Summer Camp at The Nat

Summer Camps at The Nat include activities such as exploring the Museum’s collections of bones, feathers, and fur, investigating animals, and uncovering a new mystery animal each day. Campers take part in hands-on activities like making crafts and art projects, conducting experiments in natural sciences and ocean discovery, and creating ocean-inspired and “fishy” art. Sessions feature visits to exhibitions such as Fossil Mysteries, Coast to Cactus in Southern California, Amazement in the Basement, Hidden Gems, the Living Lab, and the herpetological collection, along with outdoor garden walks, exploratory hikes in the park, and hands-on exploration throughout Balboa Park.

• Ages: 6–11 years old
• Schedule: Each camp session runs Monday through Friday, 9 AM–3 PM, for five days.
• Price: For each listed camp session, Members $425 and Non-members $450.

Specific camp themes include Animal Mysteries, Insect Investigators, Ocean Commotion, Paleo Palooza, Backyard Wilderness, Paleo FBI, Guardians of the Globe, Explore Balboa Park, I’m an Ologist, Rock On!, Cold Blooded Critters, Deep Sea Adventure, and Bug Hunter, each offered on set Monday–Friday dates in June, July, and early August. Activities across these themes include investigating insects and other crawling creatures, learning about regional insects past and present, close encounters of the crawly and bug kind, general classification and artistic renderings of bugs, and spending the week in the shoes of specialists such as paleontologists, entomologists, herpetologists, ornithologists, and botanists. Campers investigate sea life from tiny ocean critters to the great blue whale, delve into marine conservation, sing sea shanties, explore kelp forests, and test tracking skills while hiking, tracking reptiles and amphibians, and exploring Balboa Park’s gardens and natural beauty.

Additional activities include exploring the mystery of fossils, practicing fieldwork like real paleontologists, unlocking fossil mysteries, and looking at local discoveries uncovered by the Museum’s paleontology department. Campers also look for creative inspiration in nature, draw inspiration from Balboa Park’s gardens, experience how the Kumeyaay people take care of nature in this region, and learn Balboa Park’s unique history while visiting other museums and taking an extra special look at The Nat. The program includes outdoor garden investigations, close encounters of the crawly and bug kind, playing games, solving challenges, and spending time in the natural world.

The San Diego Natural History Museum traces its roots to an enthusiastic group of amateur naturalists who came together in 1874 and is described as the oldest scientific institution in Southern California. Its mission is “Conserving nature through science and discovery,” focusing on Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula, and it recognizes the Kumeyaay people whose ancestral homelands it currently occupies and honors their legacy of understanding and caretaking biodiversity. The organization is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, holds a LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Certification awarded in 2009, has a Four-Star rating by Charity Navigator, and a Platinum Seal of Transparency by Candid (formerly GuideStar). It hosts environmental education programs in the community, is engaged in scientific research throughout Southern California and the Baja California Peninsula, and is a member of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, a collaboration of 26 arts, science, and culture institutions.

Last updated April 9, 2026.