The Museum Comes Alive

Every night at exactly midnight the Smithsonian museum comes alive.

Midnight has come, Hazel, a paleontologist is working the night shift when something unexpected happens.

I hate working the night shift, but my work demands it. The work I'm doing is too important to put down.

The exhibit I'm putting together is called the beginning of life, which explores earths early past all the way to the time of the dinosaurs.

This project has been my baby for over a year. I am very proud of the work I've been doing.

Hazel looks at her watch, she sees it's midnight once again. Hazel hasn't eaten in two hours. She heads to the break room to eat her left over dinner.

As Hazel heads to the break room, she hears noises coming from the many different exhibits.

What is that noise?

Hazel quietly walks to where she hears the noises and in an instant Hazel is transport to the ocean floor exhibit, where she sees prehistoric sea life coming to life.

I don't believe this. This is not possible. I close my eyes hoping this isn't real. I still hear noises. I open my eyes and I see that this is not a dream. I am awake and this is real.

I move in closer and I see a beautiful whale I've seen a hundred times in pictures and when I visit this exhibit. The whale is called Phoenix.

Hazel walks around the exhibit taking everything in. She sees things she only imagined seeing in her dreams, but seeing these historic creatures coming to life is something else entirely different.

Wow. I don't have any words to say. I've studied these creatures my entire life and to see them alive is amazing.

When Hazel is finishing seeing the ocean floor exhibit she is transport back to where she began. Hazel is confused as to what is happening.

I'm back where I began.

Hazel walks down the hall to the break room, again Hazel hears more nosies coming from another exhibit.

Hazel is transport to the National Portrait Gallery.

Here we go again.

Hazel is at the national portrait gallery where she sees the portraits of the many historical figures she has looked at every day since she began to work at the museum coming alive.

Hazel sees portraits of Clara Barton come alive as well as portraits of women from the civil war like Kate Bateman.

Oh my god! This is incredible. All these portraits of so many famous people. I don't have any words to describe this. This is so surreal.

I am fascinated by all these incredible women I'm seeing including some of the men.

Hazel walks around the exhibit looking at all the portraits. Some of the portraits smile at Hazel. Hazel smiles back.

When Hazel is finished seeing the portraits she is transport back. She has a huge smile on her face.

Hazel walks down the hall on her way to the break room when she yet again hears noises coming from another exhibit.

Hazel is transport to the American Art Museum.

Here I go again.

This is all too freaky, first the ocean floor exhibit, then the national portrait gallery and now the art museum, not that I'm complaining. I'm having fun.

Hazel is in the exhibit. She hears voices coming from her right. Hazel walks over to the painting called Experience America and sees the painting coming to life.

How cool is this? This painting is from the 1930s. Look at all these people sitting their talking not realizing they are the painting.

As Hazel is seeing the painting, she is whisked into the painting. Hazel is now in the middle of a conversation in the 1930s.

Where am I? Oh crap I'm in the painting. I'm inside a train.

I'm standing in front of two people talking gibberish. Wow. Is this how people talked in this era. Aside from the conversation, this is pretty cool. I always dreamed about the 1930s and what it would be like, now my dream came true.

Hazel walks around the train for a bit and then just like that Hazel is whisked out of the painting.

Did that just happen to me?

When Hazel is finished at the art museum she is transport back. She walks quickly down the hall where she comes upon the night guard.

"Dr. Collins. What are you still doing here?"

"I'm work on the exhibit. Have you seen anything weird?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"I'm going to finish my rounds."

"Have a good night."

That's weird. The night guard hasn't seen the exhibits coming to life. Why is it only me seeing it?

Hazel continues her walk to the break room when she yet again hears noises.

Hazel is transport to the museum of natural history.

Hazel is in the dinosaur exhibit where she sees bones from the many dinosaur's she's discovered coming to life.

I never dreamed I will be seeing these creatures coming to life. I discovered and put together many of these bones. I love this.

Hazel stays at the dinosaur exhibit for an hour. She is mesmerized by all she sees.

These dinosaurs are playful, not rough at all, maybe it's because they are bones.

Hazel looks in her pocket and finds her phone. She takes her phone out and starts recording the dinosaurs.

This is for me to treasure all my life.

Hazel walks out of the dinosaurs exhibit and goes into the hall of mammals. There she sees the largest land mammals to ever grace the earth.

I've seen these animals only in pictures, they are beautiful creatures, but to see them alive is a wonder.

Hazel walks among the Molly mammoth, sabre tooth tiger and the white rhinoceros. she touches the animals, they are gentle creatures.

I can't believe how gentle and beautiful the animals are. This is incredible.

Hazel snaps more pictures of the animals and then she is transport back to the hall.

After her many trips through out the museum Hazel finally makes it to the break room. She opens the door and walks in.

Hazel lays down on the couch and closes her eyes.

This has been a weird, but incredible experience.

Hazel falls asleep.

The next morning Hazel wakes up and looks at her phone, she sees the time.

Oh my god! it's 8. I slept the whole night and what a dream I had. I dreamed the museum came alive. I thought it was real, but who am I kidding. All of the exhibits are a recreation of the past.

Hazel looks at her phone and sees she has two recordings. She opens them and sees the exhibit of the dinosaurs and the hall of mammals alive.

Oh my god! it wasn't a dream it was real. The museum really did come alive last night.

Haze smiles as she goes back to work.