15 unmissable sleepover attractions in the UK
Looking for a day - and night - out with a difference? Enjoy a sleepover with your kids at these theme parks, zoos and museums.
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Northern England and Yorkshire
1 Eureka! National Children’s Museum, Halifax, West Yorkshire
When: 6 October 2017, 2018 dates to be confirmed
Have a sleepover with a difference at the Eureka! National Children’s Museum.
You can explore the galleries, take part in workshops and demonstrations ...and then camp overnight in the museum.
2 SEA Life, Manchester
When: selected dates, contact SEA Life for details
Book in for a SEA Life sleepover and you’ll enjoy a tour of the aquarium and exclusive use of the Sub Aqua play area until 10pm.
Plus you can make badges and enjoy the interactive rockpool experience.
Southern England
3 Dino Snores for Kids, Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London
When: selected dates throughout 2017 and 2018
Enjoy a prehistoric sleepover with the Natural History Museum’s Dino Snores for Kids.
Explore a torch-lit trail and and get creative with a dinosaur t-shirt making workshop.
4 Lookout Lodge Sleepover at the Zoo, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire
When: March - October 2017
Check in for a Lookout Lodge Sleepover at Whipsnade Zoo and enjoy after-hours tours of the zoo at sunset and by torchlight.
Then settle in for the night surrounded by the zoo's animals.
5 BedBUGS Sleepover at ZSL London Zoo, London
When: selected dates between January and November 2017
Experience the sights and sounds of London Zoo at night with a BedBUGS Sleepover.
You’ll enjoy a torch lit tour of the zoo and a talk about the zoo’s bugs.
Children need to be aged seven to 11-years-old.
6 Sleeping with Sharks, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth
When: 27 October 2017 and selected dates in 2018
Enjoy a twilight tour of the National Marine Aquarium during the Sleeping with Sharks sleepover.
You can also take part in arts and crafts sessions and watch the big movie screen in front of one of the aquarium tanks.
7 Science Museum, London
When: selected dates in 2017
The Science Museum’s Science Night is a special overnight event for children aged seven to 11-years-old.
Enjoy hands-on workshops, science shows … and a sleepover at the Science Museum among the amazing exhibits.
8 Kip in a Ship, HMS Belfast, London
When: bookings are open until December 2017
Learn about the men who lived and worked onboard the warship at the Kip in a Ship sleepover on HMS Belfast.
Suitable for children aged seven to 18, you’ll sleep in real sailors bunks.
9 The Novium Museum, Chichester, West Sussex
When: selected dates, contact the museum for details
Discover what happens at a museum when the lights go out …
At Chichester’s Novium Museum you can pick from a range of sleepover themes, including caveman or astronaut.
Midlands
10 Woodland Lodge, Alton Towers, Staffordshire
When: all year round
Stay in a woodland lodge deep in the heart of Alton Towers’ Enchanted Village … perfect for kids who love fairies and sprites.
Enjoy evening entertainment and a free second day at the theme park.
11 Warwick Castle & Knight’s Village, Warwickshire
When: all year round (glamping in the summer months only)
Stay in the themed lodges or the tower suites at Warwick Castle for an historic sleepover.
You’ll also get two-day priority entry to the castle … and medieval entertainment at night during your sleepover.
Wales
12 Corris Mine Explorers, Corris, Powys
When: selected dates, contact Corris Mine Explorers for details
Book a sleepover with a difference … underground in Corris Mines.
Suitable for groups of six, you can create your own bespoke sleepover.
Choose from scrambling through the mines at night or simply enjoy candlelit stories of mining.
Northern Ireland
13 The Jungle, Magherafelt, County Londonderry
When: all year round
Stay in one of the Glamping Pods at The Jungle before spending the day exploring the forest or heading out on the Gruffalo Trail.
Eastern England
14 Port Lympe, Hythe, Kent
When: selected dates, contact Port Lympe for details.
Enjoy a luxurious safari at Port Lympe in Kent.
You can explore the reserve in your own private golf buggy and see the giraffes, black rhino - and big cats - before heading back to your lodge for the night.
Scotland
15 VIP Sleepover, SEA Life, Loch Lomond
When: selected dates, contact SEA Life for details
Enjoy a sleepover under SEA Life’s ocean tunnel … surrounded by sharks.
You’ll also enjoy a VIP tour of the aquarium before watching a movie in the SEA Life cinema.
