The Penn Museum prioritizes the health and well-being of our guests, volunteers, and staff. Due to the ongoing threat to public safety and established guidelines by the University of Pennsylvania, the Penn Museum has cancelled all sessions of our Anthropologists in the Making and Junior Anthropologists in the Making Summer Camps for the 2020 season.
We know how excited you and your child(ren) were about Summer Camp. We share in your disappointment even as we recognize the utmost importance of protecting our community. Our team is working on digital programs and resources to share this summer to bring a bit of Camp into your home, and we hope that your family will enjoy them together.
If you registered your child for Summer Camp and have questions about refunds, please contact the Camp Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We will be back in 2021 with exciting Penn Museum Summer Camp experiences and look forward to welcoming you then!
Celebrating over 20 years of engaging children with summer fun and learning through Penn Museum’s world-renowned collections. Anthropologists in the Making is designed for children ages 7-13 who will be entering grades 2nd – 8th for the 2020-2021 school year.
If your child is 6 years old and will be entering 1st grade this fall, check out our brand new Junior Anthropologists in the Making summer camp!
Tuition & Fees
| Register by May 1 | $280 Members / $300 Non-members per week |
|---|---|
| Register after May 1 | $300 Members / $320 Non-members per week |
| Pre-camp (8:00am - 9:00am) | $5 per day/$25 per week |
| After-camp (3:00pm - 5:30pm) | $12 per day/$60 per week |
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available for our 2020 Anthropologists in the Making and Junior Anthropologists in the Making Summer Camps.
Two types of scholarships are available:
- $100 Partial Scholarship: this scholarship will be given to help offset the cost of weekly tuition. Campers are able to receive $100 off one week. This scholarship is open to all applicants
- Full Scholarship: this scholarship will cover full tuition for one session of camp. It will not cover pre-care and/or after-care. This scholarship is only open to applicants who live within the city of Philadelphia.
All scholarship applications are due by April 15th.
To request a scholarship application, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Camp Lunches
Campers have the option of purchasing lunches from the Pepper Mill Café Tuesday-Friday each week. You can pre-purchase a lunch for your child during online registration or by emailing the camp director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You also have the option of purchasing a lunch during morning sign-in. Please note: if you choose to purchase a lunch during morning sign-in you must bring exact change. Credit cards will not be accepted.
The Pepper Mill Café will be closed on Mondays and lunch service will not be available. Please be sure to pack a lunch for your child. Our lunch menu for 2020 will be available in February.
Our café is not a nut-free facility. If your child has a severe nut allergy, we recommend that you send a lunch from home. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the camp director.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What time does camp begin each day? What time does camp end?
- Camp sessions run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
- I am filing out my taxes and need a receipt and the Museum's Tax Id number. How do I access this information?
- The Museum's tax id is 23-1352685. To obtain a receipt, you may access your online account.
- I am a Penn staff/faculty member. Do I receive the Member discount?
- Only families who enroll at the Household level and above are eligible for Camp discounts. Penn staff/faculty are not automatically members at this level. This is a separate $95 (fully tax-deductible) fee. Learn more about Penn Museum Household membership.
- How many campers can enroll in a session? What are the popular themes? Does the camp sell out?
- We cap each week to 70 campers. Most sessions sell out each year, so registering before May 1 is encouraged. Our most popular themes each year include the mock excavation week, the Egypt week, and the Classical week. Every year, we get an increasing number of campers who return.
- About how many weeks do children attend? Do most children attend all eight weeks? Do you get new campers?
- Most campers attend at least two sessions; they likely attend these back-to-back. Each year, several campers attend all eight sessions. About half of the campers return from the year prior, while half of the campers are new each year.
- How are the campers divided, or do all ages interact with each other?
- Campers are divided into four separate groups of about 18 campers. These groups are based on age and break down (approximately) as follows: 7-8; 8-9; 9-10; 11-13. The group of 7 to 9-year-olds and the group of 9 to 13-year-olds visit different areas of the Museum and interact with each other from 9:30am – 10:30am. During lunch and outdoor play times, the whole camp is together. The camp breaks into the four separate age groups for snack time, hands-on components, behind-the-scenes activities, and camp recap.
- What is the ratio of campers to counselors? Are the counselors high school students?
- All counselors are 21 or older, must have had previous experience working with children, and must pass clearances. Camp volunteers, who are teens, act as assistants to the camp staff. Camp staff include eight counselors, approximately three to five volunteers per week, and two camp directors. Two counselors are assigned to about 18 campers each week; therefore, the ratio is about 1 counselor to 9 campers.
- Do you offer a sibling discount?
- We do not offer a sibling discount. Please consider becoming a Member to receive discounts. Learn more about Penn Museum membership.
- My child is 6 years-old. My child is turning 14. Can I enroll him/her?
- If your child has completed first grade, you may enroll him/her for camp. If your child is 5 or 6 years old AND entering first grade this fall, you may want to consider enrolling him/her in our Junior Anthropologists in the Making summer camp. If your child is turning 14 and entering eighth grade, consider a Camp volunteer position for him/her.
- My child can no longer attend the camp. Are any of the fees refundable or transferable?
- The $100 deposit, due at time of registration, is non-refundable. If you cancel your child’s registration three or more weeks prior to the start date of the session, all tuition and fees (minus the deposit) will be refunded. Refunds cannot be given if you cancel a session two weeks or less prior to the session start date. If your child wants to enroll in a different session, we will be able to transfer all funds paid to a different session (no penalties) if the space is available and if you decide to transfer three or more weeks prior to the start date of the session.
- I just registered online. Will I receive additional paperwork? When do I have to make additional payments?
- You will receive a confirmation e-mail upon registration. You will receive additional mandatory paperwork, via e-mail, by Monday May 25, 2020. These forms must be completed and returned two weeks prior to the start of your child’s camp session. If you create an online account during registration, you may log into your account at any time to make additional payments. Balances are due two weeks prior to the start of each camp session. You will be enrolled in automatic billing and the remaining balance will be withdrawn from your account two weeks prior to each camp week start date.
- I’m not sure if I’ll need pre- and after-camp. Should I enroll anyway?
- If you think that you may need pre- or after-camp, enroll at time of registration. No payment is needed at time of registration for pre/after-camp. Payments for pre- and after-camp can be paid ongoing during the week of your child’s session.
- Is there a waitlist for sold out sessions?
- Yes. The waitlist for sold out sessions can be accessed through the registration website. If you have any specific questions about camp sessions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..