In New York, a night at the museum again – five years in the making

NEW YORK – It is nearly 10pm on Friday night, and a group of children shine their torches on the imposing skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Though the scene seems like something out of a movie, it is in fact a whimsical sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Once a month, parents and kids can once again spend the night at the venerable institution – a programme that had been suspended since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We live really close to this place. So, we can come here anytime we want,” said Jake Nelson, eight. “It’s crazy to sleep (here). I don’t know who would come up with this crazy idea.”

Jake, nestled into his sleeping bag underneath the museum’s gigantic suspended model of a blue whale, said he was “so happy to be here”.

The museum first launched its Night at the Museum programmes in 2006. It was riding the success of the movie of the same name released that year starring American actor Ben Stiller as a security guard, who realises that the animals and fossils come to life overnight.

The return of the sleepovers is good news for the museum and its visitors.

“They were an iconic part of our itinerary here, and very sought after by all of our visitors,” said Mr Aaron Anleu, senior director of visitor service. “Unfortunately, during the pandemic, we had to pause the experience for a few years. But we really wanted to take a pause and understand how we can make this experience exciting and memorable for our visitors, and now we’re here.”

The overnight visit on Oct 24 was sold out, as are the November and December events, but in the end, a few cots were empty when the lights dimmed.

A few hundred children aged six to 12 arrived at the museum at 6pm with their parents or other caregivers, sleeping bags and pillows in tow. Some were already wearing their pyjamas.

For a fee starting at US$225 (S$292) a person, attendees get torch tours of exhibits including the fossil halls, go on scavenger hunts, play trivia games and have bedtime snacks. Breakfast is served before the event ends.

Admission also includes a souvenir and a voucher for free admission during regular hours.

Amid the games, crafts, live presentations and self-guided visits to the live insect displays, one of the most popular events is karaoke.

Kids belt out a mix of Broadway tunes, viral YouTube hit The Duck Song and the inescapable soundtrack from the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters (2025).

Shortly before midnight, they get into their beds to listen to a live reading of the 1993 children’s book The Night At The Museum by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc – the inspiration for the film.

Wake-up comes early at 7am, before the event ends at 8.30am.

“It’s magical. I’m a lifelong New Yorker and I’ve never done anything like this,” said Ms Jaclyn Rice Nelson, Jake’s mother. “There’s the whale above us.”

Her son skipped a few hours of the night’s activities to read a Harry Potter book in the unusual setting. “This is tiring,” Jake said. “I think I’ve done a lot of stuff.”

His mother said the pair had indeed visited several exhibits. “We went up to the dinosaurs, and all the lights were off, and so it was like walking around with flashlights with these big, kind of scary dinosaurs. And that’s just a very, very special experience,” she added.

Hollywood media outlets have reported that a new Night At The Museum film is in the works, after Stiller starred in two more instalments in 2009 and 2014, so the magic is set to endure. AFP