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summer camp kids at mystic seaport museum

Summer Day Camp

With many different day camps to choose from, campers ages 4 to 16 get a kids’-eye-view of maritime history as they explore Mystic Seaport Museum, take part in hands-on activities, play unique games and create fantastic craft projects. They’ll discover the secret lives of sailors, learn what life was like at port, meet the citizens of Greenmanville, investigate the superstitions of the sea, and more.

Register for all camps here!

Junior Explorers (half day) (ages 4-5)

June 17-21, August 12-16

Morning session classes only- meet Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (drop off starts at 8:30 am).

This half-day program is a perfect introduction to summer camp at Mystic Seaport Museum for the youngest children. Each day will focus on a different topic and hands-on activities in exhibits and onboard vessels, unique games, daily story-time and fantastic craft projects. See the universe on Star Day, explore the ocean deep and the Mystic River on Sea Critter Day, discover the secret lives of sailors aboard ships on Jack Tar Day, and much more!

Non-Members $270 | Members $216  

Junior Detectives (ages 4-5)

July 1-5

Morning session classes only- meet Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. (drop off starts at 8:30 am).

Travel back to the 1870s to figure out where our lights, clothes, and food come from. Try your hand at potting your own herbs, use basic weaving skills, see what kinds of food we get from the ocean, and map out the long journey some of our everyday things take to get to us. Campers will explore our museum from kitchen garden to fishing schooner, participate in games and activities, and make fun crafts each day.

Non-Members $270 | Members $216 

Ocean Adventurers (grades 1-3)

June 24-28, August 5-9

For thousands of years people have adventured across the world’s oceans. This camp will explore the stories of Pirates, Vikings, Whalers and the Navy, and their quests to learn more about what lies across the seas. Each day we will look at the world through the scope of a different group of explorers, using tall ships, maps, and craft activities to get a better understanding about what life was like for these brave explorers and what they discovered on their voyages.

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Seaport Sampler (grades 1-3)

July 15-19

If you like a little bit of everything, then this camp is for you! This full-day camp allows children to dive into all the history and excitement of Mystic Seaport Museum. Get a kids-eye view of the last wooden whaling ship, see the stars in our Planetarium, and get your feet wet exploring the critters that live in the Mystic River. Children will enjoy getting hands-on in our exhibits and making wonderful crafts to go along with all they have seen. Then we will cap off the week with a boat ride up and down the river.

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Arts Around the World (grades 2-4)

July 8-12

This is a special hands-on program in the arts for children to learn about countries and cultures around the world.  Each day, campers will “travel” to a different area of the world and make fantastic art projects as well as explore the museum’s unique exhibits.

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Space is the Place (grades 2-4)

July 15-19

Visit outer space without leaving the planet! Campers experience an out-of-this-world adventure, exploring planets, galaxies, and constellations. Learn about stars, planets, and moons with a show in Treworgy Planetarium. Design your own Lunar landing craft and see if it would survive the rigors of space travel. Participate in fun experiments and create awesome space themed crafts to take home.

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Marine Explorers (grades 3-5)

June 17-21

Become a marine science explorer at Mystic Seaport Museum!  Students will participate in marine science activities on the Mystic River and examine their findings as they learn about water quality and the science of the Mystic River estuary.  Activities and topics will include water quality sampling, plankton tows, tides, and other river exploration. 

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Girls of Long Ago (grades 3-5)

July 22-26

Discover history from a girl’s point of view! Campers investigate what daily life was like in the 1870s and what opportunities girls had in a seaport town like Mystic. Campers discover real stories of young women who lived aboard sailing ships and engage in hands-on 19th Century activities such as cooking, housekeeping, hand-sewing, and more. 

Non-Members $425 | Members $340  

Serpents, Secrets, and Sailors’ Superstitions (grades 3-5)

July 29-August 2

The Loch Ness Monster and mermaids capture our imagination, while pirates and tall tale heroes are a never-ending source of fascination. In this camp, kids will examine all the secrets, sea monsters, and superstitions of the sea. Explore the facts and fiction of mermaids, ghosts, and shipwrecks, based on survivors’ sightings and scientific research. Join us as we search for the truth in how these stories began. Make fabulous art projects, get hands-on in exhibits and do a bit of investigating as well!

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Boys of Long Ago (grades 3-5)

August 12-16

Campers will discover what life was like for boys in a Seaport town in the 1800s.  Participants will learn about the opportunities for boys in a small town, practice seamanship skills aboard our tall-ships and immerse themselves in the day-to-day activities a young man would have participated in long ago.  Campers will learn knot-tying skills, outdoor games, and role-play as different types of sailors and tradesmen each day.

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

NEW! Cornucopia of Curious Creatures (grades 4-6)

June 24-28

Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference between a crow and a raven? Or more importantly, why would we even want to know? Humans have had an inclination toward learning the who, what, when, where, and why for all of time and there are few fields that illustrate that curiosity as well as the study of natural history. Join us this summer at the intersection of art, history, and the natural world as we take a gander at animal classification and identification, historical naturalists, citizen science, observational drawing, Canada geese, and much more!

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Trade Winds (grades 5-7)

July 1-5, Aug. 5-9

This camp provides the perfect balance for those who want some time on land and on the water. Campers spend their mornings exploring Mystic Seaport Museum exhibits and participating in crafts and hands-on activities. Then in the afternoons campers learn to sail small boats on the Mystic River with our U.S. Sailing Certified instructors in Dyer Dhows.

Non-Members $445 | Members $356

Time Travelers: Growing up in Greenmanville (grades 6-8)

July 22-26

Experience what life was like for youth in the 1800s by living it!  Campers spend a week immersed in the 19th century and learn about the differences and similarities of life for young people then and now.  Campers investigate young people of the past and create character profiles of someone living in the area in 1876 using primary documents and census data.  Campers learn about how roles and responsibilities have changed over time and gain experience in character research, roleplaying, and performance.  For campers who join us for multiple summers, they can build on their personas and use the changes in their real lives to model what changes a young adult in the 1870s might have experienced. 

Non-Members $460 | Members $3658 

Solar System and Beyond (grades 6-8)

July 29-August 2

Our Planetarium has created new programming through a NASA grant related to the new James Webb telescope.  Campers will explore the electromagnetic spectrum to learn how Webb can “see” things that the human eyes cannot; try their hand at spectroscopy – identifying different elements by looking at the different color bands they give off when viewed by special instruments, and discover how objects in space are classified using different factors.

Non-Members $425 | Members $340 

Time Travelers: Living the History (grades 9-11)

July 8-12

Experience what life was like for youth in the 1800s by living it!  Campers spend a week immersed in the 19th century and learn about the differences and similarities of life for young people then and now.  Campers investigate young people of the past and create character profiles of someone living in the area in 1876 using primary documents and census data.  Campers learn about how roles and responsibilities have changed over time and gain experience in character research, roleplaying, and performance.  For campers who join us for multiple summers, they can build on their personas and use the changes in their real lives to model what changes a young adult in the 1870s might have experienced. 

Non-Members $460 | Members $368

Summer Day Camp 2024

9:00 am -4:00 pm (Drop off at 8:30-9:00 am. Pick up at 4:00-4:30 pm unless otherwise noted for the half-day camps.)

To register call 860.572.5331, email reservations@mysticseaport.org,

Register here! 

Cancellation Policy

Participants will receive a 75% refund if they cancel before 30 days prior to the camp.  No refunds will be given if cancellation is made within 30 days prior to the camp.

Camper Health Forms

In an effort to consolidate and keep camper health information secure, we use the electronic health record system CampDoc.com for all required paperwork. All registered campers will receive an email directly from CampDoc.com with detailed instructions on how to submit required health forms and paperwork. The website is secure, encrypted, and password protected.

COVID-19 Policies

  • We no longer require proof of a negative covid test at drop off for day campers.
  • COVID vaccinations will be strongly recommended but not required.
  • Masks are optional.

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