Junior Anthropologists Summer Camp invites our youngest campers to explore the Penn Museum through structured, hands-on activities. Junior Anthropologists is designed for children aged 6 who will be entering 1st grade for the 2019-2020 school year.
If your child is 7-13 years old and will be entering 2nd-8th grade this fall, check out our Anthropologists in the Making summer camp!
Click the "Register" button above to register or to access your online account to make additional payments.
Camp Themes
Camp themes for summer 2020 will be released in January and registration will open on February 1, 2020. If you have any questions about our summer camp programs, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Tuition & Fees
| Register by May 1: | $280 Members / $300 Non-members per week |
|---|---|
| Register after May 1: | $300 Members / $320 Non-members per week |
| Pre-camp (8:00am - 9:00am): | $5 per day/$25 per week |
| After-camp (3:00pm - 5:30pm): | $12 per day/$60 per week |
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available for our 2019 Anthropologists in the Making and Junior Anthropologists Summer Camps.
Two types of scholarships are available:
- $100 Partial Scholarship: this scholarship will be given to help offset the cost of weekly tuition. Campers are able to receive $100 off one week. This scholarship is open to all applicants
- Full Scholarship: this scholarship will cover full tuition for one session of camp. It will not cover pre-care and/or after-care. This scholarship is only open to applicants who live within the city of Philadelphia.
All scholarship applications are due by April 15th. To request a scholarship application, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Lunch Orders
Campers have the option of purchasing lunches from the Pepper Mill Café Tuesday-Friday each week. You can pre-purchase a lunch for your child during online registration or by emailing the camp director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You also have the option of purchasing a lunch during morning sign-in. Please note: if you choose to purchase a lunch during morning sign-in you must bring exact change. Credit cards will not be accepted.
The Pepper Mill Café will be closed on Mondays and lunch service will not be available. Please be sure to pack a lunch for your child. Our lunch menu for 2019 is available here.
Our café is not a nut-free facility. If your child has a severe nut allergy, we recommend that you send a lunch from home. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the camp director.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What time does camp begin each day? What time does camp end?
- Camp sessions run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
- I am filing out my taxes and need a receipt and the Museum's Tax Id number. How do I access this information?
- The Museum's tax id is 23-1352685. To obtain a receipt, you may access your online account.
- I am a Penn staff/faculty member. Do I receive the Member discount?
- Only families who enroll at the Household level and above are eligible for Camp discounts. Penn staff/faculty are not automatically members at this level. This is a separate $95 (fully tax-deductible) fee. Learn more about Penn Museum Household membership.
- How many campers can enroll in a session? What are the popular themes? Does the camp sell out?
- Junior Anthropologists will cap at 15 campers.
- Will campers in Junior Anthropologists interact with older campers from Anthropologists in the Making?
- Yes. Both camps will have lunch and outdoor play time together. They will also be attending the weekly World Wonders presentation on Wednesdays together. Junior Anthropologists will be in their own camp group for Snack Time, hands-on components, behind-the-scenes activities, and Camp Recap.
- What is the ratio of campers to counselors? Are the counselors high school students?
- All counselors are 21 or older, must have had previous experience working with children, and must pass clearances. Camp volunteers, who are teens, act as assistants to the camp staff. Camp staff include two counselors, approximately two volunteers per week, and two camp directors. The camper to counselor ratio is approximately 1 counselor per 8 children.
- Do you offer a sibling discount?
- We do not offer a sibling discount. Please consider becoming a Member to receive discounts. Learn more about Penn Museum membership.
- My child is 5 years-old. Can I enroll him/her?
- If your child has completed kindergarten and will be attending first grade during the upcoming school year, you may enroll him/her for camp.
- My child can no longer attend the camp. Are any of the fees refundable or transferable?
- The $100 deposit, due at time of registration, is non-refundable. If you cancel your child’s registration three or more weeks prior to the start date of the session, all tuition and fees (minus the deposit) will be refundedRefunds cannot be given if you cancel a session two weeks or less prior to the session start date. If your child wants to enroll in a different session, we will be able to transfer all funds paid to a different session (no penalties) if the space is available and if you decide to transfer three or more weeks prior to the start date of the session.
- I just registered online. Will I receive additional paperwork? When do I have to make additional payments?
- You will receive a confirmation e-mail upon registration. You will receive additional mandatory paperwork, via e-mail, by Monday May 27, 2019. These forms must be completed and returned two weeks prior to the start of your child’s camp session. If you create an online account at time of registration, you may log into your account at any time to make additional payments. Balances are due two weeks prior to the start of each camp session. You will be enrolled in automatic billing and the remaining balance will be withdrawn from your account two weeks prior to each camp week start date.
- I’m not sure if I’ll need pre- and after-camp. Should I enroll anyway?
- If you think that you may need pre- or after-camp, enroll at time of registration. No payment is needed at time of registration for pre/after-camp. Payments for pre- and after-camp can be paid ongoing during the week of your child’s session.