IF you thought spending a night at the museum only happened in the movies, think again.
The Natural History Museum has brought all the magic of the cult classic film to life.
Dino Snores For Grown Ups is a unique adult sleepover at the world- famous museum.
Those who get their hands on a coveted ticket can bring their sleeping bag and spend the night on the floor of the iconic Hintze Hall.
At £220 per person, tickets aren’t cheap, but they include two meals, a welcome drink and a jam-packed programme of activities.
When we arrived at the museum, the air was full of excitement.
Hundreds of sleeping bags already lined the floor of the hall, with a cluster beneath Hope, the museum’s majestic 25-metre blue whale.
A man clutching a bottle of prosecco couldn’t contain his excitement, telling us about how far he’d travelled to be at the event.
Other enthusiastic dinosaur fans had already donned their pyjamas.
Several even had dinosaur PJs.
Once we’d found a spot for our sleeping bags, a three-course dinner was served in the cafe.
Staff greeted us with a welcome drink – prosecco, wine or a cocktail.
First up was the pulled-ham hock, which melted in the mouth.
Then it was a delicious main of beef, mash and broccoli, with a rich gravy.
But I was slightly disappointed with the cheesecake – tasty but a little underwhelming.
With plates cleared, we made our way to a tour of the museum’s basement. Although there are thousands of specimens on display, the archive collection is even larger.
Thousands of fish, reptiles and mammal specimens preserved in alcohol lined the walls of the enormous Tank Room.
Our guide tells us this room may look familiar, as it was used in the 2017 reboot of The Mummy.
But I was more interested in the display cases of specimens collected by Charles Darwin during one of his trips on HMS Beagle.
By the time we emerged, the museum was shrouded in darkness.
Guests were shuffling between the different activities, including drawing, stand-up comedy and film screenings.
Paradise
In Hintze Hall a harpist was taking requests before renditions of chart-toppers including Gangsta’s Paradise and Still D.R.E.
We would have stayed to listen but didn’t want to miss the live animal show, which staff had told us was a highlight.
Our hour in the museum’s auditorium took us back to our childhoods as we got up close and personal with creatures including a gecko and tarantula.
We had expected a restless night on the museum’s floor but drifted off almost immediately in our own sleeping bags.
So much so, we slept through the sunrise yoga at 6.30am.
Never mind, as the Natural History Museum offers yoga classes in its main hall several times a year.
Thankfully there was time for a quick full English breakfast before we hit the road.
The breakfast wasn’t the same quality as our dinner the night before but it was hearty and hit the spot.
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Just like in the film, by morning all traces of last night’s events were gone.
But I’m sure the memories will last a lifetime.
