Wednesday, April 12, 2006. While known for his masterpieces, the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper," this exhibit focuses on the innovative designs of Leonardo. The horse's head recreated from his drawings is a partial replica of a sculpture commissioned by the Duke of Milan in honor of his father. The original bronze statue was meant to be 24-feet high. The replica is made of foam and measures 8 feet by 8 feet. The statue was never completed. The exhibit opens Friday. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green) — **Museum of Science and Industry**
*Chicago* Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry uses dozens of interactive exhibits to keep overnight “Snoozeum” participants awake. Many special interest groups attend these events simultaneously and bed down next to the museum’s Boeing 727, near a giant human heart display or in a toy-making factory. Overnights include a screening of a current documentary at the Omnimax theater, along with live science experiments conducted by staff. Guests bring their own sleeping bags, floor mats, eye masks and ear plugs to ensure a good night’s sleep. Plus, the museum provides a separate area where science nerds can brainstorm the night away. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

FILE - In a Thursday, July 31, 2008 file photo, Chesapeake, a 16-year-old dolphin, left, swims with her recently born calf, right, at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The National Aquarium announced Tuesday, June 14, 2016, that Eight dolphins that have spent their lives swimming in tanks will be retired from the National Aquarium in Baltimore into a seaside sanctuary. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File) — **National Aquarium**
*Baltimore* Though the National Aquarium has been welcoming visitors to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for 35 years, few aquarium visitors realize that marine life stays up at night for National Aquarium Immersion Tours. Select the Aquarium, Shark or Dolphin Sleepover; all programs include a guided behind-the-scenes tour and a visit to the food-prep area to learn how (and what) aquarium residents are fed. And for guests, there’s dinner, a screening of their latest 4-D film, crafts themed to your tour choice and other fun activities in the Discovery Lab. Even better, guests can take advantage of free admission the next day to visit other exhibits after breakfast. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)

In Final-Day Preparation For Its May 15 Opening, Oceanic Adventures Newport Aquarium Is Adding More Deadly Predators To Its 850,000-Gallon Surrounded By Sharks Exhibit. This 9-Foot Sandbar Is One Of 25 Sharks That Encircle Visitors Walking Through An 85-Foot Underwater Tunnel. The $40 Million Aquarium Includes A Million Gallons Of Water, 11,000 Animals And Five Of The Only Seamless Tunnels In The World. Newport Aquarium Is In Kentucky, Just South Of Cincinnati. (Photo By Getty Images) — **Newport Aquarium**
*Newport, Kentucky* Located directly across the Ohio River, the Newport Aquarium organizes several sleepovers each year. During the sleepovers, guests ages 6 and older gather in a clear plastic tunnel where sharks, stingrays, turtles and exotic fish swim overhead. Naturalists quietly lead well-behaved visitors over the Shark Bridge, a 75-foot-long rope bridge suspended a few inches above two dozen sharks, before continuing their exploration. (Photo By Getty Images)

FILE - This Dec. 31, 2014 file photo shows Nola, a northern white rhinoceros, in her enclosure at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, Calif. The Los Angeles Times reports that Zoo officials say Nola, 41, was euthanized early Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015 as she was suffering from a number of old-age ailments, including arthritis, and had also been treated for a recurring abscess on her hip. The rhino had been a draw at the Safari Park since 1986.(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi, File) — **San Diego Zoo Safari Park**
*San Diego* The famous San Diego Zoo Safari Park, about a half-hour’s drive from San Diego, is a prime place for an overnight adventure. Activities during the “Roar and Snore Safari Sleepover” are designed for children ages 3 and older. Here, camp activities include an after-hours look at the wildlife from a safari vehicle, guided walks, dinner around a campfire, a snack, breakfast and a park souvenir. Up to four guests can sleep in each African safari-style canvas tent and a few, more romantic, adults-only safaris are held each year. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi, File)

This Sikorsky JRS-1 sea plane survived the bombings of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii during World War II and began flying reconnaissance missions the day of the attack, in seen at the National Air and Space Museums Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. Faced with an ongoing shortage of space for storage and care of its massive collection, the Smithsonians new restoration hangar for the nations historic aircraft and spacecraft and spacesuit collections is a bright spot for the museum complex in northern Virginia. Last year, the Smithsonians inspector general testified in Congress that the continued use of substandard facilities was a risk to important art and science collections. (AP Photo/Brett Zongker) — **Smithsonian Institution Museums**
*Washington, District of Columbia* As seen in the 2009 sequel, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” the nation’s free museums come to life after dark with summer sleepovers for groups and families. Fans must choose between the National Museum of Natural History‘s dinosaurs, the National Museum of American History’s cars and the Udvar-Hazy Center at the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia (pictured above), where classic aircraft and space vehicles are the focus. Activities include a tour of the exhibits, a themed scavenger hunt, arts and crafts and a viewing of a current IMAX film. Guest reviews — found on Smithsonian Sleepover’s very own Pinterest board — give the Smithsonian Institutions a thumbs-up, and a five-star rating. (AP Photo/Brett Zongker)

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Picture yourself in a sleeping bag, waiting for a Triceratops skeleton to be spotted nearby. Cheaper and more educational than staying at a high-end hotel room, overnight stays at learning institutions make for a great weekend getaway. At many museums, aquariums, zoos and science centers across the country, action-packed sleepovers for ages 8 and older take place monthly. Typical rates cost around $50 to $100 per person, and include a light dinner or snack, a behind-the-scenes tour, exclusive activities and breakfast. With limited availability, booking well in advance is crucial.

“Overnight programs at AZA-accredited facilities are a unique opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of nocturnal and crepuscular animals first hand,” says Amy Rutherford, the director of professional development and public engagement at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Use the AZA and Association of Science-Technology Centers websites to find facilities at your desired destination that offer discounted or free admission to members of reciprocal institutions, and start planning your trip now.

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