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.
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.
Summer Camp
We had so much fun at Summer Camp! Check back in January for details on our Summer 2025 Camp Sessions.
The Nature Museum offers fun, summer day camp sessions for children ages four through nine.
Our summer camp focuses on nature and science education utilizing the Nature Museum’s outdoor and indoor spaces. Find out why camp parents say we’re the “best summer camp in Chicago!”
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.
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.
Questions? Reach out to us at camps@naturemuseum.org.
Four- and five-year-old 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.
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.
Summer 2024 | Session/Dates | Pricing* |
Growing Sprouts | Session 1 | $645/member |
City Critters | Session 2 | $720/member |
Nature's | Session 3 | $720/member |
Earth Inspectors | Session 4 | $720/member |
Optional Aftercare: $275/session
*Discounted member pricing is exclusive to Nature Museum Family & Premier Members.
**There is no camp on July 4.
Six- and seven-year-old campers will enhance their ability to explore, investigate, and question. In each unique camp session, campers conduct investigations to find out more about habitats, animal behaviors and bodies, and ecosystem adaptations. As campers explore, they'll act as detectives to answer their own nature questions, decipher how different plants and animals survive, and discover the many interactions and relationships that occur in nature.
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.
Summer 2024 | Session/Dates | Pricing* |
Nature | Session 1 | $645/member |
Habitat | Session 2 | $720/member |
Neighborhood | Session 3 | $720/member |
Ecology | Session 4 | $720/member |
Optional Aftercare: $275/session
*Discounted member pricing is exclusive to Nature Museum Family & Premier Members.
**There is no camp on July 4.
Eight- and nine-year-old campers will develop their science skills as they compare, consider, and classify all sorts of living and non-living specimens in and around the Nature Museum. Each unique camp session focuses on observing interactions in the prairie, wetland, or woodland ecosystems teeming with life in the museum's backyard. Campers will enjoy recording field notes and illustrations as they take a deep dive in a study of living things in our local urban ecosystems.
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.
Summer 2024 | Session/Dates | Pricing* |
City Scientists | Session 3 | $740/member |
Urban Explorers | Session 4 | $740/member |
Optional Aftercare: $275/session
*Discounted member pricing is exclusive to Nature Museum Family & Premier Members.
**There is no camp on July 4.
Winter Camp
We’re getting ready for Winter Camp 2024! Stay tuned for registration details in October!
Nature doesn’t take a break in the winter, and neither do we. Winter Camp embraces all that Mother Nature has to offer, giving children ages four to nine the opportunity to join us for a few days of wintry fun. Campers will spend time outside on the museum grounds, as well as inside the museum exploring our exhibits and collections.
Camp sessions are held from 9am to 2:30pm and work around the busy holiday schedule of winter break. Each unique camp session focuses on unpacking the many adaptations our Chicago plants and animals have to survive our cold and snowy winters. Your camper will have the chance to interact with fellow campers, connect with counselors, and engage in unique activities and natural exploration.
Questions? Reach out to us at camps@naturemuseum.org.
Four- and five-year-old campers will build on their natural curiosity and gain comfort and confidence being outdoors as they discover, explore, and learn about the world around them.
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.
Winter 2023 | Session/Dates | Pricing* |
Critters in | Session 1 | $135/member |
Wonders of | Session 2 | $295/member |
*Discounted member pricing is exclusive to Nature Museum Family & Premier Members.
Six- and seven-year-old campers will enhance their natural ability to explore, investigate, and question the world around them as they discover the many interactions and relationships that occur in nature.
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.
Winter 2023 | Session/Dates | Pricing* |
Critters in | Session 1 | $135/member |
Wonders of | Session 2 | $295/member |
*Discounted member pricing is exclusive to Nature Museum Family & Premier Members.
Eight- and nine-year-old campers will develop their science skills as they compare, consider, and classify all sorts of living and non-living specimens in and around the museum. They'll take a deep dive in a study of living things in our local urban ecosystems.
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.
Winter 2023 | Session/Dates | Pricing* |
Critters in | Session 1 | $135/member |
Wonders of | Session 2 | $295/member |
*Discounted member pricing is exclusive to Nature Museum Family & Premier Members.
“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 ages four to nine and they’re trained to help give specialized guidance for campers with specific needs, such as sensory processing disorders.
Maddy Turner is a full-time, year-round educator at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. She was thrilled to start working in the Nature Museum in January 2024. Prior to joining the museum as Camp Director and Education Programs Specialist, Maddy taught middle school science in Nashville with Teach for America and was the STEM speciality instructor at a Nashville summer camp. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Urban Studies. She is passionate about environmental education and the connections we can make with the natural world all around us.
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.