Spend your summer at the Academy with our fun educators, cool exhibits and wild science! Sign up for one week or sign up for them all; each day will feature hands-on activities, creative crafts and untold secrets of the museum. Learn about the naturally awesome science at the Academy, from fossils and dinosaurs to bugs, birds and botanicals! Get outside for lunch and explore the urban environment around the Academy. Meet live animals, see rare specimens and explore the museum as you never have before.

This program features small group activities. New topics will be explored every day. Bring home useful make-and-takes and practice your science skills with experiments and projects. Chill out as you take in a special show or look alive when you meet our animal ambassadors. What will you discover about the world?

More information on camp policies and procedures below. Contact Mia Fox, public programs and mediated experiences coordinator, for any additional information.

Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available for eligible Philadelphia households on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about Academy Science Camp or to inquire about scholarship eligibility, contact Mia Fox, public programs and mediated experiences coordinator at mf3364@drexel.edu.

Summer Camp 2023 Schedule:

Birds!
June 26–30

Calling all bird nerds. This one is for you! Become an ornithologist as you explore the 205,000 bird specimens at the Academy and learn what species call Philadelphia home. See birds up close with experts, and let your creativity take flight as you craft bird wings, protect eggs from a perilous drop and sniff like a vulture. We’ll also explore the special exhibit Seeing Birds. You won’t want to chicken out on this one!

Discovering Dinosaurs
July 5–7 (no camp July 3 and 4)

Adventure back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. From Tyrannosaurus to Corythosaurus and beyond, discover dinosaur diversity through the years. Touch real fossils and meet a friendly paleontologist! Come prepared to have a dino-mite time!

Planet Protectors
July 10–14

Your mission: learn what you can do to protect the environment. We’ll tinker with trash and transform it. We’ll investigate how waste makes its way into our waterways and how it impacts our animals and insects. Spend time exploring the museum while learning about sustainability, climate change and plastics. Campers will help contribute to Plastic-free Philly with hands-on recycling activities.

Challenge Accepted: Amazing Animal Adaptations
July 17–21

It’s game time! How do you compare to some of nature’s best athletes? Are you as fast as a falcon? Fearsome as a lion? Agile as an anaconda? Test your skills through a week of animal games and challenges. Along the way we’ll examine some of the coolest specimens in the Academy from bugs to bones. Everyone will be a winner as we discover why some animals thrive and why some just can’t compete!

Animals on the Outside
July 24–28

Discover what keeps insides in! From the slimy skin of a frog to the rough wrinkles of an elephant, the diversity of animal skin is vast. In this weeklong camp we’ll talk about all things skin: scales, armor and how skin interfaces with the outside world. Explore and touch specimens in our special exhibit Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity. Plus, see live animals up close every day!

Birds!
July 31–August 4

Calling all bird nerds. This one is for you! Become an ornithologist as you explore the 205,000 bird specimens at the Academy and learn what species call Philadelphia home. See birds up close with experts, and let your creativity take flight as you craft bird wings, protect eggs from a perilous drop and sniff like a vulture. We’ll also explore the special exhibit Seeing Birds. You won’t want to chicken out on this one!

Discovering Dinosaurs
August 7–11

Adventure back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. From Tyrannosaurus to Corythosaurus and beyond, discover dinosaur diversity through the years. Touch real fossils and meet a friendly paleontologist! Come prepared to have a dino-mite time!

Planet Protectors
August 14–18

Your mission: learn what you can do to protect the environment. We’ll tinker with trash and transform it. We’ll investigate how waste makes its way into our waterways and how it impacts our animals and insects. Spend time exploring the museum while learning about sustainability, climate change and plastics. Campers will help contribute to Plastic-free Philly with hands-on recycling activities.

Challenge Accepted: Amazing Animal Adaptations
August 21–25

It’s game time! How do you compare to some of nature’s best athletes? Are you as fast as a falcon? Fearsome as a lion? Agile as an anaconda? Test your skills through a week of animal games and challenges. Along the way we’ll examine some of the coolest specimens in the Academy from bugs to bones. Everyone will be a winner as we discover why some animals thrive and why some just can’t compete!

Animals on the Outside
August 28–September 1

Discover what keeps insides in! From the slimy skin of a frog to the rough wrinkles of an elephant, the diversity of animal skin is vast. In this weeklong camp we’ll talk about all things skin: scales, armor and how skin interfaces with the outside world. Explore and touch specimens in our special exhibit Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity. Plus, see live animals up close every day!

Camp Policy Information

To comply with Drexel safety guidelines, drop-off and pickup protocols must be strictly followed. Due to updated capacity, participants must wait outside until escorted inside by staff. Check-in will begin no earlier than 8:45 a.m. and dismissal begins at 4 p.m. Contact us if you need to arrange early pickup. Participants must be picked up no later than 4:15 p.m., and staff will bring children outside to meet their approved adults. We regret that before- and after-care is not available currently. Participants must bring their own snacks and lunches and eat at designated times (allergies can be accommodated; no option for refrigeration or purchase of food available). Children must be at least 6 years old by their first day of camp.

Campers will receive one free camp shirt upon registration. Campers who register for two or more weeks will receive a second free shirt if desired. Please indicate shirt size in the registration paperwork.

Digital paperwork and permission forms will be sent after payment and must be completed by June 16. Full camp balance is due at time of registration. Refund requests made before June 16 may be accommodated, minus a $100 per week nonrefundable deposit. After June 16, no refunds will be given, but campers may be able to register for a different camp session pending space availability. Refund flexibility may be offered to families who need to cancel due to illness. The Academy continues to adhere to requirements regarding vaccine, mask and other safety protocols, and our policies may change in line with city and state mandates at any time. Contact Mia Fox, public programs and mediated experiences coordinator.