A Night at the Museums

Okay, the special sleepover program at the American Museum of Natural History is sold out. So that option is closed at least until mid-August for those who think it would be fun to sleep on a floor, surrounded by vast amounts of taxidermied animals. But there are plenty of other NYC museums with late access and evening events, even if they can't boast a T-Rex.

To be fair, the American Museum of Natural History does have some good evening programs that don't involve sleepovers. The Rose Center is open until 8:45pm the First Friday of every month. There's a Spanish Tapas bar where you can enjoy sangria, wines and soft drinks while listening to jazz. Starts at 5:30. Here's the menu. There are also great lecture and movie programs. One coming soon: "The Upside of Down," Thursday at 7, at the Kaufmann Theater. It's $15, $12 for members. Here's the writeup; buy tickets here: "Author and conservationist Thomas Homer-Dixon suggests that the pressures we are putting on our planet are likely leading to an imminent breakdown in the economic, political, and ecological systems that sustain us. By examining the intertwined causes of these systemic crises—from growing energy shortages to yawning economic inequalities—his latest book, The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity, and the Renewal of Civilization, shows what we can learn from them and how we can mitigate them."

The American Folk Art Museum (45 W. 53rd Street): Open Fridays until 7:30. Normally, entrance is $9, but there are Free Music Fridays, says the site: "Each Friday, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, the museum trustees and staff invite the public to explore our galleries free of charge, have a drink in the cafe, and enjoy live music in the stunning atrium."

Asia Society and Museum (725 Park Ave., at 70th St.; 212 288-6400): Open from 6:00-9:00 on Fridays (except July 4-Labor Day). Lots of cultural programs and talks like the one this week, on Jan. 24 (during the day, though, from 12-2), a "CEO Forum featuring Scott Bayman, President and CEO, GE India." (It's pricey, at $75.) Bayman "will speak on "Thirteen Years on the Inside: A Perspective on India"."
UPDATE: Turns out there are "Second Fridays" and "Third Fridays." Second Fridays are about corporate diversity networking at the Asia Society's Leo Bar. It's from 6-9 this Feb. 9 and invites people to "join fellow Asian and Asian American professionals for some art and ambiance...Exhibition tours at 7:15 and 7:45; $5 martinis from 6-7. Cash bar." On Third Fridays, its LGBT Night. Says the site: "February's event [for the lesbian, gay, and transgender community] is cohosted by the leading global networking and professional services organization specifically for gay and lesbian financial services professionals," the Financial Services Industry Exchange.
The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (2 East 91st Street; 212 849-8400) Open Fridays until 9:00; $12.
Dahesh Museum (580 Madison Ave. (between 56th and 57th Sts.; 212 759-0606)
Open until 9:00 on the first Thursday of every month; free from 6-9 on First Thursdays. Here’s an upcoming event (March 1, 6:30 pm) that sounds fun:
"Daily Life & Feasting in Ancient Egypt: Talk & Tasting
Join Francine Segan, food historian and cookbook author, for a foray into the delicious foods and dining customs of ancient Egypt, which includes a slide presentation and tasting of modern-day Egyptian delicacies. Discover fascinating tidbits about Cleopatra’s dinner parties; why Egyptians kneaded dough with their feet; and the must-serve foods for pyramid builders. Learn the recipes from the fertile Nile Valley...and also the centuries old health secrets and remedies of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, including their long list of aphrodisiacs and the food stuffs that accompanied them in their tombs."
The Guggenheim Museum (Fifth Ave. at 89th St.): On First Fridays, "enjoy a drink with friends, explore the galleries, and listen to some of the best DJs in town, all in the spectacular Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building. From 9 PM to 1 AM, admission is $25. Free for members. " Next up on Feb. 2: "Composor [sic??], producer, and inventor of the mutanttrumpet, a hybrid electro-acoustic instrument, Ben Neill presents a short solo set of new and unreleased tracks. He is accompanied by an eclectic sonic stew of space rock, house, and downtempo spun by past Guggenheim partner DJ Ben Butler."
International Center for Photography (1133 Ave. of the Americas at 43rd St.; 212 857-0000) Open Fridays until 8:00; admission from 5:00-8:00 on Fridays is a voluntary contribution. Otherwise, it's $12.
Jewish Museum (Fifth Ave. at 92nd St.;212 423-3200): Just saw--in the ads on my blog!--that the museum is free on Saturdays (and closes at 5:45 on Sats.) Normally the entrance fee is $12. It's open until 8:00 on Thursdays.
Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53 Street, between Fifth and Sixth Aves.; 212 708-9400): Open Fridays until 8:00; right now the sculpture garden is open until 9:00 for the video installation by Doug Aitken (plays from 5:00-10:00), and entrance is free on 54th Street. For the museum's film schedule, look here.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.; 212 535-7710): Open Friday and Saturday nights until 9:00; enjoy drinks and appetizers on the Great Hall Balcony (sample menu here) while listening to live classical music. The MET also has subscription lectures and events, some of which are at night. You can learn more here.
Museum of Art and Design (40 West 53rd Street; 212 956-3535) Open Thursdays until 8:00; pay what you wish from 6-8. Pop in and then head over the MOMA's 54th Street entrance to the sculpture garden at 8:00 and check out the Aitken installation--or just admire it from in front the the Museum of Art and Design, since it's right across from MOMA and the Aitken video is projected on both the front and back of the MOMA building.
Rubin Museum of Tibetan Art (150 W. 17th Street; 212 620-5000): Open Fridays until 10:00; gallery admission free from 7:00-10:00. Visit here to find out more about a Friday night jazz program; there's also one on Jan. 24--"Harlem in the Himalayas Special: Wycliffe Gordon performs a new score to accompany D.W. Griffith's Intolerance. Introduced by New Yorker humorist Patricia Marx; 7:00 - 11:00." For a calendar of events, which include films, go to this link. UPDATE: A friend notes that the snack bar has great healthy stuff, like edamame--and that you can access their very clean bathrooms without having to pay the entrance fee.