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Going on a flashlight scavenger hunt among dinosaur skeletons, or bunking on a Navy cot beside a fighter jet, or climbing Mount Everest sounds like the best summer camp ever. But these activities take place several times a year close to home - when New York City museums should be closed for the night.
Facing an aging membership base and competition from the Internet and video games, local cultural institutions have had to step up their efforts to win over kids and attract new members.
Shrinking grants and donations put even more pressure on institutions to come up with innovative ways to bring in money. The situation has spawned a whole category of extreme after-hours programming.
"They're making use of the museum at a time when it would normally be closed, and these events really have a substantial beneficial effect," said museum consultant Alan Friedman. "When you pick your favorite exhibit and set up your sleeping bag next to it, it will always be something special to you. It builds a relationship."
That flashlight scavenger hunt is part of...