Summer Camps for Kids

One-of-a-kind classes and camps are offered in beautiful Balboa Park for children, teens and adults. The behind-the-scenes summer adventures are wide-ranging, featuring hands-on classes, camps, seminars, explorations and games created by Park educators, performers and artists. Students have the opportunity to learn about varied disciplines, like dancing or chess, sculpting or snakes, and even trains, planes, and dinosaurs.

Balboa Park summer education programs begin in mid-June and continue through August. Dates, times, and prices vary by institution.

Stay tuned for 2012 Summer Camp information. The information below is for 2011.

View the 2011 Summer Camp brochure (PDF) for camp information and contact details.

Full-Day Summer Camps

Drop the kids off in the morning, and pick them up in the afternoon after a fun-filled day in the Park or the Zoo. Check out the various programs from the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Art Institute's Art Department, and San Diego Junior Theatre.

Half-Day Collaborative Sessions

Many Park institutions offer collaborative programs, combining two half-day courses into a full day. A supervised lunch and escort to the second location create a special Balboa Park experience.

To register for the half-day collaborative camps:

• Read each institution program description and choose what best fits your child’s interest and grade level.
• Make a list of back-up programs before you call to register, just in case your child’s first choice is sold out.
• Please contact each institution directly to register.
• Please notify each institution that your child is participating in the full day collaboration.
• Centralized registration is not provided.
• More information about each program, including camp descriptions and registration fees, can be found by visiting each website or by calling each institution.

Note: The number in parenthesis indicates specific grade level.

Key: Air - San Diego Air & Space Museum; Chess - Mountain Lake Chess Camp; Fleet - Reuben H. Fleet Science Center; JFG - Japanese Friendship Garden; MoM - San Diego Museum of Man; MoPA - Museum of Photographic Arts; MRM - San Diego Model Railroad Museum; NHM - San Diego Natural History Museum; CYB - San Diego Civic Youth Ballet; SDMA - San Diego Museum of Art; SV6 - Spanish Village Art Center Studio 6 & 10; SV30 - Spanish Village Art Center Studio 30