Today's Hours: 10am - 5pm
Fernbank is open daily, 10am-5pm. Online tickets are required for Members and Non-Members. Please review our COVID safety protocols.
Summer Camp
In-person, June – July 2021
Explore a world of science and nature with Fernbank’s in-person summer day camps for ages 5-13. Your camper will dive into the depths of the ocean, think like a scaly snake, and learn the chemistry of food. Alongside Fernbank educators, campers will perform experiments, play games, and more.
Camps include games, activities, and crafts centered around the theme of each day. Themes for summer 2021 may include:
- Scalys and Slimys Day: Campers will get hands-on experience with herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians. Activities may include meeting members of Fernbank’s live animal collection, searching for salamanders in Fernbank Forest, and taking on the challenge of living with a shell in a game of Turtle Hurtles.
- Food Science Day: Campers will discover their inner mad scientist (or perhaps mad chef!) with radical reactions and edible science. Activities may include playing a game of periodic table battleship, making candy molecule models, and exploring the incredible reactions of cabbage chemistry!
- Ocean’s Day: Campers will travel from the deep, dark depths to colorful coral reefs to discover the incredible science of our blue planet. Activities may include journeying through the water cycle as a drop of ocean water, crafting creatures of the deep like the tricky anglerfish, and engineering creative solutions for a miniature ocean cleanup.
Specific activities are subject to change without notice. Themes repeat weekly, so select the week that best meets your needs.
Activities are subject to change without notice.
COVID-19 Procedures: To keep guests and campers safe, Summer Camp sessions will include the following policies and protocols.
- Mandatory Face Coverings: Parents must provide campers with facemasks which will be worn at all times except when consuming food or beverages.
- Frequent Hand-Washing Breaks: In addition to hand-washing after each activity and bathroom break, parents must provide campers with a personal hand sanitizer. A shared, touchless hand sanitizer station will also be available in the room.
- Limited Capacity: Camp sessions will have a maximum of 16 campers with 2 instructors.
- Physical Distancing: Each camper will sit at one end of a 6ft table in a large, ventilated room. Siblings or quarantine “pods” may sit together. Separate rooms will be used for Pre-Care and After-Care. Outdoor spaces will be used for several activities daily (weather permitting). Snacks and lunch will be consumed with additional distance between campers and may be eaten outside when weather permits.
- Individual Supplies: Campers will have their own tub of activity and craft supplies for the entire session with no sharing.
- Health Screenings: Staff will take the temperatures of every camper and staff member at check-in. Any camper with a fever above 99.4 will not be permitted to attend camp. Any camper that appears unwell will also not be admitted to camp. If a child has been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, parents must inform Fernbank, and the camper will not be permitted to attend camp. If any child expresses or exhibits symptoms of illness, they will be immediately isolated and parents contacted for pickup. If any camper tests positive for COVID-19, all campers will be sent home and camp closed.
- Regular Cleanings: Areas of heavy contact (tables, doorknobs, etc.) will be disinfected after each activity.
Learn more about what we are taking to keep guests and staff safe.
Under Georgia law, there is no liability for an injury or death of an individual entering these premises if such and injury or death results from the inherent risks of contracting COVID-19. You are assuming this risk by entering these premises.
Registration: Member registration opens March 1. Non-member registration opens March 8. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and space sells out quickly.
Cost: $300 per week for members; $350 per week for non-members
Hours: Fernbank’s Summer Camp runs from 9am to 4pm.
Pre-Care: Pre-Care is available from 8:15am to 9am and costs $5 per day or $20 for the week. Only full-week Pre-Care registration is available online. Single-day Pre-Care registration will be available on-site during camp.
After-Care: After-Care is available from 4pm to 5:30pm and costs $10 per day or $40 for the week. Only full-week After-Care registration is available online. Single-day After-Care registration will be available on-site during camp.
Cancellation Policy: After May 28, 2021, no refunds will be issued. A $50 non-refundable administrative fee will be charged for all cancellations.
If minimum enrollment is not met, we reserve the right to cancel a camp session and issue a full refund.
We continue to monitor COVID reports, CDC recommendations, and local regulations and we reserve the right to transition to virtual camp, with advance notice, if necessary.
Camper Age Groups: Camp groups are divided into ages 5-7 for Discovery Team, ages 8-10 for Science Squad, and ages 11-13 for Ranger Camp. Campers must be within the age range at the time of the camp session they are registered for.
Select the age group and week for which you wish to register. Camp themes repeat weekly, so select the week that best meets your summer needs.
Discovery Team (Ages 5-7)
June 7-11 - SOLD OUT
June 14-18 - SOLD OUT
June 21-25 - SOLD OUT
July 5-9 - SOLD OUT
July 12-16 - SOLD OUT
July 19-23 - SOLD OUT
July 26-30 - SOLD OUT
Science Squad (Ages 8-10)
June 7-11 - SOLD OUT
June 14-18 - SOLD OUT
June 21-25 - SOLD OUT
July 5-9 - SOLD OUT
July 12-16 - SOLD OUT
July 19 - 23 - SOLD OUT
July 26-30 - SOLD OUT
Ranger Camp (Ages 11-13)
Campers will develop their skills as a naturalist with Ranger Camp. With Fernbank’s 65-acre old-growth forest as their guide, campers will discover the geology, biodiversity, and incredible ecology of the piedmont. Activities take place primarily in Fernbank’s outdoor areas.
June 28 – July 2 - SOLD OUT
We continue to monitor COVID reports, CDC recommendations, and local regulations and we reserve the right to transition to virtual camp, with advance notice, if necessary.
Contact the Education Department at Camps@FernbankMuseum.org or 404.929.6327 for more information.
Under Georgia law, there is no liability for an injury or death of an individual entering Fernbank's premises. If such an injury or death results from the inherent risks of contracting COVID-19. You are assuming this risk by entering the premises.
Fernbank is a not-for-profit natural history museum, giant screen theater and old-growth forest, and is not affiliated with Fernbank Science Center, which operates as a division of DeKalb County Schools.
