Summer programs and mini-camps for children are offered all summer long at the Museum! All members receive a 10% discount on tuition fees. Deluxe members receive a 20% discount on tuition fees. Cost for full-week sessions is $75; cost for 3-day mini-classes is $50.
Registration is open! Space is still available.
The Museum offers six summer programs: Awesome Architects, Crime Scene Insects-Forensics, Boxelder Schoolhouse, Wild West Days, Early American Home Arts, and Jr. Scientists Camp. Please note the age requirements for each camp. Camp sessions take place during the morning, from 9:00 to 12:30.
To register, please call us at 970-221-6738, or stop by the Museum to register in person.
NEW FOR 2010! Awesome Architects Mini-camp
Children discover the history and science of architecture as they make their own adobe bricks, master architectural styles, complete building surveys, and build structures from food items. Open to students who have completed fifth through eighth grades, this three day class will cover building materials, structure, aesthetics, forces, historic preservation, and demolition. The class includes a walkabout in Old Town Fort Collins to examine local materials and architecture.
3-day mini-camp dates
Session A, June 2 - 4
Session E, June 28 - 30
Age requirements
Completion of 5th grade - completion of 8th grade
NEW FOR 2010! Crime Scene Insects! Forensics Mini-camp
Participants will get a taste of crime scene investigation in this survey of the science of forensics, with a focus on forensic entomology – the study of insects at crime scenes. By observing the outdoor decomposition of different organisms, students will see the natural process of decay and how insect activity relates to determining time since death at crime scenes.
3-day mini-camp dates
Session A, June 2 - 4
Session E, June 28 - 30
Age requirements
Completion of 5th grade - completion of 8th grade
Boxelder Schoolhouse
Learn reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmatic and recitation the way it was taught in 1905. The class features a costumed teacher leading students through a turn-of-the-last century, one-room schoolhouse curriculum including academics, citizenship, music, calisthenics and hygiene. Each day also includes crafts and traditional games. The week will culminate in a recital for family and friends, featuring ice cream made by the students.
Session dates
Session B, June 7 - 11
Session C, June 14 - 18
Session D, June 21 - 25
Session F, June 28 - July 2
Session G, July 12 - 16
Session H, July 19 - 23
Session I, July 26 - 30
Session, JAugust 2 - 6
Session K, August 9 - 13
Age requirements
Completion of 1st grade - completion of 6th grade
Wild West Days
During Wild West Days, children explore the cultural legacies and lifestyles of the men and women of the 19th century Front Range, including Native Americans, Hispanics, Germans from Russia and European settlers. Activities include animal track identification, gold panning, and map and compass usage. Trail cooking, traditional dance and daily crafts add to the hands-on experience. The week culminates with a Rendezvous for family and friends, featuring journey cake made by the students.
Session dates
Session B, June 7 - 11
Session D, June 21 - 25
Session K, August 9 - 13
Age requirements
Completion of kindergarten - completion of 2nd grade
Session dates
Session I, July 26 - 30
Age requirements
Completion of 3rd grade - completion of 6th grade
Early American Home Arts
Maintaining a home is no easy task, but creating one from scratch on the frontier has its own set of difficulties! Boys and girls learn everything from baking and washing to sewing and huck toweling – all in the 19th century way. The class includes a field trip to the Gardens on Spring Creek, where students will weed a vegetable plot, plant their own seeds and make mini-scarecrows. The week culminates with a project showcase for family and friends, featuring ginger snaps made by the students.
Session dates
Session C, June 14 - 18
Session D, June 21 - 25
Session G, July 12 - 16
Session J, August 2 - 6
Age requirements
Completion of 3rd grade - completion of 6th grade
Jr. Scientist Camp
Anyone can do science – and we can prove it! From extracting DNA from vegetables to conducting electricity, from designing lunar landing modules to creating tornadoes in a bottle, students will experience spectacular science discoveries first hand. Each day features a different theme, including chemistry, biology, physics, space and earth science. The week culminates with an open “laboratory” for family and friends, featuring bottle rocket demonstrations by the students.
For older kids, "Return of the Jr. Scientists Camp" is available. Ever wonder why the sky is blue or what makes airplanes fly? Participants in this class will discover answers to these questions and more! Open to students who took the Jr. Scientist class last year or who have completed 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, this hands-on science class will address advanced science topics, including how to test phenomena that cannot be seen. The week will finish off with an open house for students to demonstrate their new science knowledge for family and friends!
Session dates
Session C, June 14 - 18
Session G, July 12 - 16
Session J, August 2 - 6
Age requirements
Completion of 3rd grade - completion of 6th grade
Return of the Jr. Scientists Camp session dates
Session H, July 19 - 23
Age requirements
Completion of 5th grade - completion of 8th grade, or attendance of Jr. Scientist Camp in 2009
