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Have you ever watched Night At The Museum and wondered what really stalks the corridors after everybody's gone home? Well now your kids can find out by sleeping inside the Natural History Museum! This exciting sleepover gives kids aged 7-11 a chance to see the museum after all the visitors have gone home whilst enjoying some awesome activities.
Photo: londondrum.comFun educational activities
Highlights include a torch-lit tour of the galleries (watch out for T Rex moving in the dark!), a dinosaur T-shirt-making workshop, and an educational science show led by one of the museum's own scientists. (Note: Some of the activities will require volunteers, and they can't guarantee that every child will be chosen. Other activities will need the kids to be split into groups.)
Photo: nhm.ac.ukSleep inside the Natural History Museum
At 11.10 PM they'll enjoy a bedtime story in the Hintze Hall, and at 11.30 PM they'll settle down for a sleep inside one of the atmospheric galleries. Maybe they'll be camped beneath a blue whale, or sleep beside a towering giraffe!
Note: The sleeping galleries will be different for each group, and they can't guarantee where your child will be sleeping in advance. It will either be in the Hintze Hall, on the ground floor, or on the first floor. Adults are required to sleep in the same area as their kids.
Photo: nhm.ac.uk
Photo: nhm.ac.ukThe sleeping areas are not organised by gender, but staff will be on hand throughout the night to ensure everyone's safety and comfort.
VIP tickets (for Very Important Palaeontologists)
Your kids can enjoy the complete Camp Stegosaurus experience by upgrading to a VIP ticket. Along with all the usual activities described above, they'll also be given a free gift on arrival, a pre-packed snack box for the evening, and then take part in an animal handling show the following morning.
But the biggest treat will be sleeping inside a special camping area by Sophie the Stegosaurus in the Earth Hall!
Photo: londondrum.com
Photo: londondrum.comHearty breakfast in the morning
Assuming that your kids survive the night (don't worry, they will!) they'll be woken bright and early at 7 AM for a hearty breakfast consisting of a bacon or sausage roll (vegan and vegetarian options also available), plus a cup of tea or coffee.
They will then enjoy another trek around the halls before the museum opens to the public at 10 AM.
What do you need to bring?
Visitors must provide their own evening snack, toothbrush and sleeping bag. The museum will provide a foam sleeping mat, but you can bring your own if you prefer. If you buy a VIP ticket then the museum will provide their own camp bed and evening snack (a ham or cheese sandwich, piece of fruit, juice, and packet of popcorn).
Inflatable mats or mattresses over 2-inches thick are not allowed, and you're not allowed to plug any electrical items into the museum's plug sockets either, so you might like to bring your own portable mobile charging bank.
The museum recommends that kids arrive in the same clothes they want to sleep in to reduce luggage, and you might like to bring a pillow, ear plugs and eye shades as well because some of the lights are left on during the night.
How to get to the Natural History Museum
| Fare zone | Cash | Oyster & Contactless | Travelcard | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single fare | Single fare | Daily cap | One day | ||||
| Peak | Off-peak | Peak | Off-peak | Anytime | Off-peak | ||
| Bus (all zones) | n/a | £1.75 | £5.25 | £6 | |||
| Train (zone 1) | £7 | £2.90 | £2.80 | £8.90 | £8.90 | £16.60(zone 1-4) | £16.60(zone 1-6) |
| Train (zone 1-2) | £7 | £3.50 | £2.90 | £8.90 | £8.90 | ||
| Train (zone 1-3) | £7 | £3.80 | £3.10 | £10.50 | £10.50 | ||
| Train (zone 1-4) | £7 | £4.60 | £3.40 | £12.80 | £12.80 | ||
| Train (zone 1-5) | £7 | £5.20 | £3.60 | £15.30 | £15.30 | £23.60(zone 1-6) | |
| Train (zone 1-6) | £7 | £5.80* | £3.80* | £16.30 | £16.30 | ||
| * Journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are always charged at the peak rate. Prices are correct as of | |||||||
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Search for more kid’s events and museum exhibitions in London, or look for things to do in South Kensington. Check out all the other events on Friday 2nd May and during May
