The Science Center has been offering sleepover programs for about 25 years, initially launching the program at the request of a staffer who was also a Girl Scout leader. Sleepovers include a planetarium show, an IMAX film and visits to many of the museum's interactive exhibits. The program began with just a few nights over the course of one month and soon after evolved into a year-round program, Bellomo said.
She added that several years ago, the facility capped sleepover attendance at 100 people per outing, in part because its exhibits are so large that sleeping space was often cramped. Still, the facility hosts about 5,000 overnight patrons annually.
"It's a moneymaker for us," said Bellomo, who declined to elaborate on the center's sleepover revenues. "I think the reason why it works so well is because it's not as if you come in and run around like chimpanzees and then go to sleep. We do arts and crafts in a science-based format."
Port Discovery's sleepover includes a Dreamlab, an arts and crafts area where kids make their dreams come to life.
The Constellation's Overnight Adventure offers youngsters a chance to learn about life aboard the 19th-century warship. Participants eat Civil War-era meals and spend a night in a hammock on the berth deck.
The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons holds overnight programs at its museum once a month from November through February and twice a month at the nearby Cove Point Lighthouse during March and April.
Melissa McCormick, Calvert Marine group services coordinator, said that on the morning after the sleepover, visitors go to the beach at Cove Point, which she says is normally off-limits to the public.
Sometimes, these nighttime visits can bring surprises.
Port Discovery is adjacent to the Power Plant Live entertainment complex. On a night in March, a group of junior Girl Scouts entered the museum for an overnight stay at the same time the Philadelphia-based rock group Mr. Greengenes was playing at Power Plant Live's plaza stage, said Port Discovery special events coordinator Emma Connor.
The group's lead singer, Bryen O'Boyle, visited the sleepover, performed a song for the crowd and ate snacks with the girls. Said Connor: "The children - and troop moms - loved it."
If you go
