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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:
- 30 October 2009 Halloween Sleepover
- 20 November 2009 Girl Scout Night
- 04 December 2009
- 29 Jan 2010 *SOLD OUT!
- 26 Feb Boy Scout Night
- 16 Apr 2010
- 21 May 2010
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 Pharaoh Merneptah, son of Ramesses II. 40 Winks with the Sphinx concludes with a light breakfast in the Museum Café, then time to explore the galleries by day, and visit the children’s gift shop.
The 24-hour number for emergencies is (215) 898-4001.
Please print, read, and sign the participant release form before coming to the 40 Winks with the Sphinx sleepover.
Cost
$50 per person; $45 per Museum member
Payment is due prior to sleepover
- Scavenger hunt
- Museum exploration
- Evening expedition
- Arts and crafts activities
- Light Breakfast
- Museum Admission the morning after the sleepover
- Souveinir Patch for all participants 6-12 years old that gives them Museum admission for the remainder of the school year
Open to 6-12 years old and their chaperones (21 years or older)
Space is limited and dates sell out quickly. Please call (215) 898-2680 for the latest information and available dates, or simply check out our Events Calendar where you can find an available date that works for you, then reserve your spot immediately by registering online.
Families
Penn Museum welcomes families large and small. One adult is required for every 1-5 children attending.
Registration and Policies
Each date will be limited to 100 participants. All participants in the sleepover program must pre-register and pay all applicable fees in advance. Absolutely no walk-in registrations are permitted.
For groups of 21 or more
A nonrefundable deposit of 25% of the total cost is required and a credit card will be held to ensure the balance. Full payment is due four weeks prior to the sleepover. Please send in your group agreement and roster form with full payment to the address below. You will receive a confirmation packet via e-mail unless your specify otherwise at the time of your registration. Your confirmation email will be sent to you upon registration. In your confirmation email, you will be told of the exact date when your full payment is due. Failure to make the payment on this date will result in your credit card being charged the remaining balance.
FAQs
What time is the Penn Museum sleepover?
Forty Winks with the Sphinx begins with registration from 6pm-6:30pm and ends at 9am the next morning.
Where do we park?
Pay lots are in the vicinity and metered parking is available on some streets nearby. Two parking garages are adjacent to the Museum on Convention Avenue: Lot 7 and Penn Tower. See Directions and Parking for more detailed directions.
How do we check in?
Please enter at the Kress entrance (East side of the building) to check in with your sleepover equipment. The entrance will be open until 8pm.
What if we arrive late?
The Kress entrance will remain open until 8pm. No one will be admitted to participate in the sleepover after 8pm.
What should we bring?
Everyone must bring a sleeping bag, pillow and if you want it a mat, you will be sleeping on the gallery floor. Inflatable mattresses are not permitted. Please bring an evening snack labeled with your name that should be placed in the lunchroom when you arrive. Other items to bring are toothbrush, toothpaste, washcloth, flashlights and comfortable sleeping clothes.
What types of food will be served at the sleepover?
The Museum will provide a light breakfast for you in the morning from 7am to 8:30am. Participants are encouraged to bring a snack for the evening. Your snack should be labeled with your name and placed in the Children’s Lunchroom when you arrive. The Museum does not have refrigeration for snacks. Vending machines are located in the Children’s Lunchroom. Vending machines accept $1.00 bills and coins. Please bring change for vending machines. Food is only permitted in the Children’s Lunchroom.
Where do we sleep?
Guests will sleep in Penn Museum’s Lower Egyptian Gallery, which is home to a twelve ton Red Granite Sphinx, 19th Dynasty (ca. 1290-1224 BCE.) The sphinx, a lion with a human head, represents the power of the Egyptian king, both to protect his people and to conquer the enemies of Egypt. This statue was buried up to its shoulders; only the exposed head was attacked by windblown sand, which eroded the facial features and the royal false beard. The inscriptions on the chest and around the base give the five names of Ramesses II. His son and successor, Merenptah (1224-1214 BC), added his own cartouches to the shoulders after his father's death. This sphinx is the third largest known in the world. It was quarried at Aswan and transported by river to the Ptah Temple at Memphis, 600 miles away.
Can we increase the number of participants in our group?
Space is very limited for the sleepovers. If you want to increase your group size or make changes to your reservation, you must call (215) 898-2680 from Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. If spaces are available you must pay immediately over the phone. Places are provided strictly on a first-come, first –served basis.
What if someone cancels in our group?
There are no refunds for the sleepovers. We will try to reschedule you for a later sleepover based on availability.
How much of the Museum will be open?
All galleries will be open to explore from 7:30pm to 9:45pm. The Flashlight Expedition through the Museum will take you through several galleries in the dark. Please bring your own flashlight.
How many people can attend a sleepover?
40 Winks with Sphinx can accommodate up to 100 people.
What if someone gets sick?
Notify a sleepover staff member if anyone in your group gets sick or hurt.
Can we leave early from the sleepover?
Yes, participants may leave early if needed. Please alert a sleepover staff member before leaving.
When will Penn Museum Shops be open during the sleepover?
The Pyramid Shop will be open at 7am the morning of the sleepover.
How many chaperones are required to participate with a group?
Each group will be required to maintain a ratio of one adult supervisor per five child participants.
Where do we change into our sleeping clothes?
Restroom facilities will be available on the first floor at the Kress Entrance, but as changing space is limited it is preferred if you wear clothes that you can sleep in.
When do I receive confirmation for 40 Winks with the Sphinx?
You will receive an email confirmation immediately after you register for Forty Winks with the Sphinx. Please print out your email and bring it to check-in on the date of your event along with your filled out participant release forms. For group registrations please note that you will be told you of your payment deadline when you register.
How old do you have to be to participate in the 40 Winks with the Sphinx program?
Children must be between the ages of 6 and 12 years old.
How old must a chaperone be?
A chaperone must be at least 21 years old.
Can I bring a birthday cake or cupcakes to celebrate my child’s birthday at a sleepover?
Yes, but no candles are permitted. All food must be labeled and placed in the children’s lunchroom when you arrive. You will need to provide all plates and utensils. Snacks may be eaten between 7:45pm and 9pm. The Museum does not provide refrigeration.
Can we visit the Museum the next day?
Yes, general admission for the Museum is included the next day. The museum opens at 10am. If you plan to visit us you and your family must exit with your sleepover gear by 9:30am and re-visit the Museum at 10am.
Is there a place to store our sleeping equipment before and after the sleepover?
All sleeping equipment will be placed in the Lower Egyptian Gallery upon check-in and remain there throughout the sleepover. If you choose to visit the Museum after the program, all sleeping equipment must be removed from the Museum by 9:30am.
What stuff should I leave at home?
Please leave your Game consoles, I-Pods, MP3 players, and other electronic devices safe at home. Inflatable mattresses are not permitted. No Heelys are permitted in the Museum. Running is prohibited in the Museum. Shoes must be worn at all times.
- One chaperone is required for every 5 children, and must stay with them at all times.
- Chaperones are responsible for the behavior of their group throughout their stay at Forty Winks with the Sphinx. Children are not permitted to play on stairways or elevators and are expected to be respectful to others.
- Please do not touch or place anything on the artifacts or cases.
- Please do not run or yell while in the Museum.
- No food or drink is allowed outside the lunchroom area.
- Please do not go to floors or galleries that are off-limits during the Sleepover; follow your schedule.
- Shoes or slippers must be worn throughout the evening. No Heelys are allowed.
- After Lights Out chaperones are responsible for keeping their children in their designated sleep area.
- All MP3 players, electronic games or devices should be turned off after Lights Out. Cell phones should be put on vibrate.
- Alcohol is not allowed on the premises during Sleepovers. Violators will be asked to leave.
- Pathways in designated sleeping area must be kept clear.
Can I bring children younger than 6 to the program? (They are quite well-behaved and advanced learners.)
We would highly recommend you NOT bring children younger than 6 to the 40 Winks Sleepover. It has very little to do with learning or behavior, and much more to do with stamina and maturity. 40 Winks is very fast-paced and campers stay up very late (bed time around midnight). Also, the museum is a very unusual place to sleep and younger children can be easily scared of such unusual surroundings in the dark. That being said, if you are coming as a family and have older children who would like to attend and you need to bring ONE younger tag-along, we can make an exception for 5 year olds at the very LEAST.
