Summer Camps

An instructor sits next to a child as they compare their science experiments

Summer Camps

The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo provides interactive week-long science camps every summer. Camp dates and registration information is typically available for viewing by January of each year at cityofpaloalto.org/Enjoy, and registration usually starts in February.  

Bay Camp: Come spend a week discovering our very own Salt Marsh! Each day we will have a different theme to explore through engaging activities. You will be a fisherman and a scientist, traverse Byxbee Park, and take a closer look at the plants and birds than you've ever before. Be prepared to be out in the sun and to get a bit muddy or wet while you learn about this special habitat. Daily games and arts & crafts activities will complement the days' themes, so bring your imagination!

Jurassic Camp: Learn all about dinosaurs and geology in this incredible exploration of the earth. Examine real dinosaur fossils, make casts of fossils and conduct a fossil dig. Build a volcano, investigate rocks and minerals, and start your own rock collection. 

Camp Oceana: Investigate the mysteries of the deep. Learn about underwater volcanoes and mountains, ocean creatures and plants, and things that sparkle in the darkest parts of the sea. Join us to explore the biology, geology, and chemistry of the sea.

Wildlife Camp: We're getting wild at Foothills Park this summer with a camp that's full of adventure and fun in the great outdoors. We'll be hiking daily, tracking animals, investigating botanicals, canoeing, and reliving lifestyles of the past. 

Camp Kinetic: This highly charged camp will make your hair stand on end! Join us to explore physics and chemistry. We'll be building, breaking, floating and squishing all sorts of contraptions and gooey concoctions. 

Camp Chronos: Time travel through science! Join us and rediscover ancient technologies as you build famous inventions, perform historic experiments, and look back in time through space. Explore physics, chemistry, and astronomy in the past, present, and future!

Zoo Camp: Experience the magical Zoo at the Junior Museum-- a wonderous land of adventure for kids and animals. Safely interact with animal residents, including a wide variety of exotic birds that roam freely in the netted Zoo, and program Ambassador animals not typically on display in the Zoo. Learn about animal behavior, habitat, anatomy, and diet, and find out what it takes to be a zookeeper by participating in the zoo's daily husbandry activities. 

Post Camp: Join us after camp for more fun activities! Post campers will create art, swim, and play at Rinconada Park. Available until 6pm. 

Science for Kinders: Kindergarteners will enjoy this introduction to the best science of the Junior Museum & Zoo. We will explore chemistry, physics, botany, architecture, and zoology in this hands-on, minds-on science camp.

Science for Preschoolers: This special camp provides preschoolers with a fun introduction to zoology, botany, physics, chemistry, and architecture. Camp days are chock full of both focused science explorations and age-appropriate science play outside.