Children will sleep next to Columbian mammoths and butterflies this weekend.
Overnight at the Museum, inspired by the 2006 film “Night at the Museum,” will take place at the Florida Museum of Natural History from 7 p.m. Saturday until 9 a.m. Sunday.
“We’ve been planning something like this for a while, but once the movie came out, we knew we had to act on it,” said Tiffany Ireland, an education assistant at the museum.
The response to the first overnight program, which took place in September, was overwhelming with about 16 families participating, she said. About 30 families can participate this weekend.
. Participants are responsible for bringing their own sleeping bags, pillows and overnight items. A variety of arts and crafts workshops, such as building a bird house and creating fossil-shaped sand art, have been scheduled, said Amanda Arner, public programs education assistant.
A scavenger hunt will be the night’s main event, giving children the opportunity to really explore the museum, she said. The night will close with the screening of “Night at the Museum.”
Although overnight stays at museums existed before the movie, they gained popularity after the film was released, said Arner, who stayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa with her Girl Scouts troop.
To register for the event, visit the museum’s Web site, flmnh.ufl.edu. The cost is $50 for each parent/child pair for museum members. For nonmembers, the cost is $65 per pair. Additional guests cost $25, Arner said.
