Children participate in a flashlight tour during “A Night at the Museum” sleepover at American Museum of Natural History on Oct. 24, 2025, in New York City.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
The dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History are impressive by day. By night, they’re even more spectacular, casting eerie shadows on the walls and towering over children and adults who shine flashlights at the fossils as they wander the darkened halls.
This nighttime tour of the dinosaurs is one of the treats available to those who attend a sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History, which my 8-year-old son and I did in April, along with my friend Kim and her 11-year-old son. The dinosaurs didn’t spring to life while we were there, as they do in the “Night at the Museum” films. But the sleepover was still a magical time, full of wonder, excitement and mystery, and well worth the trip to New York City from the Capital Region.
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Being free to explore the museum at night, after the AMNH has closed to regular visitors, sparks the imagination, deepening one’s appreciation for the museum’s vast collections, well-crafted exhibits and magnificent architecture. With lights out at midnight and a room full of overstimulated children to settle down, I didn’t get a lot of rest. But I can say that I’ve slept beneath the 94-foot-long, 21,000-pound blue whale that hangs from the ceiling of the Hall of Ocean Life. And that’s pretty special.
Sara Foss, right, and her son spent the night at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City earlier this year.
Courtesy of Sara Foss
Sleepovers — which the museum has hosted since 2006, with a five-year hiatus for COVID that ended in 2025 — are typically offered monthly for children ages six to 12 and their chaperones. For our party of four, the biggest challenge was getting into A Night at the Museum: The Overnight Experience. It’s a popular program and sells out quickly. The next round of sleepovers — July, August and September — go on sale to the general public on June 3, and to AMNH members on May 27. After missing out on one round of sleepovers, Kim became an AMNH member to improve our odds and, in February, secured four tickets at $225 per person.
A Night at the Museum offers a nice variety of activities: crafts, an obstacle course, late-night kids karaoke, scavenger hunts, games and guided flashlight tours of the third- and fourth-floor exhibit halls. We indulged in some of these things, but the biggest perk was being able to roam through the first- and second-floor galleries without having to push through throngs of people to see the exhibits. We often felt like we had the place to ourselves.
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Visitors set up camp for “A Night at the Museum” sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History on Oct. 24, 2025, in New York City. Once a month, parents and kids can spend the night at the venerable institution.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
For instance, when we entered the Halls of Gems and Minerals, the only person there was a friendly volunteer. Other visitors came in, but it was never crowded, and there was plenty of time to linger before the museum’s giant amethyst geode, or, when we stopped by the Insectarium later that evening, to watch leafcutter ants scurry throughout their transparent enclosure.
Visitors set up camp for “A Night at the Museum” sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History on Oct. 24, 2025, in New York City.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
When spending the night at the American Museum of Natural History, guests can take in the exhibits after closing hours.
Courtesy of Sara Foss
Entry to A Night at the Museum begins at 6 p.m. and closes at 6:45. If you are late, you won’t be allowed in. We arrived shortly before doors opened, after grabbing a quick bite to eat in Central Park, and a line had already formed outside the museum. Many kids were already wearing pajamas. The museum doesn’t provide dinner, but there is an evening snack and a continental breakfast, and food is available for purchase. Keeping your energy up is critical to enjoying a full night at the museum. My son began to feel hungry during the dinosaur tour, so we headed to the food court for snacks immediately after. When we were done, he was ready to run the obstacle course.
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Visitors set up camp for “A Night at the Museum” sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History on Oct. 24, 2025, in New York City.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Around 11:30 p.m., we returned to the Hall of Ocean Life to get ready for bed. Everybody sleeps on preassigned cots, and while some might be blessed with a child who falls asleep as soon as they lie down, as mine did, those kids are outliers. The room was abuzz with chatter and movement long after the lights switched off. Lights turn back on at 7 a.m. We got up, gathered our things, grabbed some breakfast, stopped at the gift store and began our journey back home to Albany.
General sales for the next slate of sleepovers at the American Museum of Natural History begin Wednesday, June 3. To learn more about the program, visit amnh.org/plan-your-visit/sleepovers.
Tickets: $225 per person
Current sleepover dates:
Friday, July 24
Friday, Aug. 7
Friday, Aug. 21
Friday, Sept. 18
As for getting to the American Museum of Natural History, we drove to Westchester County, where we met our friends, then took the Metro-North to Grand Central Station and the subway to the museum. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this. Most people drive to the museum, and for good reason: It’s easier. Guests are expected to bring sleeping bags and pillows, and lugging that stuff around New York City — I packed almost everything in a large duffel bag — is no fun. But it is doable and saves money.
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We were exhausted after our night at the museum. We were also very content and very happy. My lasting memory will be the thrill of seeing the museum in a new way, and the smile on my son’s face as he discovered its many treasures.
A model of a blue whale hangs from the ceiling as visitors set up camp for “A Night at the Museum” sleepover at the American Museum of Natural History on Oct. 24, 2025, in New York City.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images