There’s another Night at the Museum pic (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) hitting theaters this weekend. And while I don’t want to give too much away before our review comes out (we’ll release it later tonight), let me just say: Sir Lancelot and a Triceratops rampage. Maybe that’ll pique your interest.
What I really wanted to talk briefly about, though, was something I found out about while writing up the review.
You might’ve heard that when Night at the Museum first hit theaters back in 2006 it gave the real New York American Museum of History a big bump in attention and attendance. Something like 20% more people started flocking to all those historical displays and features, if I heard right. But one thing I didn’t know was that the movie prompted the museum to start throwing sleepover parties, too.
That’s right. They turn off the lights and open the doors to some lucky parents and kids, who grab their flashlights and pillows and go looking to see if the T-rex really will chase a stick after dark. (Apparently he has been stubbornly reluctant as of late.)
Anyway, it turns out that those sleepover events have been such a hit, that the museum even decided to offer “adults only” nights. The pricey tickets include access to cocktails and a swanky dinner and a series of all-night lectures. (And a few personal selfies with the wax historical figure of your choice.) Of course, walking around with flashlight in hand is always a possibility. And if you just want to unroll your napsack and snore beneath a gigantic blue whale all night, well, it’s your dime. (You can check out a CBS report on the event here.)
I just find it interesting that a movie that has so few ties to actual history can get folks fired up about museums, artifacts and learning. No magical golden Tablet of Akmenrah is required. Just the power of media. And oh, what a golden magic that seems to be.
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