Camps
Nature Museum Camps immerse children into the wonderful world of nature and science!
Campers develop their critical thinking and social skills by spending fun-filled days inside and outside the museum. They participate in interactive exploration including science and art projects, nature play, animal encounters, and so much more. We encourage campers to take the lead and we provide them with space to explore the nature of Chicago at their own pace with tools selected (or built!) by them.
Keep reading to learn more about these unique offerings for kids ages 4 to 14!
Tweens Camp
Encourage a love for nature and science throughout middle school with special camps just for tweens. Campers will spend time on the museum grounds, in exhibits, and using the collections to learn more about the nature of Illinois.
June 13, 2025
Registration is now closed.
Ages: 10-14
Are you up for the challenge of decoding the Mysteries of the Marsh? Use hands-on science tools and close observations while meeting some of the reptiles that live at the Nature Museum. Explore the conservation work of our scientists, while collaborating with your peers to solve puzzles and riddles to learn more about Illinois wetlands.
Highlights include:
- Escape room style games, puzzles, and challenges
- Animal encounters and feedings with our resident turtles (including helping prepare the turtles' meals!)
- Flexing scientific skills with the Curator of Turtle Conservation through scientific drawings, observations, and outdoor explorations
- And more!
Camp sessions are held from 9am to 3pm. Campers ages 10 to 14 will have the chance to interact with fellow campers, connect with museum scientists, and engage in unique activities and natural exploration as they explore local native animals that live in our wetlands.
In addition to discounts on Nature Museum Camp, Family and Premier Members enjoy discounts on popular family events, free admission all year, and other benefits. Click here to learn more or to become a member.
Questions? Reach out to us at camps@naturemuseum.org.
Summer Camp
The Nature Museum offers fun, summer day camp sessions focused on nature and science education utilizing both outdoor and indoor spaces.
June 23, 2025-August 15, 2025
Registration is now closed.
Ages: 4-9
The Nature Museum offers fun, summer day camp sessions. Our summer camp focuses on nature and science education utilizing the Nature Museum’s outdoor and indoor spaces. Campers will build on their natural curiosity to discover, explore, and learn about the world around them. In each unique camp session, campers use observing and questioning skills to explore the museum, local habitats, and many living things nearby. As campers explore, investigate, and play in our outdoor spaces, they'll gain comfort and confidence in being outdoors.
Camp sessions are held Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm. Each session lasts two weeks and runs once throughout the summer. This gives campers the chance to sign up for one or more sessions, meeting new friends and exploring new topics along the way! Your camper will have the chance to interact with fellow campers, connect with counselors, and engage in unique activities and natural exploration.
Camp families can keep the camp fun going with a little help from our daily emails. Unique to the Nature Museum, these Daily Parent Pages are written by the camp directors and include photos, a summary of the day's accomplishments, and questions to spark meaningful conversation with your camper.
Join us from 3pm to 5pm for aftercare! Campers of all ages will continue the fun while they explore the exhibits, join in on outdoor play, and create. Space is limited. Please keep reading for aftercare pricing per session.
Registration is now closed for Summer Camp.
In addition to discounts on Nature Museum Camp, Family and Premier Members enjoy discounts on popular family events, free admission all year, and other benefits. Click here to learn more or to become a member.
Questions? Reach out to us at camps@naturemuseum.org.
“You have taught my kids how to be kids again.”
Meet Our Camp Team
Each camp session is supervised by our full-time camp directors. Our staff is always excited to play along, get dirty, and guide campers to make discoveries while they explore the world around them. Each camp has a strictly-enforced counselor to camper ratio, ensuring that all campers have the guidance they need to have a fun, educational, and safe summer camp experience. Camp directors and counselors have experience working with children of all ages and they’re trained to help give specialized guidance for campers with specific needs, such as sensory processing disorders.
Garrett Douglas is a full-time, year-round educator at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. He was a full-time summer camp kid since age 7 and has been working in and out of the woods his whole life. After seven years teaching in classrooms across various Chicago schools, he found his way to the museum in the summer of 2024. He brings with him a wild curiosity for the natural world, a well-trained sense of patience, and a smattering of puppetry skills. If you see him, you might also see his friend Poda the Snail, so make sure to say hi to both!
During Summer Camp, high school and college-level counselors lead activities and supervise the campers in every session throughout the day. The camp team participates in extensive educational training focusing on ecology and natural science topics, best practice education strategies, and outdoor education approaches to best foster camper engagement and learning. Together, the camp directors and counselors develop activities and curricula specially tailored for each camp and session.
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum reserves the right to cancel this program at any time for any reason.
A non-refundable 10% administrative processing fee is included in camp tuition. Cancellations, made for non-medical reasons, must be received more than 60 days before the start of the camp session to receive full refund less this processing fee.
Cancellations, made for non-medical reasons, received 15 to 60 days before the start of the camp session will receive a 50% refund. Non-medical cancellations within two weeks of the first day of camp will not receive a refund.
To cancel your registration, you must email camps@naturemuseum.org.
The CampDoc.com site is secure, encrypted, and password protected. Only Nature Museum camp staff will have access to camper health information.
To read more about their security policies, click here: https://www.docnetwork.org/security/.
Experience nature and science up close with a trip to the Nature Museum.