Night at the Musuem

Larry Daley is a divorced parent who always felt he's been destined for something big. Daley accepts a seemingly menial job as a graveyard shift security guard at the struggling natural history museum, to replace three retiring night watchmen: Cecil Fredericks, Gus, and Reginald. On the first night, the watchmen give Larry a instruction manual, telling him to read everything in the manual and do them quickly and in order. They also tell him not to let anything in or out of the museum.

Larry ignores their advice and falls asleep at the main desk. He wakes up see the Tyrannosaurus skeleton not on its stand, but drinking from a water fountain. Hiding under the main desk, Larry reads the top line of the instruction manual: "Throw the bone." The dinosaur simply wants to play fetch with one of its own bones.

Larry Daley being chased by a Tyrannosaurus skeleton.

Larry looks around to find many other things are also leaving their exhibits now. The second line in the manual is "Lock up the lions or they will eat you." He goes to the Africa exhibit to lock up the lions, Dexter, the monkey, has stolen Larry's keys. Larry tries to get the monkey to give him the keys, but instead, Dexter bites him on the nose, and tears up the instruction manual.

Larry quickly finds the only person he can speak to is Theodore Roosevelt, to whom the museum is dedicated. Theodore helps Larry restore order. Teddy also explains that the museum comes to life because of an ancient supernatural Egyptian tablet. If any of the exhibits are outside the museum when the sun rises, they will turn to dust.

The next day, museum director Dr. McPhee finds Octavian locked up in the miniature pillory with the Wild West men. He decides to give Larry one more chance.

To help Larry since since there's no duplicate of the destroyed manual, Cecil Fredericks suggests Larry study up on his history and learn about the exhibits.

That night, Larry comes to work armed with a plan. This includes fake keys for Dexter, gum for the Easter Island Head, fire for the Neanderthals, and magic tricks to entertain Attila the Hun.

His plan fails. Dexter gets Larry's keys,Attila the Hun spies a flaw in one of Larry's tricks and tries to tear him apart, and the Neanderthals' fire gets out of control. Larry puts it out with a nearby fire extinguisher, while Dexter opens a window, which one of the Neanderthals manages to climb out of. It turns to dust when the sun rises and is swept up by a street sweeper. Theodore helps him restore order.

Dr. McPhee fires Larry for the damage done to the Neanderthal exhibit, but is persuaded into giving Larry one more night. Larry discovers that Rebecca the docent is writing a dissertation on Sacagawea. She has writers block and he tries to explain that she could speak to Sacagawea, but she thinks he is mocking her.

Larry brings his son, Nick, along to show him all the amazing things that occur during Larry's shift. However that night, none of the exhibits come to life, as the former night guards stole the Egyptian tablet and many other valuables in an attempt to get back at the museum for firing them. The guards found that the tablet rejuvenated their youth during night, along with bringing life to the animals. The guards, planning to frame Larry for their crime, lock Larry and Nick in Ahkmenrah's exhibit, but not before Nick fixes a misplaced part of the tablet, bringing the exhibits to life again. Larry opens up the sarcophagus. Akhmenrah (who speaks fluent English after being exhibited at Cambridge) agrees to help Larry and Nick rescue the tablet.

They managing to befriend Attila the Hun with the help of Ahkmenrah. Larry finds all the inhabitants busy fighting each other and making a mess of the museum lobby. He restores order by explaining that the tablet is what brings them to life and it if is stolen, they cannot live. Gus and Reginald are caught but Cecil escapes on stagecoach. Sacagawea helps them track Cecil, and Roosevelt finally gets his chance to speak to Sacagawea.

Larry on Roosevelt's horse (named Texas); Jedediah (the cowboy leader) and Octavius in a remote control Hummer; and the T-Rex chase Cecil. Larry yells the word 'Dakota' and the horses stop. The Mongols escort Cecil back to the museum. Akhmenrah helps Larry gets all the inhabitants back to the museum.

Larry gives a call to Rebbecca who comes over just in time to witness the spectacle. She immediately becomes a believer and begins to converse with Roosevelt and Sacagawea.

The museum is a huge mess. Larry, Rebecca and Nick manage to clean the museum; however, Larry is fired by Dr. McPhee because of various news video clips about the things that went on that night, such T-Rex footprints around Central Park. When the museum director leaves his office and finds it full of visitors who are curious about the recent news stories, Larry gets his job back.

That night, there is a party at the museum. Larry decides not to turn in the guards as long as they agree to clean up the museum each morning.