Photo courtesy of the Plimoth Patuxet Museum

Sleepovers at Boston Museums

1. Night Journeys at the EcoTarium - Worcester

The EcoTarium’s Night Journeys museum sleepovers have fun themes like nocturnal nature and outer space. Overnight stays are available for kids age 5 and up. The museum sleepover is shared by all groups that book for the night, up to 80 participants. Any group is welcome, though note that some nights are dedicated specifically to scouts. A museum sleepover at the EcoTarium includes hands-on activities, an evening snack, breakfast, and lots of fun!

2. Night in the Museum - Old Sturbridge Village

Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum, recreating a New England village from circa 1800. It has several Halloween and Christmas celebrations throughout the year. You can enjoy the museum throughout the night with Old Sturbridge Village’s Night in the Museum youth overnight program. The stay includes a night-time snack, breakfast, and a tor, as well as full admission for both days around the stay. Groups from 36 to 80 can be attend, but additional spaces can be taken to reach the max threshold. Consult the website for dates and available spaces. 

3. Nautical Nights at Battleship Cove - New Bedford

Battleship Cove’s Nautical Nights might be the most unique museum sleepover near Boston. Kids get to sleep on genuine sailors’ bunks on a World War II-era ship. Battleship Cove welcomes youth groups, scout troops, and adventuresome Boston families to enjoy sleeping onboard the Battleship Massachusetts. A night at this naval museum includes dinner, a movie, breakfast, and plenty of time to explore a piece of living history.

4. Plimoth Patuxet Museums - Plymouth

Sleepovers at this museum in Plymouth are a trip back in time. Plimoth Patuxet Museums offers a variety of sleepovers. The Patuxet Overnight teaches kids traditional Wampanoag art, thanks to an Indigenous Museum Educator; a Wampanoag feast is also included. The Plimoth Overnight shows visitors how the first colonists lived with a pilgrim-style experience. Can’t decide? The museum offers overnights that cover both! And there are indoor accommodations and outdoor camping sites.

5. Historic Lizzie Borden House - Fall River

This might not be the night at the museum for every Boston family, but ghost-hunters and fans of true crime will love spending an overnight in this historic museum/bed-and-breakfast. There is a minimum age of 7 for a stay here, but that’s probably still too young for a ghost hunt on the property. There are 3 suites and 3 rooms (some with shared bathrooms). Breakfast is extra, but the paranormal activity is on the house.

 
Some kids won't want to sleep with a night at the museum, zoo, or aquarium. Photo courtesy of the Mystic Aquarium

Sleepovers at Museums around New England

6. Snore & Roar Overnights at Roger Williams Zoo - Providence, Rhode Island

The Roger Williams Park Zoo is one of the top Boston zoos. Roger Williams Park Zoo has sleepovers with Snore & Roar Overnights. Kids 7 and older can spend the night at the zoo, with availability on Fridays and Saturdays from February to June and from September to November. Groups of at least 25 (and no more than 35) are treated to a nighttime zoo tour, a pizza dinner, interactive programming, and a movie. The zoo provides a light breakfast to sleepover participants. Look for special events for extra fun, like the Jack-O’-Lantern Spectacular in the Fall.

7. Mystic Aquarium - Mystic, Connecticut

The Mystic Aquarium hosts private sleepovers and multi-group overnights for kids age 5 to 12. All are welcome to attend (the aquarium has dedicated nights for scouts in November) and see how the marine animals spend their nights! Kids spending a night at the Mystic Aquarium receive a late snack, continental breakfast, and admission to the museum the following day.

8. Enfield Shaker Museum - Enfield New Hampshire

The Enfield Shaker Museum features the Great Stone Dwelling, an 1841 Shaker building that the Museum has converted into a hotel.  Individual families and groups can experience the art and history of Shaker culture, which thrived in New England from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. Overnight stays include museum admission, as well as access to the museums grounds, which include hiking trails. It’s also pet-friendly, so the family dog can enjoy a museum sleepover here!

9. Sleepover at the Maritime Aquarium - Norwalk, Connecticut

Feel like sleeping with the fishes? A sleepover at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk includes pizza, breakfast, and a memorable overnight experience. Groups of up to 200 can enjoy the experience, though your group need not be that big. A Maritime Aquarium sleepover also provides a tour, activities, and plenty of fun.

10. Biomes Marine Biology Center - North Kingstown, Rhode Island

The Biomes Marine Biology Center has lots of hands-on fun for sleepover participants. This North Kingstown marine education facility welcomes scout troops, dens, and packs to s[pend an overnight filled with fun activities.