BYU students raced across campus solving riddles, collecting stickers and enjoying art, food and music during the Night at the Museums event on Friday, March 14.
Filling the night with creativity and excitement, students and families participated in a scavenger hunt across five BYU museums with the promise of a prize at the end.
The attendees visited the Museum of Art, Museum of Peoples and Cultures, Bean Life Science Museum, Education in Zion Gallery and the Museum of Paleontology. They solved various riddles and clues to receive unique stickers at each location.
If participants collected all five stickers between 7 and 10 p.m., they earned a tote bag as their reward.
The event has remained a popular campus tradition for more than 10 years, and students continue to show up enthusiastically. One student, Evelyn Crane, attended the event for the second time.
“I went two years ago and it was super fun,” Crane said. “When I heard about it again this year, I knew I had to come back.”
While the event offers a fun experience, it also serves a larger purpose: raising awareness of BYU's museums. Museums use the event to come together once a year and showcase current exhibits and research.
Caleb Ummel, a BYU student working at the Museum of Paleontology, expressed his excitement for the opportunity to interact with attendees.
“Some people don’t even know that we’re here,” Ummel said. “It’s a really big deal for us because we get the opportunity to talk to people about our research.”
For Ummel, Night at the Museums allows him to share his passion for paleontology. As attendees attempted to solve the riddle, they took breaks to learn about the new dinosaurs and species that the Museum of Paleontology had discovered.
Philipp Malzl, head of education at the Museum of Art, said the event is a valuable resource for students to expand their experiences at BYU.
“Although a lot of community members enjoy Night at the Museums, its primary audience will always be BYU students,” he said. “These museums can be excellent resources to augment their academic learning and spiritual growth.”
Malzl also encouraged students to visit BYU museums outside of the annual event. The MOA offers a robust lineup of rotating exhibitions and weekly events. Most campus museums also offer internships, student employment and volunteer opportunities.
Although the Night at the Museums event occurs only once a year, students are encouraged to regularly engage with the variety of museums on campus.