Umntwana wam oneminyaka eli-11 ubudala kwaye sifika kwiMyuziyam yaseMelika yeMbali yeNdalo eManhattan kancinci phambi kwe-6 ngolwesiHlanu ngokuhlwa, kanye njengoko iindwendwe zosuku lokugqibela zigxadazela. Iingxowa zokulala zatyibilika emagxeni ethu, saya kwiHolo yoBomi base-Ocean, igumbi lecavernous elinomnenga omkhulu oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka onqunyanyisiweyo ophahleni. 'Iqela lamantombazana afuna ukonwaba,' njengoko u-Ike ebeka, sele bevule iibhedi zabo phambi kobukhulu beskwidi kunye nomnenga we-whale-umboniso womlo waselwandle owoyikisayo kwizizukulwana zabantwana besikolo. Sibeka ibango lethu kwiibhedi phambi kweewarrus ezihlala phezu komkhenkce. Ingxaki kukuba, ngelixa silele elunxwemeni kwiibhedi zethu, sivavanya indlela yethu entsha yokulala, abantu baqhubeka bedlula besithi 'Jonga ezi walruses!' Rhoqo ndiqala ukucinga ukuba bathetha ngathi. Ewe, mna. Le yile nto iza ngokuba ngumfazi oneminyaka engama-46 ubudala enxibe iimpahla zokulala esidlangalaleni.

Ayisiyo yokuba sizolala kakhulu. Kwiminyaka eliqela eyadlulayo, iimyuziyam kwilizwe liphela zaqala ukubonelela ngeenkqubo zobusuku bonke ukwanelisa umnqweno woluntu obonakala ugcinwe ngokubanzi wokuvalelwa kwiziko elinenkcubeko emva kwexesha lomsebenzi. Eli liphupha endiye ndabelana nalo ukusukela kwiminyaka elithoba, xa ndifunda kwiiFayile eziHlanganisiweyo zikaNkskz. . Kunyaka ophelileyo, xa iMyuziyam yaseMelika yeMbali yeNdalo yabhengeza eyayo ngobusuku obunye, bendisazi ukuba kulapho ndifuna ukumisa khona inkampu. Mna no-Ike besinokuqhuba ukusuka e-DC kwaye sihlawule imali encinci ngokuhlala kwiziko lolondolozo lwembali kunokuba besinokufumana kwigumbi lehotele. Ndasibhalisa kwangoko-kwaye kamva kuphela ndakhumbula ukuba indala endiyifumeneyo, eyona nto ndiyithandayo kukuchitha ubusuku ebhedini. Mna no-Ike besingayi kuba sodwa kwimyuziyam, nokuba-bekuya kubakho abanye abantu abangama-300 abazingeli phantsi nathi, kwaye abanye babo, ngokuqinisekileyo, baya kurhona. Ngaba oku kuya kufana nobusuku kwiziko loNcedo oluBomvu kunokufezekisa iphupha lam lobuntwana?

Emva kothotho lwemiyalelo emfutshane yentsikelelo evela kumqeshwa wemyuziyam ongazinzanga — akukho kutya okanye siselo kwiiholo zomboniso, akukho Heelys, izibane phakathi kobusuku — sikhululekile ukuhambahamba kwindawo efudumeleyo ye-Butterfly Conservatory, apho I-luna moth perches egxalabeni lam. Ekuzingeleni umngcangcazeli kumagumbi eefosili amnyama, umdlalo wemiqadi yokukhanya kwelanga okhuphisanayo undenza ndizive ngathi ndikwiStudio 54. Kukho iinqwelo ezisilinga ukuba senze amalinge-njengokuphosa ibhola yentsimbi entlabathini ukulinganisa isibhakabhaka kunye umngxuma eyenzayo — okanye ukuphatha amathambo ezilwanyana noboya. Kodwa elona candelo lilungileyo ngamava kaFrankweiler-ish wokuzula ngokwakho. Kuyinyani, esi sakhiwo sisandi, ke uye uve abanye abantu naxa ungababoni. Kodwa wabelana ngendawo enkulu kunye neqhezu leendwendwe ezingama-5,000 ukuya kwi-10,000 ezifunyanwa ngumyuziyam ngosuku lweveki. Ngamaxesha athile, mna no-Ike siphelela sedwa kwiHolo yoLwanyazo lwaseAfrika. Iziva inobungangamsha kwaye ithulisiwe-kwaye inesiporho. Senza ntoni apha ngentsimbi ye-9 ebusuku? Uphi wonke umntu?

Nge-11: 30, xa beqala ukubonisa imovie malunga needonphin kuzo zonke izikrini kwiHolo yoBomi boLwandle, ndinamehlo alusizi, kwaye no-Ike ukulungele ukungena. Kulapho ndibona khona ukuba sikhulu kakhulu ipati yokunkala. Uyazi ukuba lingakanani ixesha elingenamsebenzi olichitha uxelela abantwana kwi-sleepover ukuba balale? Kwaye kungakanani ukugigitheka nokuzivalela okwangoku, ewe, cinga ukuba iphindaphindwe ngamakhulu. Ndilala ngokulingeneyo, emva kweyure okanye emva koko ndize ndifumanise ukuba mhlawumbi isiqingatha sabantwana sisezingqondweni. Ekugqibeleni, nangona kunjalo, ndivuka kuthulekile. Ngu-4 ekuseni isibane esinye okanye ezibini zenza iiarcs ezingamalolo ukunqumla isilingi — umntu uvukile — kodwa akukho kugigithekayo. Akukho kurhona, nokuba ndinokuva. Ndizifumana ndiziva ndibucala kwaye ndinoxolo ndilele apha. Kwisilingi yethayile yeglasi, umyuziyam uqikelele iipateni ezinjengelifu ezibengezelayo nezijikelezayo; ngaphezulu kwam, isiseko somnenga we-blue spackled esimhlophe, njengeMilky Way. Ndingaba selwandle.

Enyanisweni, ubusuku bethu kumyuziyam bujika bungabi ngamava emfundo esiye safumana. Kodwa isinike ubumnandi obuthile kunye neziko elikhulu. Siye sahlamba amazinyo kwiindawo zokuhlambela! Sijikeleze iiholo zayo zemiboniso kwiikawusi zethu zokuzilolonga! Hayi, siye salala apho!

UMargaret Talbot ngumbhali wabasebenzi kwiNew Yorker kunye nomlingane ophakamileyo kwiNew America Foundation eWashington, D.C.

Apha, ezinye iimyuziyam ezine kwilizwe lonke ezimema abazali kunye nabantwana ukuba bachithe ubusuku.

I-Museum Museum, eChicago

Phakamisa iintente, okanye uvule nje iingxowa zokulala, kufutshane needorama zeengonyama ezitya abantu, mamela amabali phambi kwelona likhulu nelona lipheleleyo u-T. Rex wakhe wafunyanwa, kwaye uzula phakathi koomama abambalwa kumboniso wamnyama wase-Egypt wamandulo-ukuba ungazama.

1400 S. Ichibi loNxweme uGqr .; 312 / 922-9410; ifildmuseum.org ; Yi- $ 47 kumntu ngamnye abantwana 6-12; Ubusuku obugcinwe kanye okanye kabini ngenyanga .

IZiko lezeNzululwazi lamaLwandle amaKhulu, eCleveland

Kwi-Great Lakes Adventure camp-in, ungakhwela ukhwele inqanawa yowe-1920 efakwe kwiLake Erie (kanye ngaphandle komnyango ongasemva kumyuziyam), uvavanye umgangatho wamanzi, kwaye uvavanye izinto eziphila echibini phantsi kwemicroscope.

601 Erieside Ave.; 216 / 621-2400; glsc.org ; Yi- $ 39 kumntu ngamnye abantwana aba-6 nangaphezulu; Ubusuku obugcinwe kathathu ngonyaka.

Iintlola zeHlabathi kunye neentloni; iMyuziyam, eWashington, D.C.

Thatha ubunikazi obutsha, ngekhanda iikhowudi eziyimfihlo, ukuzingela i-mole, kwaye ubuze iintlola zangempela.

Ngama-800 F St. NW; 202 / 393-7798; spymuseum.org ; $ 115 kumntu ngamnye abantwana 9-15; Ubusuku obugcinwe kabini ngonyaka.

Imyuziyam yaseOregon yeSayensi kunye noShishino, ePortland

Ibhedi ngaphakathi kweU.S.S. I-Blueback, inkwili yomkhosi wamanzi wase-U.S. We-1960 obekade ekhombisa kumdlalo bhanyabhanya uHunt ngo-Okthobha oBomvu. Njengoko ujonga nge-periscope kwaye ufunda ukugcwalisa iitanki ze-ballast kunye ne-torpedoes zomlilo, uya kufumana incasa yokuba kwakunjani ukuba lilungu leqela labasebenzi elihlala enqanaweni iinyanga.

Ngo-1945 i-SE yamanzi Ave.; Ngama-800 / 955-6674; omsi.edu ; $ 55 kumntu ngamnye abantwana bebanga lesi-3 nangaphezulu; Ubusuku obabubanjwa rhoqo ngoLwesihlanu nangoMgqibelo kunyaka wesikolo.

—UKathryn O’Shea-Evans

IMiami Metrozoo, iMiami

Emva kokuba ababukeli basemini bebuyile babuyela eSouth Beach, iMiami Metrozoo iyaphila. Kuhambo lwakho olwenziwe ngokobuqu lokuvalelwa kwezilwanyana, ungabamba amacilikishe enamba enentshebe, upeqe umkhombe uphondo lwayo, kwaye ubukele iibhere zebhedi zasebusuku zifunxa iidiliya njengevumba. 1 iZoo Boulevard; 305 / 251-0400; lwakhiwoengme.com ; ukusuka kwi- $ 50 kumntu ngamnye; abantwana abangaphezu kweminyaka emithandathu; Ubusuku obugcinwe izihlandlo ezininzi ngonyaka.

Imbali yeMbali yeMbali yeLos Angeles County, Los Angeles

Zingaphezulu kwesigidi iifosili ezikhutshiweyo kwiziko lolondolozo lwembali iLa Brea Tar Pits ukusukela ngo-1906. Kule 'Camp Goo' ngobusuku bonke, fumana itotshi yetotshi ye-asphalt ebusayo ababevela kuyo. Umboniso we-900 Boulevard; 213 / 763-3466; nhm.org ; $ 43 kumntu ngamnye abantwana abaneminyaka emihlanu nangaphezulu; Ubusuku obugcinwe izihlandlo ezininzi ngonyaka.

I-Notebaert Nature Museum, eChicago

Abakhampasi banokufikelela kuwo onke amaziko olondolozo lwembali, kodwa amathuba okuba uchithe ixesha lakho elininzi kwi-Butterfly Haven, indawo yokugcina izilwanyana ezingama-2,700 apho zonke iintlobo zamabhabhathane zihluma khona amaphiko (jonga ingwamabhotolo afana neRice Paper butterflies kunye neCairns Birdwings ukusuka e-Australia, ezinokufikelela kwii-intshi ezilithoba ububanzi). 2430 N. Cannon Ukuqhuba; 773 / 755-5100; indalo ; $ 40 kumntu ngamnye abantwana 6-11; Ubusuku obugcinwe izihlandlo ezininzi ngonyaka.

Imyuziyam yaseRubin yoBugcisa, eNew York

Khwela 'Mt. I-Everest' — izinyuko ezijikeleziweyo ezijingayo — kule myuziyam ejolise eHimalaya ngoncedo lomnyuli weentaba uLuis Benitez, othe washwankathela eyona nto iyiyo izihlandlo ezithandathu. Umgangatho ngamnye wegalari usebenza njengekampu eneengxaki ezahlukeneyo zokunyuka kobomi bokwenyani, njengokubopha amaqhina aneemittens kunye nokusebenzisa ioksijini eyongezelelweyo. 150 eNtshona 17th St; 212/620-5000; rmanyc.org ; $ 108 kumntu ngamnye abantwana 11-13; Ubusuku obugcinwe kanye ngonyaka.

IMyuziyam yaseMbali yeNdalo yaseSan Diego, eSan Diego

Nxiba i-p.j.'s yakho ye-craziest-patterned: emva kokuba umbe amathambo e-dinosaur replica kwaye ulale kumboniso weefosili, UNks Frizzle-loo titshala unwele lwe-ginger wodumo lwe-Magic Schoolbus-uya kukuvusa kwisidlo sakusasa. Ngo-1788 iPrado; 619 / 232-3821; sdnhm.org ; ukusuka kwi-55 yeedola kumntu ngamnye Ubusuku obugcinwe izihlandlo ezininzi ngonyaka.