There’s just something about sleepovers – being able to rest your head in a strange place is a little bit disconcerting, a little bit adventurous, and a whole lot of fun! But don’t think that sleepovers are limited to your kids’ best friends’ homes. There are all sorts of options for fun family nights at places you wouldn’t expect, from aquariums to museums to even lighthouses! Here are some of our favorites:
Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh
Sleepovers here are themed, with focuses on everything from slime to astronomy to superheroes. Guests will get to sleep amongst the science exhibits and will enjoy a live theater show, a planetarium presentation, and activities corresponding to the theme. You’ll also get a late night snack and a continental breakfast the following morning.
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National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y.
Here, families can participate in the “Extra Innings Experience,” where they can explore the museum after house and participate in activity stations. Kids receive a knapsack filled with baseball mementos. There’s an evening snack and light breakfast served. And everyone can watch a private showing of “The Baseball Experience” film in the Hall’s Grandstand Theater. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
Penguins & Pajamas is the fun name of this sleepover program at the beloved science center that’s set in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. During your evening, you experience live animal demonstrations, rainforest access, planetarium showings, a late-night snack and an early morning breakfast. If you want to stay and tour the exhibits more the following day, that’s allowed, too.
The Bronx Zoo, New York City
Come experience a Family Overnight Safari amidst the animals in the big city! Participants are fed a hot breakfast and get a commemorative t-shirt, and will keep busy with plenty of activities, including up-close animal encounters, carousel rides, access to the zoo’s most popular attractions, and a morning scavenger hunt.
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Sea World, San Antonio, Texas
Families can experience this watery world overnight thanks to the Sleepovers at the Park program, which is offered on specific dates, about once per month. This is a great experience for anyone who loves animals and the wonder of the oceans.
Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland
This popular Midwestern science center allows families to spend the night amidst the exhibits overlooking Lake Erie and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dinner can be added for an extra charge. Kids will learn more about science, energy, chemistry, engineering and technology—and how it applies to everyday life.
National Aquarium, Baltimore
This popular tourist destination offers two sleepovers, one focused on dolphins and the other on sharks! Both programs include aquarium admission, dinner and breakfast and a 4D immersion film.
Battleship New Jersey, Camden, N.J.
Sleepovers aren’t just for traditional museums, you know … why not spend the night on a battleship? This overnight experience includes a chowline dinner, a guided tour of the battleship, and a simulated launch of a Tomahawk missile. Then you get to live like a sailor, stowing your gear in a locker and sleeping in bunks. Participants receive a personalized dog tag to keep.
Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport, R.I.
If none of the above tickle your fancy, maybe sleeping in a lighthouse is more your style? This century-old beacon allows families to book an overnight room and experience a different, laid back world from another era. Stroll the beach, birdwatch, kayak, look for wildlife, read or just build a campfire on the beach and relax. Transport to the island—one mile off the shore in Narragansett Bay—is by the lighthouse’s lobster boat.
Written by Paul Heney