From coast to coast, bargain lodging at educational institutions is available to traveling families who book ahead. Interested in sleeping with the fishes? Not only can your family have a blast at special sleepovers in aquariums and zoos, but you'll also save a bundle on a hotel room.

The Association of Science-Technology Centers is a clearing house for all things museum, aquarium and zoo related, setting standards for educational programs and disseminating information to the public.  And, also on the ASTC list, is everything from space and rocket centers to hands-on children's museums.

It seems to me, however, that for a learning experience and cheap night on the town, nothing is quite as tranquil as spending a night with fish, as the soft, shimmering reflections from the tanks slowly dance over your family, lulling you all to sleep.

Each program will post its own requirements for bedding (perhaps a sleeping bag) and rates include a meal or snack in the evening and a light breakfast in the morning.  Think camp more than Hilton and you'll find tremendous value in these overnights.
 

Overnight at America's Great Aquariums

At each of the aquariums reviewed here, members of the educational staffs conduct the overnight programs. That doesn't mean they don't center on fun. Arts and crafts projects, behind-the-scenes tours, and special demonstrations at all of the programs promise an evening of excitement for young and old. When it's time for bed, visitors drift off to sleep as the inhabitants in the tanks above their heads do the same. Of course, the nocturnal creatures in the aquariums will have just woken up!

National Aquarium in Baltimore
501 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-576-3800
Everyone knows this dramatic aquarium situated on Inner Harbor, but few now their sleepover experience, Sleepover with the Sharks. Designed for parents and children (all of whom must be at least 8 years of age), it includes a guided tour behind the scenes of the aquarium, including a visit to the food-prep area to learn how (and what) sharks and rays are fed. Learning crafts and activities will take place in the Discovery Lab. Then when night falls, your newly educated family can stroll on the Shark Catwalk, inches above these predators for an up close look. Sleeping bags will be rolled out in the underwater viewing area, surrounded by sharks and rays. The Sleepover with the Sharks program includes aquarium admission, reserved sitting at Our Ocean Planet: The Dolphin Show, a visit to the 4-D Immersion Theater, a behind-the-scenes tour, dinner and breakfast.

John G. Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lakeshore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
312/939-2438
Asleep with the Fishes gives kids the chance to see the world’s many aquatic environments through hands-on activities. Activities include the Wild Reef exhibit to study coral reef ecosystems, and a shark visit. A marine mammal presentation and educational activities designed for adults with children ages 5-10 round out the evening. Then, families hit the sack (or the sleeping bags they bring) in one of the many carpeted galleries. In the morning, enjoy continental breakfast and watch the marine animals wake up and begin their own days. Overnights at Shedd are scheduled periodically a few times each month, and more information can be obtained from their educational department or calling 312-692-3206.
 
Long Beach Aquarium
100 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
562/590-3100
This aquarium offers both a family sleepover and other youth sleepover programs (one parent chaperone required for every 10 children). In both options, visitors 5 years and older are introduced to aquatic family life and learn how various species at the aquarium interact with their young. Also part of the family overnight is a tour of the kitchen, where meals are prepared for all of the Aquarium's inhabitants. In the morning hands-on activities are offered and kids take home a T-shirt when they leave. The youth tour is themed for a sailor's life with the slogan: "Anchors Aweigh!" Kids will spend their time in the aquarium searching for the lost treasures of the sea. Call for more details (562) 951-1630.
 
The Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Drive
Tampa, FL 33602
813/273-4015
Florida aquarium offers an overnight program for kids 6 and over that features up-close and personal contact with a few of the sea critters on hand. Visitors have a choice between Snoozin’ Sharks and Evening Eels for a place to lay their sleeping bags. The aquarium offers four different sleepovers, with Aquarium Adventure (standard sleepover), Sharks (all about sharks and includes a discussion), Birthday Party (includes making a cake, games, animal encounter and other activities), and Nocturnal Nights (includes animal encounter and dissection). Any sleepover can include late-night pizza, a light breakfast, admission to the aquarium the next day, sleeping next to the fishes and -- one chaperone goes free for every 10 children.
 
Maui Ocean Center
192 Ma'alaea Road
Wailuku, HI 96793
808/270-7000
This aquarium offers a variety of unique sleepovers throughout the entire year. Children's Sleepovers features a pizza party, scavenger hunt and ocean-related movies. Kids also have the chance to get up close and personal with sea creatures, as they have the opportunity to feed sharks. Complete with a pizza party, educational activities and a movie, this event is popular with children. The event also offers a continental breakfast in the morning.

Sleeping Overnight at your Favorite Zoo

If your family would rather feed bats, take flash-lit hikes to find exotic bugs, and wake up to howling baboons over hovering sharks, a zoo overnight may be the choice for you. Wild overnights are becoming the popular at zoos all over the U.S., and they promise families an intense learning experience shared with seasoned and caring animal experts. As at all these events, advance booking is a must.

Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10460
718/220-5100
The Bronx Zoo offers its a "Family Overnight Safari" for parents with kids ages 6 and older, the zoo’s most popular family tradition. The package includes snacks, breakfast, a sing-along, and animal sightings. Because this is the Wildlife Conservation Society's showplace, the sleepover experience is more comprehensive and exciting than a similar "night on the town" at the midtown-Manhattan Central Park Zoo, so we prefer it, especially for out of town families. The safari is for families with children ages 5 and older. Be sure to plan ahead, this event sells out quickly. Call the Bronx Zoo Education Department at 718/220-5131 in advance for more details and reservations.
 
San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
619/557-3962
For 2011, the San Diego Zoo has the event “Black & White Overnight,” which is a popular sleepover with the zoo’s pandas. Visitors will hear from one of the zoo’s panda researchers during an evening talk and have exclusive early-morning access to the panda exhibits before they open as well as a private bus tour, a nighttime prowl through the Zoo. Dinner and breakfast are also included. Another event is Animal Care Boot Camp, which is a five-day, four-night overnight camp for children entering grades 6-8.
 
Also for more fun in southern California, the Los Angeles Zoo's overnight, Zoopendous, features an after-hours tour, and families may bring their own tent or rent one. In this large urban zoo, an overnight becomes a surprisingly rustic experience. Call 323/644-4200 for more information. 

Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76110
817/759-7200
This zoo gets the award for frequency, with overnights every Friday and Saturday year-round. The recently expanded zoo has a wonderful Wild West theme in a zone featuring indigenous animals, which is not to be missed. Three sleepover themes, "Safari Overnight" and the locally focused "Texas Wild!" and “Outdoor Explorers Overnight” entertain all ages from first-graders to adults. Activities include a nature scavenger hunt and pizza party. Call ahead to make reservations.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719/633-9925
Come see what the animals do while the rest of us sleep! The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo now lets visitors explore the zoo by moonlight. Designed for 10 to 175 people, WildNights is a memorable experience for families, scouts and groups of adults and children ages 5 and up. Choose from four overnight programs; original Nocturnal theme, African, Endangered Species or Zoo Careers themes - Or try one of the special pre-scheduled WildNights below. At WildNight, visitors will arrive at the Zoo at 6pm and stay overnight until 8am the next day. The zoo will provide dinner and activities; visitors need to bring their sleeping bags (adults can rent cots), pajamas and other personal items.