When I was 9, I slept over at the amazing AMNH (American Museum of Natural History), located in New York City. It was incredible, but I’m sure very overwhelming for the parents and staff, because hundreds of kids were running all over the place like crazy, uncontrolled flying squirrels. We slept in the huge Milstein Hall of Ocean Life under the biggest display in the museum: a 21,000 pound, 94-foot long model of a blue whale. In the Ocean Room, there are models of more than 750 sea creatures, so sleeping there was pretty unreal, like sleeping in the sea. The Ocean Room also features whale noises, and these noises have always made me tired and calm (except for when I had a science class there, with a bunch of my friends; that was not relaxing). I’ve always loved walking through that hall (even if I’ve read the displays a million times over), as it never gets old.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons: Breakyunit

During the night, tours throughout the museum were offered, but mom and I had the “smart” idea that we’d tour it alone. We walked throughout the museum; it wasn’t crowded since it was open for only the people staying the night. This was strange; I was always used to the sounds of the different languages from people all over the world, the echoes, and many people fascinated with what they were seeing and learning. We could’ve been the stars in the Night at the Museum movie!

We walked through the museum reading the displays…and then we realized that we had no idea where we were in the museum, even if we had been there thousands of times. But there’s something we should all know: my mom and I are not directional people in times of being lost. There were absolutely no people in sight, and no light except for the little dim lights that vaguely showed the displays. We walked around trying to find our way back and came to the North American Mammals Hall. With bears, bison, and cougars all on display.

Hall of North American Mammals by Peter Roan, courtesy Flickr creative commons

I could almost imagine the big mammals breathing and watching us, as they silently laughed at our incapability to get back to where we were to sleep. We eventually found a guard, who led us back to where we should have stayed. However, it wasn’t much better - we had to sleep with sharks, giant squids, and don’t forget, the big whale. But we were not alone, and there were more lights.

The museum provided dinner, as well. I will forevermore hate dinosaur chicken nuggets, as I ate too many of those. I have a bad relationship with these little nuggets, and always have, maybe it’s the way they’re shaped as dinosaurs; I mean come on, who wouldn’t want to eat little prehistoric creatures? Or maybe it’s the smell and taste, it’s hard to mistake a nugget, their smell and taste is very recognizable. But- eating a huge bowl… I would not recommend it. Stomachaches are not fun.

Photo Wikimedia Commons: Dirk Ingo Franke

And FINALLY we came to the exciting part of the sleepover, which is usually the worst part on regular sleepovers, but this was at the AMNH… sleep. The lights got dim, children found their parents, cots were pulled out, and we slept in the ocean… with breathable air. I laid down on my cot and burrowed in the soft covers, and had a good nights sleep.

In the morning, everyone was woken up by bird calls, while I, on the other hand, am a deep sleeper, so my mom had to wake me up, which took 20 minutes. I woke up to my mom shaking me, and just as I awoke a kid came running and jumped over my cot. Good morning! The ceiling, with skylight and lights shining blue lights throughout the room, with shadows that go overhead to look like a whale going past, well, it feels like you’re in the ocean. I’m absolutely fascinated by this hall and the museum as a whole.

If YOU want to sleep over at the museum make sure to click this link, and maybe you, too, can sleep under the whale: http://www.amnh.org/plan-your-visit/amnh-sleepovers

Anevay Darlington is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program