Events Calendar

Flashlights at the ready! Pith helmets optional; sleeping bags recommended! For the first time ever, children ages 6 to 12 and their parents or chaperones can take an overnight “expedition” to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology select weekend nights in late spring and fall 2009, when the Penn Museum offers a sleepover experience like none other: 40 Winks with the Sphinx.

The night’s activities are geared to take intrepid explorers on a journey through time and across continents, with hands on opportunities, through games and crafts, to explore ancient Egypt, the mummies and hieroglyphics, the ancient Greeks and Romans, the world of the ancient Maya, and so much more. A scavenger hunt and an evening expedition through the galleries by flashlight offer new ways to connect with the ancient artifacts awaiting discovery.

Later in the night, explorers roll out their sleeping bags—to doze at the foot of the third largest granite Sphinx in the world, by the 3,200-year-old pillars from the great palace of the Pharoah Merneptah, son of Ramesses II. 40 Winks with the Sphinx concludes with a continental breakfast in the Museum Café, time to explore the galleries by day and visit the children’s gift shop.

40 Winks with the Sphinx sleepover programs begin Friday evenings at 5:30 p.m. and conclude Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. The overnight program is geared to children ages 6 to 12, and one parent or chaperone is required for five children. 40 Winks with the Sphinx is $50 per person (adults and children); $45 for Museum members.