Learn more about your favorite dinosaurs! Get an up-close look at real fossils in the exhibition Dinosaurs in Their Time. Find out where these big bones came from and learn all about prehistoric animals. Dig for replica bones like a real paleontologist, make fossil casts, and study authentic dinosaur specimens. Meet the creatures that roamed with the dinosaurs—early mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
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 May 29, 2024.
Learn more about Dino Dig - Morning.
A summer camp adventure 66 million years in the making! Piece together prehistoric evidence as you investigate how dinosaurs lived and why they died. Extract DNA from modern-day relatives of dinosaurs. Take a hike through the museum and nearby Schenley Park to compare today’s world to that of the dinosaurs. Build a full habitat, complete with life-size dinosaur murals, to transform your classroom into Jurassic Planet.
The last day to register for this camp is May 29, 2024.
Learn more about Jurassic Planet.
Come and catch them all! Join Pokéteam Carnegie to explore the natural world of Pokémon. Learn about different Pokémon and examine their habitats to discover what makes them strong. Compare the life cycle of Pokébugs to real insects. Create your own Poké Ball and Pokémon creature based on real features of amazing animals. Go on quests in the museum and Schenley Park to find Pokémon.
Please note: We value hands-on, real-world experiences for our campers. This camp is Pokémon themed, but campers should not expect to play PokémonGo on tech devices during camp.
The last day to register for this camp is May 29, 2024.
Learn more about PokéGo.
Discover the amazing creatures living in and around your home! Explore nearby Schenley Park to look for insects, amphibians, and reptiles. Hunt for insects in leaf litter, go on a mammal scavenger hunt, and make beautiful music as part of a bird symphony. Conduct plant pigment experiments and dissect fruits and vegetables. Uncover micro mysteries using magnifiers and a video microscope.
The last day to register for this camp is June 5, 2024.
Learn more about Backyard Biology.
Design your own character and immerse yourself in this Choose Your Own Adventure style experience. Travel back to the dawn of time, and see if you have what it takes to escape extinction. Work with museum experts to deepen your understanding of the driving forces behind extinction events in Earth’s past, then work with your time-traveling crew to take on challenges that will test your knowledge, reasoning skills, and teamwork.
The last day to register for this camp is June 5, 2024.
Learn more about Escape the Extinction.
Calling all five-year-olds who are ready for a full-day camp adventure!
From dragons and mermaids to the tortoise and the hare, sort animal fact from fiction in stories from around the world. Many of your favorite legends explain the unexplainable—gigantic bones, funny fangs, and other natural quirks. Discover the science behind the stories and get a peek at some of the weirdest specimens in our museum. Create your own fantastic creatures and act out your own tall tales.
Hi-Fives! camps are recommended for 5-year-olds who have finished a year of full-day kindergarten or full-day childcare.
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.
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 5, 2024.
Learn more about HiFives!: Animal Tales.
Enter the world of the dinosaurs as you dive into prehistoric ecosystems in the exhibition Dinosaurs in Their Time. Perform hands-on investigations with mud, rocks, minerals, and fossils. Compare the skulls and teeth of predators and prey, and learn how dinosaurs digested food. Study specimens and then predict colors and patterns of dinosaur skin. Watch your own dinosaur adaptations evolve as you make a “Me-a-saurus.”
The last day to register for this camp is June 5, 2024.
Learn more about Land of the Giants.
The Olympic Games just got wild! Find out who goes for the gold across the animal kingdom. Is a flea or a kangaroo better at the high jump? Would the gorilla or the fennec fox take the prize in a 100-meter dash? How would your skills stack up? Celebrate the global games by exploring habitats from the African Savanna to the Arctic Circle. Play physical games and take on friendly design challenges to see how your skills stack up to those of the animal kingdom!
The last day to register for this camp is June 12, 2024.
Learn more about Animal Olympics.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get an inside look at paleontology from the gigantic Diplodocus to the tiny Archaeopteryx. Cover land, sea, and sky while searching for unusual pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, birds, and mammals. Peek into PaleoLab where museum scientists work on fossils every day. Go on a dinosaur dig. Make a mask of your favorite prehistoric beast, and move like a dinosaur in a special relay race.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Peculiar Paleontology.
Learn what goes on behind the scenes in a museum! From collection spaces to research labs, a lot happens behind these walls. Meet real scientists and explore some of the museum's hidden secrets and strange objects. Hop on public transportation to the Heinz History Center and explore the similarities and differences between two museums.
Activity Fee: $35
Day trip to Heinz History Center: museum pick-up at 3 p.m.
The last day to register for this camp is June 19, 2024.
Learn more about Youth Museum Institute: The World Behind the Walls.
Learn more about your favorite dinosaurs! Get an up-close look at real fossils in the exhibition Dinosaurs in Their Time. Find out where these big bones came from and learn all about prehistoric animals. Dig for replica bones like a real paleontologist, make fossil casts, and study authentic dinosaur specimens. Meet the creatures that roamed with the dinosaurs—early mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
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 July 3, 2024.
Learn more about Dino Dig - Morning.
Explore the world of Super Mario and find out how it compares to our natural world. Adventure into the museum and meet the inspirations for your favorite turtle and dinosaur characters. Create STEM-based “power-up” projects, and dive into the natural biomes that match up to favorite game worlds. Design and race your own model go-kart and complete a Mario-inspired obstacle course in this week of next-level fun!
The last day to register for this camp is July 3, 2024.
Learn more about Mario's Natural World.
Just because something is small doesn’t mean that it isn’t strong! Explore the world of critters and creatures that have mighty strength in a tiny body. Discover small animals that can survive in extremely cold temperatures, breathe through their skin, and even resist snake venom. Investigate the power of plants that starts with a tiny but mighty seed. Meet some of the museum’s small and strong animal ambassadors, plus discover tiny efforts that have big conservation impacts.
The last day to register for this camp is July 3, 2024.
Learn more about Tiny but Mighty.