Although the weather may not seem very good for camping, it is a great time to take your sleeping bag and sleep under the stars ... or maybe on the moon, or by a coral reef, or even next to dinosaurs.

Museum sleepovers are a popular way to have a unique “camp out” experience while also having the opportunity to see museum exhibits in a different light — at night that is.

Museum overnights are so popular with families and scout groups that many nights scheduled this year are filled to capacity, although some of these still have space available in an evening-only option for guests who can blend the unique after-hours museum experience with sleeping at home in their own beds.

Astro-Overnights at the Adler Planetarium promise guests “an out-of-this-world” adventure.

“Guests have access to everything — the exhibits, the hands-on experiences, the sky shows — but with a smaller group of people and a more intimate experience,” said Jennifer Howell, public relations manager of the Adler Planetarium.

Astro-Overnight admission is $60 and is limited to children ages 6 to 12 accompanied by an adult. Check-in begins at 5 p.m., lights out is at 11 p.m. The evening in-between typically includes two planetarium shows, including one exclusive to the overnight events; hands-on projects like designing and constructing a spaceship to protect its precious cargo, in this case an egg dropping from 30 feet high; dry-ice experiments; a scavenger hunt; seeing the night sky in the historic 102-year old mechanical planetarium, the Atwood Sphere; joining in the “Angry Birds Cosmic Challenge”; looking at the night sky through the largest telescope open to the public in the Midwest (weather permitting); late night snacks and morning breakfast. Guests are welcome to continue their experience with free planetarium admission the next day.

Overnight guests are assigned to a specific exhibit, and at 10:30 p.m. they can start to set up to sleep for the night anywhere within that exhibit, like next to the Gemini 12 or under the American flag in the Mission Moon exhibit. A VIP admission of $70 allows guests to sleep under the stars in the Grainger Sky Theater.

Complete details can be found at www.adlerplanetari um.org under the education tab.

“On Feb. 3 (from 6 to 10 p.m.) we're also going to be offering a family edition of the Adler After Dark events that we've had for ages 21 and over,” Howell said. “In addition to being able to explore the museum exhibits and see the sky shows, kids at Adler After Dark can participate in lots of hands-on activities and programs to help them fall in love with science or strengthen an interest they already have.”

Adler After Dark will include “hands-on, minds-on” science activities for toddlers to teens. These include projects in circuits, robotics and conductivity, story time by authors of math and science books, a scavenger hunt and, if the sky conditions are right, telescope viewing. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for children, and should be bought in advance online.

Asleep with the Fishes at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium gives guests the opportunity to view exhibits after dark and then have the unique opportunity to sleep next to the tanks.

The Shedd overnight also includes an aquatic show, a 4D show, a late-night movie, a scavenger hunt, a pizza dinner and snacks, hands-on activities and breakfast, plus admission to have more time to explore the aquarium galleries, Wild Reef and Abbott Oceanarium the next day.

Admission to Asleep with the Fishes is $75 per person, with VIP upgrades available ($90 or $100) with perks that include sleeping in the Caribbean Reef or by the sharks. Details can be found at www.sheddaquariu m.org and clicking learning experiences for families and adults.

Dozin' with the Dinos is the Field Museum's overnight experience that gives families and groups with children ages 6 to 12 the chance to explore the museum after dark — with a flashlight.

Guests can explore Inside Ancient Egypt or to the age of the dinosaurs, see artifacts of the Ancient Americas and learn fascinating facts about animals. This overnight event also includes educational workshop activities, including dissecting owl pellets and getting up close to creepy live insects from around the world.

After a late-night snack, members can claim a favorite spot in an assigned exhibit, maybe in a room full of ornately carved totem poles, near polar bears or by ancient American artifacts. The event concludes the next morning with a continental breakfast before the museum opens, but admission is included for guests to continue to explore, in daylight, the next day.

Dozin' with the Dinos admission starts at $65 per person. A premium overnight package costs $78 and allows guests to sleep by dinosaurs in the Evolving Planet exhibit, and the $90 package also includes a behind the scenes tour with a Field Museum scientist. Go to www.fieldmuseum.org and click on events.

Snoozeum is the Museum of Science and Industry's overnight experience, which includes exploring exhibits after hours, an Omnimax film, special hands-on make-and-take science toy activities, a scavenger hunt and breakfast. Admission is $65 per person. All dates scheduled for the spring are full, but there is a waiting list. Go to www.msich icago.org and click explore tours and experiences for more details.

The National Hellenic Museum in Chicago will have its Night at the Museum starting at 5 p.m. April 7. This museum has the mission of “connecting generations through Greek history, culture and art”, with overnight guests making that connection by exploring the museum exhibits by flashlight, hearing mythological stories, learning Greek dance, watching movies, baking classic Greek cookies and doing hands-on crafts and activities.

Night at the National Hellenic Museum is for children ages 4 to 14 accompanied by parents or grandparents, and costs $35 per person. For details and registration, go to www.nationalhel lenicmuseum.org and click the children and family education link.

Bunking with the Butterflies is the overnight program at Chicago's Notebaert Nature Museum, but this experience is limited to scouts and groups with more than 40 participants. For details go to www.nature museum.org.

Joan Dittmann is a freelance columnist for the Post-Tribune.