Museum fun night attracts over 1000

MORE than 1000 people of all ages turned out for an evening of fun and fantasy during a successful Night At The Museum event held at Bayworld on the Port Elizabeth beachfront on Saturday night.

"The idea was to have a night of activities, such as a treasure hunt and tours, in the museum. Participants were invited to come in period costumes," Friends of Bayworld co-ordinator Annelle Bailey said. " We were really surprised by how successful it was. While we have not tallied up all the figures yet, we know we had more than 1000 people. At one point we had to turn some people away."

Bailey said some teachers in the city brought their entire classes to the event.

She said the treasure hunt was a highlight of the evening and was aimed at both educating and involving participants in a fun way.

"The treasure hunt was designed in a manner which compelled participants to read the display descriptions at exhibits to find the clues. This meant they had to go to exhibits they might normally just pass in the museum, so they learnt something new while having fun at the same time."

Bailey said they hoped to host the event again and maybe even make it an annual event.

The majority of the funds collected would go towards the Bayworld complex, while the rest would be used to cover the cost of the event.

The huge turnout was as a result of the creation of a Facebook page advertising the event, she said.

"The big turnout shows that people in Port Elizabeth are keen to participate in more unusual and interesting events," she said. – Shaun Gillham