Explore the exhibition Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape to find examples of photographs, installations, and collage that will inspire works of your own. Look to photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris’s body of work to help compose portraits of your classmates and head outdoors to take images of the natural world using a variety of methods including pinhole photography. Experiment with camera-less methods like cyanotype and reconfigure images from magazines, old photographs, and reproductions of works in our collection to create something new.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Digital and Altered Image.
Search for salamanders, set up insect traps, and “fish” for microplankton on biology expeditions. Soar to new heights as you study seed dispersal. Find animals in different ecosystems on hikes through nearby Schenley Park. Investigate woodlands and streams farther afield on an extended day field trip to Powdermill Nature Reserve, the museum’s environmental research center.
Activity fee: $50
Day trip to Powdermill Nature Reserve: museum pick up at 6:30 p.m. Late afternoon snack provided.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Eco Adventure.
Sort fact from fiction in tales from around the world! Explore the museum and search for clever creatures from favorite fables, like tortoises, hares, and bears. Build a house strong enough to keep out a big bad wolf. Meet some of the museum’s live animal ambassadors and create your very own fantastic creature story.
This half-day camp keeps pace with active 4- and 5-year-olds and includes a mid-morning snack.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Furry Fables.
An artist’s job doesn’t end with the aesthetic of an object. When an artwork fills an entire space or is in a public place, an artist must ensure that the structure is engineered properly to be safe and viewable to its audiences. Create a conceptual artwork or an ideal environment for an existing artwork using drawings and 3D models. Tour surrounding neighborhoods to seek out artworks in public spaces and explore the museum’s galleries, inspired by Marie Watt’s installation in the Forum Gallery, for ideas on constructing sculptures, murals, or art installations. Complete your experience with a temporary installation at the Carnegie Museum of Art. This program will occasionally meet outside of Carnegie Museum of Art’s campus.
This is a full-day two week program that meets Monday through Friday and ends on June 28.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Installation and Public Art.
Explore visual arts, science, engineering, and simple machines for a true STEAM experience. Upcycle everyday items into spectacular inventions of your own through assemblage, painting, and sculpture. Work in teams on a Rube Goldberg machine to create complicated chain reactions and experiment with uncommon art-making materials to achieve unexpected results.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Inventions and Innovations.
Swirl, drip, and dab your way to a colorful and layered canvas in this exploration of the many types and styles of painting. Celebrate the medium with the many artists in our galleries and use their artworks as inspiration for your own. Create explosive compositions and shapes inspired by artist Julie Mehretu and explore interesting mark-making tools like squeegees to create a painting that references artworks by Gerard Richter.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Paint Party.
Explore the exhibition Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape to find examples of photographs, installations, and collages that inspire sensory play and creation. Head outdoors to take pictures of the natural world and reconfigure images from magazines, old photographs, and reproductions of works in our collection to create something new.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Photo Play.
Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get messy! Make mystery solutions that fizz, pop, and explode. Discover why objects glow in the dark and make fluorescent crystals. Explore the science behind the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Dive into mysteries of the mind and dissect a sheep’s brain. Learn forensic science techniques and use them to solve a museum mystery.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Super Scientist.
Attend the most prestigious school for wizards in all of Pennsylvania! Transform yourself into a wand-wielding wizard and travel to a magical realm where dragons and other mythical creatures roam. Fly around the museum to discover mysterious figures, fellow magical beings, and archetypal bad guys. Conduct experiments to create colorful potions and conjure rhythmic spells and incantations. Complete your magical persona by constructing a powerful wand, sculpting a companion animal, and designing enchanting costumes.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Wizard School.
Blaze a trail, lead a hike, and handle live insects. Learn how to manage, conserve, and restore local habitats. Investigate wildlife in Schenley Park and venture to Frick Park by way of Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Build essential skills in emergency preparedness and hazard prevention that you can use to protect hikers and habitats. Delve into the science of forest fires, severe weather, orienteering, and more on a day trip to Powdermill Nature Reserve.
Activity fee: $50
Day trip to Powdermill Nature Reserve: museum pick-up at 6:30 p.m. Late afternoon snack provided.
The last day to register for this camp is June 12,2024.
Learn more about Youth Museum Institute: Nature Rangers.
Post-Camp is for children ages 6+.
You must have a camp registration for the same week to enroll.
Learn more about Post-Camp Week 3 (June 17-21).
Pre-Camp is for children ages 6+.
You must have a camp registration for the same week to enroll.
Learn more about Pre-Camp Week 4 (June 24-28).
Plunge into experiments about the physics and chemistry of H2O as you develop your own mega-bubble solution, test solutions for acids and bases, and get cracking with ice. Design your way through a boat building race, water balloon drops, and other friendly challenges. Hike through Schenley Park to investigate aquatic habitats in the Panther Hollow Watershed and take a dip in nearby Schenley Swimming Pool.
Activity fee: $35
Day trip to Schenley Swimming Pool: museum pick up at 4:00 p.m.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Aquatic Adventures.
Bring your binoculars on a journey into the museum’s galleries to uncover artworks that excite and inspire wonder. Look carefully at the objects and scenes surrounding you and make new discoveries through close observation and art investigation. Explore diverse art materials and processes through experimentation and play and map what you discover throughout your journey.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Art Explorer.
Develop your own modular worlds inspired by popular toys and games like Legos and Minecraft. Bring digital creations to life by constructing pixelated structures in three dimensions. Explore plastics as a material in construction and sculpture in the exhibition Everlasting Plastics and learn to build by stacking diverse materials like artist Marie Watt. Use Lego figures to explore stop-motion animation and pull distinctive prints from the bubbled surface of each brick. Explore spaces around Oakland and work with your team to recreate their materials and silhouettes in Minecraft.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Building with Blocks.
Apply left-brained thinking to a right-brained activity for unexpected results. Observe works of art in the galleries for ideas, hypothesize some “what-ifs,” then head to the lab for experimentation. Ink, graphite, rubber bands, straws, paint brushes, paper, wood, plastic—let materials take you on a scientifically fun drawing journey. Record your process and results in your sketchbook and make a series of pieces based on your findings.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Drawing Lab.
Could you outrun a mighty T. rex? Could you stand up straight if you had a giraffe’s neck? Find out as you explore skeletal structure and locomotion in animals. Test your ideas about movement and balance, and calculate the size and speed of an animal from its footprint alone. Play physical games and take on friendly challenges to see how your skills stack up to those of the animal kingdom!
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Eco Athletes.
Learn all about animals and their homes as you spot critters in the forest, search for bugs in the stream, catch amphibians in the pond, and observe birds at the wetlands of the Avian Research Center. Play games to mimic how animals breathe, move, eat, and avoid predators. Get your hands dirty by creating your own nest, burrow, pond, and hive. Campers will get to screen print their own t-shirts the commemorate their time at camp!
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Go Wild.
Calling all five-year-olds who are ready for a full-day camp adventure!
Examine fascinating natural patterns and use objects from nature to create your own designs. Dig into the science behind color and texture as you experiment with bright red beets, beautiful butterfly wings, gorgeous geodes, and spiral snail shells. Meet critters of all shapes and sizes as you explore the marvels and mysteries of the natural world.
This camp is a full-day experience set at the best pace for young learners. Fascinating science experiments and nature explorations are interspersed with snacks, rest time, and active play to keep your child engaged all day. Maximum class size is 15 students with a 5:1 child-to-adult ratio.
Hi-Fives! camps are recommended for kids who have finished a year of full-day kindergarten or full-day child care.
Please note: Pre-camp and post-camp care are not available for Hi-Fives! campers. Hi-Fives! campers must be picked up by 3:15 p.m.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about HiFives!: Natural Wonders.
Do you favor the watery worlds of Claude Monet or the textured colors of Joan Mitchell? A landscape that looks perfectly real or an abstraction open to interpretation? Get to know great paintings in the museum’s galleries. Build your skills through daily experiments with numerous painting techniques and color mixing strategies and choose your favorite approach to create your own masterpieces.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Painting Lab.