Summer camp for kids: Museum camps in New York City (2024)

Now with a new name, an entirely renovated building and more programming for families than ever, the Queens Museum (formerly the Queens Museum of Art), which reopened its doors last November, still offers its signature summer camp for young artists, where kids use the collections as their muse to craft their own works. In one session, campers make giant puppets inspired by the iconic “Panorama of the City of New York” and in another, they contemplate the concept of museum by creating a stop-motion project about unusual guests dropping by for a visit. Camp runs July 7–Aug 15, Mon–Fri 9am–4pm. Two-week session $600. Ages 7 to 11.

It’s no wonder the institution that won our reader’s choice award for Best Museum is a huge hit with campers. What’s more, these weeklong programs let kids break the cardinal rule of museumgoing: no touching! They’ll investigate AMNH’s coolest exhibits through hands-on workshops, visits with scientists and guided tours of the collections. This year, depending on their age and interests, kids can choose from such topics as the disappearance of the Neanderthals, the mysteries of poisons found in nature and, of course, the museum’s beloved hoard of dinosaur bones. Camp runs June 30–Aug 29, Mon–Fri 9am–4pm. Middle-school camps: two-week session $1,100, one-week session $550; elementary-school camps: one-week session $550, three-day session $400. See website for a detailed list of camps. Ages 4 to 10.

History gets scientific at this camp, where both humanities lovers and future STEM students will find something that strikes their fancy. New-York Historical Society staff lead workshops in the chemistry of conservation, archival research and exhibition design, culminating in technology-based projects ranging from 3-D printing to digital history games. Camp runs Aug 18–21, Mon–Thu 9am–4pm. Four-day session $500. Ages 11 to 13.

Here, little history buffs get a taste of what NYC was like in the 19th century. The Touch Collection provides the perfect historic setting in which to play old-timey outdoor games, embark on scavenger hunts and make crafts (think churning ice cream and journaling with quill and ink). Camp runs July 7–11, Mon–Fri 8:30am–3pm (ages 9 to 12); July 14–18, Mon–Fri 9am–noon (ages 6 to 8). One-week session $250 (ages 9 to 12) or $175 (ages 6 to 8). Ages 6 to 12.

Campers focus on a different aspect of the museum’s collections each week with themes like Intrepid Undercover, the Hudson River Is Our Home and, for future scientists in their swashbuckling phase, Pirate Life. Plus, there’s the added excitement of spending their summer aboard a real aircraft carrier, complete with the newly renovated Space Shuttle Pavilion. Camp runs June 16–Aug 22, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. One-week session $550 before March 1, $650 thereafter; returning campers $500 before March 1. Sibling and member discounts available. Ages 5 to 13.

More than 60 classes make up this behemoth summer camp for tween and teen aesthetes, who’ll spend each week exploring a new visual arts theme, such as ceramics, printmaking and collage, as well as claymation, live-action film and music videos. Campers enrolled in fine arts classes at the Soho location take advantage of the arty ’hood with trips to nearby museums and galleries, while those on Governors Island have ample time to discover the isle’s landscapes and historic sites. New this year: a focus on older campers (ages 12 to 15) involving an artist-in-training program, time in the media lab and a build-your-portfolio class on Governors Island.•Children’s Museum of the Arts, 103 Charlton St between Greenwich and Hudson Sts (212-274-0986, cmany.org). •Governors Island, meet the staff at the Battery Maritime Building between 8:30 and 8:45am. Camp runs June 16–Aug 29, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. Soho: one-week session $595, four-day session (week of June 30) $476 (ages 6 to 15). Governors Island: two-week session $1,700, one-week session $850, four-day session (week of June 30) $645 (ages 7 to 15). Ages 6 to 15.

At this Queens mecca for all things film, tweens and teens will work with the museum’s sophisticated computers and software to put together their own onscreen masterpieces. Children are divided into age groups (9 to 10, and 11 to 13) and choose from five weeklong sessions covering movies (July 28–Aug 1), video game design (Aug 4–8 and Aug 11–15) and animation (Aug 18–22 and Aug 25–29). Camp runs July 28–Aug 29, Mon–Fri 10am–4pm. Extended hours available for an additional fee. Three-week session $1,275, two-week session $900, one-week session $475. Ages 9 to 13.

Creative kids can get an insider’s view of the coolest-looking building in New York and, of course, the exceptional galleries within it. Guggenheim educators help youngsters dream up their own work using paint, printmaking techniques, sculpture and collage. At the end of the program, they’ll get an exhibition of their own to show off their work to friends and family. Camp runs June 16–Aug 8, Mon–Fri 9:30am–4pm. Two-week session $900, one-week session $500. Ages 8 to 11.