Adult Sleepovers Return To American Museum Of Natural History

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The American Museum of Natural History is a favorite among families in New York City for its kid-friendly programs, but for two nights the institution will turn its attention toward the grown-ups.

A series of popular, adult-only sleepovers are set to return to the museum on Friday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 15, the museum announced Tuesday. The events feature guided tours, food and drink, live music and unfettered access to all the museum's permanent exhibit halls after dark.

"About 200 nighttime explorers are invited to roam the nearly empty halls of the Museum, like kids on a field trip," a museum press release reads.

The sleepovers begin right after the museum closes its doors to the public with a champagne toast in the Irma and Paul Milstein Family Hall of Ocean Life, followed by a sit-down meal in the Cullman Hall of the Universe. After dinner, visitors are basically offered free rein of the museum until it's time for bed under the museum's famous life-sized blue whale.

The sleepovers are only offered to adults over the age of 21 and tickets cost $350 ($300 for museum members). The price of admission includes the cost of food, drinks, cots and access to the night's special events and exhibits. Guests will have to bring their own sleeping bags, according to the museum.

Adult-only sleepovers were first offered by the museum in 2006 and have since become a yearly event due to high turnout.