Discovery Series Overnight Programs: Locations and Dates

Locations

This program is an overnight. It will begin around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and end around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast. You will need to bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Museum.

Cost: $160 per person

 Saturday,
 February 25 —
 Sunday,
 February 26,
 2012

 CLOSED

Long Beach Marine Institute (LBMI) – Long Beach, CA
Begin your trip aboard the research vessel, Challenger and embark on an exciting expedition to search for gray whales as they migrate from the frigid Arctic Seas to Baja, California. Encounter dolphins, sea lions, and other marine life along the way. While on the whale watch, participate in a sediment grab and otter trawl to get a hands-on look at the invertebrates and variety of fish inhabiting the local waters. LBMI educators will be on hand to help identify organisms and describe their role in this elaborate ecosystem. Back at the dock, enjoy a pizza dinner and delve into the fascinating world of plankton. Find out why these microscopic organisms are so essential to life on this planet by examining live specimens. The next morning, participate in a squid dissection as you learn about the anatomy of this incredible creature while discussing classification and adaptations that make this invertebrate so unique.

This program is an overnight. It begins around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast as well as free Sunday admission to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Challenger.

Cost $160 per person

 Saturday.
 February 25 —
 Sunday,
 February 26,
 2012

 CLOSED

International Spy Museum – Washington, DC
The Museum doors have been locked for the night, but behind the shadows a group of exclusive recruits stand ready to begin a night of top-secret spy training. Perfect your alias and cover-story, check in at “Border Patrol,” and prepare for a night of intrigue and adventure. Your mission begins with taking a secret identity and gathering intelligence using real spy skills. During the night, you will transform yourself through disguise; make and break secret codes; interrogate real spies; and hunt for a mole in your ranks! Meanwhile, the adults will be busy with their own super-clandestine mission, the details of which are too sensitive to reveal. As day breaks, enemy agents will be exposed in a dramatic finale. Recruits will reclaim their real identities, and this exciting mission will be accomplished!

This program is an overnight. It will begin around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and end around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast. You will need to bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Museum.

Cost: $160 per person

 Saturday,
 April 21 —
 Sunday,
 April 22,
 2012

 CLOSED

Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University – New Haven, CT
Consider the origins of life in this marvelous exploration! Begin your adventure by tracking down a mysterious secret specimen within the halls of the museum. After an evening of engaging workshops and discoveries, you’ll sleep among the prehistoric in the Great Hall of Dinosaurs. Whether you are involved in a behind-the-scenes look at the ornithology, herpetology, or paleontology collections; learning how fossil preparators extract dinosaur bones from the surrounding matrix; or meeting Yale scientists to learn how their research is helping answer questions about the evolutionary history of the planet, you are sure to have an amazing experience!

This program is an overnight. It begins around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Museum.

Cost: $160 per person

Living Classrooms Foundation at Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center – Baltimore, MD
Explore urban environmental issues on land and in local waterways during this unique adventure. Through hands-on programming at the new Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center (MCEEC) and on the Chesapeake Bay skipjack, Sigsbee, participants will have the opportunity to examine the benefits and challenges of the urban landscape. Learn the importance of the Port of Baltimore and participate in workshops such as plankton tows, hiking, bird watching, water quality testing, oyster dissections, and microscopic biofilm studies. “Camp-out” on the floor of the education center and spend part of the following day aboard the Sigsbee. Be prepared to raise and lower sails, navigate and steer the boat, perform scientific tests, and get a close-up view of the workings of the Port. Join us for this exciting experience that will demonstrate, through instructive and entertaining activities, the delicate balance existing within our urban environment.

This program is an overnight. It begins around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of MCEEC.

Cost: $175 per person

NYU School of Medicine Department of Environmental Medicine and Sterling Forest State Park – Tuxedo, NY
Don a lab coat and become a scientist for a day...and a night! Planned activities include conducting a DNA experiment under the guidance of a leading genetic toxicologist; extracting DNA from strawberries with common kitchen items; determining how clean our air is and how much air our lungs can hold; searching out bacteria from the world around us; learning how to drill for oil; and recovering iron from the Sterling Forest Park soil. Plus, take a pond walk and an iron mine tour with a park ranger who will help you identify the different species of aquatic life and the abundant variety of plants, animals, and birds in the forest. This dynamic program will leave you in awe and wanting to know more!

This program is an overnight. It begins around 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, snacks, and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the State Park Visitor Center.

Cost: $160 per person

USS Constellation – Baltimore, MD
Live the life of a 19th century sailor! Upon boarding the historic sloop, male and female students become “ship’s boys” and parents become “landsmen.” You will learn the ropes by developing a familiarity with the basics of life aboard a man-of-war, such as bracing the yard, turning the capstan, and drilling with the broadside cannon as well as exploring some of the recreational activities of sailors. In the morning, you will continue to do work that was required of sailors such as buoyancy and navigation drills.

This program is an overnight. It begins around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.  It includes an evening and morning meal, reflecting the common foods of the time. Participants should bring blankets or sleeping bags and pillows as you will be sleeping in the ship’s hammocks.

Cost: $160 per person

Chabot Space & Science Center - Oakland, CA
Discover your place in the universe during this activity-packed overnight adventure! Design and race a Mars solar rover in an inventive engineering workshop. Learn about the individual planets of our Solar System and investigate what makes up a comet on a private telescope tour. After the amazing planetarium show, go outside and discover first-hand the constellations and celestial objects of the night sky during a private session using one of the largest telescopes in the country. In the morning, students become astronauts on a two-hour, simulated Mars Mission. Top all of these activities off with an exciting IMAX film. Science becomes fun at Chabot, an innovative learning center that focuses on the interrelationships of all sciences. The program is a must for anyone who wants to discover how to shape the future through science!  

This program is an overnight. It begins around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.  It includes dinner and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Center.

Cost per person: $160

Ocean Institute – Dana Point, CA
Board the Pilgrim, a replica of the 19th century brig, ­to learn the skills of tall ship sailors. Use your new skills to sail the Spirit of Dana Point, a replica of an 18th century schooner­, along the Pacific coast. Participate in activities to explore the adaptations of organisms that live in the ocean depths; dissect an animal eye with low light visual acuity; experience bioluminescence, phototaxis, and the piloting of a remotely operated vehicle; and then spend the night on the Surfscience Deck at the Ocean Institute. The next morning, board the research vessel Sea Explorer and use scientific equipment to collect and analyze samples of plankton, mud organisms, and fish, and see the effects of deep ocean pressure. Use gathered data to determine the health of the oceanic ecosystem and discuss the possible impact of human activities—past, present, and future. Join us for this magical tour merging historical tall ship skills with modern marine science discovery!

This program is an overnight. It begins around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday and ends around 11 a.m. on Monday. It includes lunch, dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Institute.

Cost: $250 per person

Mount St. Helens Institute – Amboy, WA
Join us for this overnight adventure to explore a volcano at night! Under the guidance of a park ranger, scrutinize the ever-changing landscape of Mount St. Helens and the fascinating geological discoveries being made on the mountain; engage in hands-on scientific activities; take a night hike and learn about the stars; and trek in the Windy Ridge area offering dramatic views of the volcano, the Pumice Plain, and Spirit Lake. We will camp-out in a primitive field camp near Windy Ridge and experience life in the great outdoors with other CTY families!

This program is an overnight and begins around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping in the large tents. The field camp includes two large sleeping tents, a covered kitchen facility and eating area, an outhouse, and campfire area. You are free to bring your own tent. Detailed information will be available upon registration.

Cost: $160 per person

 Saturday,
 August 18 —
 Sunday,
 August 19,
 2012

International Spy Museum – Washington, DC
The Museum doors have been locked for the night, but behind the shadows a group of exclusive recruits stand ready to begin a night of top-secret spy training. Perfect your alias and cover-story, check in at “Border Patrol,” and prepare for a night of intrigue and adventure. Your mission begins with taking a secret identity and gathering intelligence using real spy skills. During the night, you will transform yourself through disguise; make and break secret codes; interrogate real spies; and hunt for a mole in your ranks! Meanwhile, the adults will be busy with their own super-clandestine mission, details too sensitive to reveal. As day breaks, enemy agents will be exposed in a dramatic finale. Recruits reclaim their real identities and this exciting mission will be accomplished!

This program is an overnight. It begins around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and ends around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. It includes dinner, a snack, and continental breakfast. Participants should bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows as you will be sleeping on the floor of the Museum. Registration includes admission to Museum on Sunday.

Cost: $160 per person