In 1990 we (Technology Museum of Vienna in Austria) conducted - what we
still think - as the first "camp-in" in Europe.
We did it with a group of 30 youngsters between 8 and 14 years old. We had
to bring back one of the younger children (9 years) to his parents, but the
rest was very excited: the huge dark museum discovered with flash lights,
the events, the discoveries during the night, the dinner and breakfast,
which they prepared by themselves - these kids will never think that museums
are boring.
One of the kids told me the next morning: "When I grow old, I will tell my
grandchildren, that I slept in the technology museum"!! What a success!
We presented one of the later groups of the "camp-in" event to a museum
congress. The kids were mixed, girls and boys, about 14 years of age. When -
in the morning - the museologists tried to talk to them and get their
feelings about the "camp-in" there was just one problem: The kids danced
from midnight to morning in the technology museum - and were a little bit
too tired to talk to the experts around 9 o'clock in the morning.
But, just imagine: dancing in a museum - a night long - what a feeling! In
the middle of old machines, which probably joined the dance after the magic
hour.
We altogether had lots of fun - and the kids learned that museums are an
experience worth while! They will bring their friends back.
At one of those nights - with slightly older people - the world famous star
"PRINCE" came to Vienna and also to the Technology Museum - and sang for
some hours - for free - for the kids - because we all loved it live -
amongst the old artifacts of engineering. What a museum - I thought! What
kind of possibilities! What joy of life!

Peter, the happy Rebernik

+---------------------------------------------------
 | PHAROS International - Bureau for Cultural Projects
 | Peter Rebernik, Dipl.-Ing.
 | Anton Baumgartnerstr. 44/C2/3/2; A-1230 Wien / AUSTRIA
 | Tel.: (... 43 1) 667 7375; Fax: (... 43 1) 667 2984
 | Mobiltel.: (... 43 664) 230 2767
 | E-Mail: [log in to unmask]; Web: http://www.rebernik.at
+------------------------------------------------------
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
An: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Datum: Dienstag, 07. Juli 1998 20:17
Betreff: Re: Museum "Camp-ins"


>At 02:38 PM 7/7/98 -0700, you wrote:
>>The Science Museum in London has been doing sleep-overs for several
>>years. Normally they are meant for children (aged 8--11), but recently
>>there has been one for women only (partly sponsored by the MRC).
>
> That sounds like so much fun.  What an excellent idea - chick nite at a
>museum!!  Maybe the American museums will catch onto that idea as
>well...*hint* *hint*
>
>Deb Fuller
>Staples & Charles
>