Select Friday nights all year.

An unforgettable experience for kids, ages 6 to 12, and their parents or chaperones! See our Events Calendar for scheduling and online registration via TicketLeap®.

Penn Museum’s sleepover, 40 Winks with the Sphinx, invites guests to an overnight "expedition" of the Museum. 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 more.

Register now for the following Sleepover dates:

• 29 January 2010 *SOLD OUT!
• 26 February 2010 Boy Scout Night *SOLD OUT!
• 16 April 2010 *SOLD OUT!
• 21 May 2010
• 11 June 2010
  

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Get Hands-On at Penn Museum!

Great for families and the creative mind in us all, Art and Artifact Workshop participants learn new perspectives about ancient and contemporary cultures through hands-on activities. Activities may include crafts, interactive lectures, touchable artifacts, scavenger hunts, and more.

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On Sunday, 22 November 2009 the Penn Museum was transformed into a magical place—a meeting ground for the fan culture of Harry Potter aficionados as well as for those interested in celebrating the worldwide fascination with magic.

Visitors experienced the Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) exams, with cram classes and “tests” conducted by Hogwarts (and University of Pennsylvania) professors on such essentials as Potions (with Professor Snape presiding), History of Magic (with a scavenger hunt through the galleries), Defense Against the Dark Arts (with Wii Dueling and an opportunity to sign up for Dumbledore’s Army), Latin for Wizards, and Divination. Elmwood Park Zoo’s traveling wizards presented a “Cabinet of Curiosities” and some magical creatures, at an ongoing O.W.L. exam program. A special end-of-the-world lecture, “2012: Maya Divination” was offered for extra credit.

Visitors toured a life-sized recreation of the storefronts and props of Diagon Alley, created by Harry Potter enthusiasts Betsy Coe and Jeannine Ginsburg, who offered a talk on the history of their project, including the recent use of the Alley in a Women’s Center for Montgomery County fundraiser.

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The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology’s day camp program, Anthropologists in the Making, celebrates over ten years of engaging children with summer fun and learning through Penn Museum’s world-renowned collections.

Children ages 7 through 13 can participate in a day camp that takes them through time and across continents at Penn Museum. A different theme highlights each week, offering campers the opportunity to enjoy one week or all eight.

Each week, campers delight in such topics as mythology, clothing, dance, music, cooking, art and customs from both long ago civilizations and modern cultures. Through gallery tours, arts and crafts, games and theatrics, scavenger hunts, and special guest performances, children will uncover the secrets of the past.

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This program introduces diverse cultures and cultural perspectives through the performing arts. Well attended by both Penn Museum and outside summer camps, the performances are also open to museum visitors. See our Events Calendar for scheduling and registration information.

Summer Wonder 2009 programs are free with museum admission donation and run Wednesday mornings for eight weeks, June 24th through August 12th, from 10:30am to 11:30am.

Pre-registration is required for groups of 10 or more.

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The Penn Museum’s popular World Culture Days series is designed to introduce visitors of all ages to the rich cultural traditions found throughout the Museum’s galleries and, indeed, throughout the world.  All World Culture Days are FREE with Museum admission donation.

Turkish Delight!
26 September 2009
Visitors are invited to an afternoon of pure Turkish Delight! as the Museum celebrates the opening of His Golden Touch: The Gordion Drawings of Piet de Jong with a wider look at the culture of Turkey. The afternoon features Turkish dancing and music, plus an authentic cuisine demonstration, talks on ancient and modern Turkey, and crafts.

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