Tips for Museum by Moonlight

On Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, we're championing decades of hands-on experiences, larger-than-life learning, and joyful discoveries, biggest single night fundraiser of the year—Museum by Moonlight: Museum Ever After! We're all set for an enchanted night to celebrate nearly a century of inspiring moments and fairytale-like wonder, helping to ensure the magic endures to fuel imagination and dreams for countless generations to come.

All proceeds from Museum by Moonlight benefit The Children's Museum Fund, which ensures that all children and families, regardless of income, can experience the museum.

Listen well, Hero of the Realm,
for here is your enchanted guide to a night of marvels at Museum by Moonlight.

Buy your tickets now

What? You haven’t bought tickets yet?

Silent disco with our fantastical prehistoric beasts. Axe throwing. Roaming entertainment. Fairytale forensics. Photo opportunities. Access to the entire museum (without the yougnlings). Exquisite bites from the most esteemed kitchens in the land. Open bar. The opportunity to help ensure the magic of the museum continues for generations to come. You don't want to miss this enchanted evening. It will be a night to remember.

Don’t wait. Get your tickets now.

Your Support Matters

Before you arive

While planning your attire for this fanciful evening, please note that close toed shoes are required if you want to use our pedal cars in the Dragon's Lair—commonly known as the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience®.

Parking and tickets

Park your carriage in our free parking garage located at 300 North Illinois Street. The garage closes at 1 a.m. and reopens at 6 a.m. You can keep your car in the garage until 10 a.m. Sunday morning.

If you've already purchased tickets, you should have received an email with information about your tickets. Please have your tickets and photo ID ready and enter through the Welcome Center doors on Level 1. All IDs will be checked.

The doors open at 7 p.m.

Themed areas

While the whole museum is open for your fairytale adventure, there will be a few specially-themed areas established throughout the museum:

The Dragon's Lair
Monsters and Mayhem
Mermaid's Cove
Down the Rabbit Hole
Enchanted Forest
Magical Marketplace
Sensory Oasis
Mad Tea Party
Ogre's Swamp

Bites and beverages

We've prepared a feast fit for a fairytale that's sure to delight your taste buds and keep your spirits high for an evening of merriment and magic. Enjoy enchanting bites from local restaurants across our fair city.

All drinks are included with your ticket. There are bars on every floor of the museum and also in the outdoor Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experiance®. No need to wait in any long lines.

Fundraising

As the museum's largest single-night fundraiser of the year, we're raising funds to support four pillars that drive our mission forward:

Access to Museums
Providing STEM Role Models
Exposure to the Arts
Developing Lifelong Skills

Your contribution will make a lasting impact, helping us continue to insprie, educate, and engage our community.

Silent Disco

Live DJs will provide a memorable experience in this fan-favorite experience, located in Dinosphere®.

Let tranquility flourish in the a Sensory Oasis

Need a break from the chaos? While Playscape® on Level 3 is usually a space that's reserved for kids 5 and under, we've converted the exhibit into a calming space just for you! Sit back, relax, and take in the calming ambiance and soft sounds of our Playscape® Oasis lounge.

A fantastical realm awaits at Museum by Moonlight

Thus, noble friends,
is a brief chronicle of the marvels that await at Museum by Moonlight. Bring your mystical umbrella and your spirit of adventure. This night shall be a tale for the ages!