Hershey Gardens offers an outdoor learning experience for camp groups of all ages. Spend the day at the Gardens with lunch in our outdoor picnic area!
“Winging It”
June – August, Pre-K to Grade 2
Students will become “lepidopterists” as they explore the magical metamorphosis of the butterfly. Program includes a guided tour of the Butterfly Atrium, educational activity, and a self-guided Gardens exploration.
Green Thumbs
Year-round, Kindergarten to Grade 3
Students will cultivate their own green thumbs as they explore the importance of living plants. Planting a seed to take home, tending to our garden and examining plants up-close are some of the activities students will enjoy. This trip will also include a visit to the Butterfly Atrium and Educational & Horticultural Wing.
Pricing for both programs is below.
- $11 per student (minimum of 15 students or equivalent value)
- 1 free adult for every 5 students (must maintain a 1:10 ratio)
- $13 per additional adult (No discounts, passes or memberships are accepted for this program.)
Hershey Area Playhouse
Summer Theatre Camp
July 6-10, 13-17, 2026
Final Performance: July 17 at Noon
For students 4th through 8th grade
Join us for a two-week camp and final performance!
Our 13th anniversary show is Treasure Island, written by Robert Louis Stevenson and adapted by our own Jennifer Feldser. Jim Hawkins is given a map which sends him and his friends on an adventurous ocean journey to find the treasure. Led by the infamous Long John Silver, a mutinous crew of pirates will stop at nothing to get to the treasure first! The camp will be complete with auditions, acting games, rehearsals, memorized lines, blocking and swashbuckling fights. We will add costumes, props , and small set pieces for a polished show with 30 campers in only two weeks! Our qualified Theatre Academy teachers and counselors are looking forward to getting back to the Gardens and working with and enjoying your children.
Limited spots available, please register early. $290 + registration fee
Monday rehearsals are at the Playhouse, Tuesday through Friday rehearsals are at Hershey Gardens. The camp will culminate with a full production on Friday, July 17. For questions, and to be added to a possible wait list, please contact Jill at [email protected]. Learn more and register at HersheyAreaPlayhouse.com.
2026 Summer Camps
Our exciting, hands-on approach to science gives children the unique opportunity to conduct exciting and engaging experiments and activities. We make learning science FUN!
Full day options are $415/week; half day options are $240/week.
For more information or to register for the camps, please visit scienceexplorers.com
Use code EARLYBIRD26 when registering to get $50 off each full day camp week and $30 off each half
day camp week. Valid through February 28, 2026.
Fizz, Bang, Boom!
For ages 7 – 11
June 22-26, 2026
Full day 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
What do you get when you take the physics of motion, add in some electrifying experiments,
and mix it up with some chemistry? Everyone has a blast! In our half day camp you’ll create
your own battery-powered invention, experiment with light and flight, make your own
kaleidoscope and experiment with giant floating bubbles. Stay for the full day and build your
own motorized robot, use chromatography to separate the colors in candy, mix up some crazy
chemical reactions, create an electric game, investigate the effects of air pressure, and compete
in a tall tower engineering competition!
Take a Dive (Two dates)
For ages 7 – 11
June 29-July 2, 2026 4 day; M-Th
Full day 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
July 20-24, 2026
Full day 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Dive into the world of marine biology and oceanography! In our half day camp, you’ll dissect a
real shark, participate in a fisherman’s challenge, examine the anatomy of a fish and learn the
ancient technique of gyotaku or “fish rubbing”, learn to survive at sea by making your own solar
still, engage in a fascinating whale adaptation lab, get creative as you build a kelp forest and
design your own submarine. Stay for the full day camp and come face-to-face with some unique
sea creatures! You’ll complete a squid dissection, bring to life genuine Triassic Triops, compete
in a boat building challenge using Archimedes’ Principle, and discover the many weird wonders
that live under the sea. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable ocean adventure!
Astronaut Academy (formerly Far Out Space Academy)
For ages 7 – 11
July 27-31, 2026
Full day 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
3…2…1 BLAST OFF to discovering space and flight! Half day campers will explore the stars
and constellations as you take an out-of-this-world sky tour in our homemade planetarium,
prepare for lift-off as you build and launch your own rocket while learning about Newton’s Laws
of Motion, complete a mission to Mars as you design and build your own model space station
and work in engineering teams to construct space capsules that will be used to launch
“eggstronauts”! Full day campers will continue to use their astronaut wits as we build air
powered nano-rovers, make craters and dry ice comets, and work with a robotic arm as we
learn how astronauts use robots to work on satellites. Come join us on our mission through
outer space!
Summer Science Mash-Up
Ages 7 – 11
August 3-7, 2026
Full day 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Half day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Join us as we transform our 2025-26 after-school club topics into an unforgettable week-long
camp adventure! Each day brings a brand-new theme packed with hands-on experiments, wild
discoveries, and mind-blowing fun. Learn science tricks that look like magic to amaze your
friends. Join the Slime Squad for a day of stretchy, squishy, glowing creations. Get messy in the
Grossology Lab as you uncover the gross but fascinating secrets of the human body. Tap into
your creative side as you build a spin-art machine and mix up fizzing paint to make amazing art.
Wrap up the week at Secret Agent Academy, where you’ll craft spy gadgets, decode hidden
messages, and reveal invisible ink like a real undercover scientist.
Jr. Investigative Team
For ages 4 – 6
August 10-14, 2026
Half day 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
“Hey there, future Science Explorers, do we have the camp for you!” Join our team of curious
tiny-techs as we explore a new theme each day. Experiment with the power of magnets,
investigate the life cycle of beautiful butterflies, discover how birds adapt to their environments,
explore the unique properties of water, and make colorful sidewalk chalk! You are never too
young to be a scientist! Half day only.
