Sawt Falasteen - In New York, a night at the museum -- five years in the making

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, and for a not insignificant fee, parents and kids can once again spend the night at the venerable institution -- a program 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 eight-year-old Jake Nelson. "It's crazy to sleep (here) -- like, I don't know who would come up with this crazy idea."

Jake, nestled into his sleeping bag on a cot 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" programs in 2006, riding the success of the movie of the same name, released that year, starring Ben Stiller as a security guard who realizes 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," Aaron Anleu, senior director of visitor service, told AFP.

"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."

Friday's overnight visit 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 ages six to 12 arrived at the museum at 6:00 pm with their parents or other caregivers, sleeping bags and pillows in tow. Some were already wearing their pajamas.

For a fee starting at $225 a person, attendees get flashlight tours of exhibits including the fossil halls, do 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.

- Tours and karaoke -

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."

Shortly before midnight, the children get into their beds to listen to a live reading of the 1993 children's book "The Night at the Museum" by Milan Trenc -- the inspiration for the film.

Wake-up comes early at 7:00 am, before the event ends at 8:30 am.

"It's magical. I'm a lifelong New Yorker, and I've never done anything like this," said 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 explained that 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 said.

Hollywood media outlets have reported that a new "Night at the Museum" film is in the works. Stiller starred in the first three installments. So the magic is set to endure.

V.AbuAwwad--SF-PST