Summer Camps

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Summer Camps at Shelburne Museum

Summer Camp 2026

 

Get ready for an artistic journey where creativity knows no bounds! Summer camps at Shelburne Museum offer children ages 4 to 12 a fantastically fun and hands-on camp experience. Our carefully crafted camp programs are a playground for budding artists, offering the perfect mix of inspiration and self-discovery.

Artists will practice new ways of engaging with art while exploring the Museum’s diverse collections and picturesque grounds. In this immersive and supportive environment, young artists will nurture their imaginative ideas, gain confidence, and grow into the artists they aspire to be.

New for 2026: We will be using a lottery-style registration for all summer camp programs. Shelburne Museum Members will have early access to a lottery for a limited number of camp spaces. A general lottery for all registrants will open after the Members’ only lottery closes. Please see the “Registration” section below for lottery dates and more detailed information.

A link to enter the camp lottery will be posted on this webpage closer to the opening of the lottery.

If you still have questions after reviewing the information on this page, please reach out to Sara Wolfson, School and Youth Programs Educator, at summercamp@shelburnemuseum.org or 802-985-0922.

Page Contents

Programs

Programs 

 

Owl Cottage Academy

9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. | Ages 4-6
Week 1: June 29-July 2 (due to the 4th of July holiday, this camp will take place Monday-Thursday. There will be no camp on Friday, July 3)

Week 2: July 6-10

Week 3: July 13-17

Price: $375 for weeks 2 and 3. $300 for week 1 only.

*Please see the “Registration” section for more information on registering for multiple weeks of Owl Cottage Academy.
 
Owl Cottage Academy is a Shelburne Museum adventure crafted for our youngest artists. Each morning, campers will explore the Museum’s fascinating collection, engage in imaginative play, and create in the cozy setting of Owl Cottage. After lunch, they’ll move to the spacious, sunlit classroom at the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, where they can stretch their creative muscles even further. Camp days are filled with artistic expression, experimenting with an array of materials and methods, laughter, new friendships, and the thrill of artistic discovery. Immerse your little ones in a world where creativity thrives and every moment is a chance to play, create, and nurture budding artistic minds.
 

 

Creativity Labs


Creativity Lab 1: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. | Ages 7-9

Week 1: July 27-31

Week 2: August 3-7

Price: $375


Creativity Lab 2: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. | Ages 10-12

Week of: August 10-14

Price: $375

Creativity Lab artists will embark on a week-long journey of creative experimentation and exploration. Campers will be given the time, space, and guidance to try out a wide range of artistic ideas, materials, and methods. Each day, the artists will have the opportunity to explore the Museum and fill their sketchbooks with creative inspiration to fuel their individual artistic adventures. By the end of the week, campers will have a portfolio of creations they can be proud of and a collection of new memories and experiences to carry along their creative paths.

Registration

Member Registration

Advance lottery entry for Shelburne Museum Members will be open from January 22 to January 26, 2026. A limited number of spaces in each camp session will be reserved for Members. Due to high demand, a lottery submission is not a guarantee for placement in camp. However, Members receive the benefit of a second opportunity for placement during the general registration lottery.

1. Complete a registration form for each participant. You will not be required to submit payment at this time. You will be asked to share your Member number in the registration form. All lottery entries will appear as being on the camp waitlist.  If you do not know your Member number, please reach out to our

Membership Office at members@shelburnemuseum.org or 802-985- 0923 for assistance.

  • For age groups that have multiple sessions scheduled, you may enter the lottery for more than one session to increase your chances of securing a place in camp.
  • There will be a field in the registration form to indicate any special requests, such as placement with a friend or sibling, session preference, if you would like to attend more than one session (Owl Cottage Academy only), and any other special requests. Camp organizers will do their best to honor requests but cannot promise all requests can be met.
  • Our goal is to accommodate as many families as possible for one week of camp. However, if you indicate interest in having your camper(s) attend two sessions of Owl Cottage Academy (the maximum allowed), we will do our best to accommodate your request when reviewing lottery registrations.

2. Lottery entries will not be reviewed until after the lottery window closes on January 26. If your availability changes after you have submitted your application, please sign in to your Activity Hero account to make any changes by January 26.
3. Placement notifications will be sent via email within one week of the lottery window closing. If you are offered a place in camp, the email you receive will share the date by which you must complete your registration to secure your placement.
4. Members who are not offered a placement in camp during the member registration window will remain in the lottery. This will give you an additional chance to be selected for placement during the general registration lottery. You will not need to register again to remain in the general registration lottery.

General Registration

Lottery entry for non-members will be open from February 5 to February 9, 2025. Due to high demand, a lottery submission is not a guarantee for placement in camp.


1. Complete a registration form for each participant. You will not be required to submit payment at this time. All lottery entries will appear as being on the camp waitlist.

  • For age groups that have multiple sessions scheduled, you may enter the lottery for more than one session to increase your chances of securing a place in camp.
  • There will be a field in the registration form to indicate any special requests, such as placement with a friend or sibling, session preference, if you would like to attend more than one session (Owl Cottage Academy only), and any other special requests. Camp organizers will do their best to honor requests but cannot promise all requests can be met.
  • Our goal is to accommodate as many families as possible for one week of camp. However, if you indicate interest in having your camper(s) attend two sessions of Owl Cottage Academy (the maximum allowed), we will do our best to accommodate your request when reviewing lottery registrations.
2. Lottery entries will not be reviewed until after the lottery window closes on February 9. If your availability changes after you have submitted your application, please sign in to your Activity Hero account to make any changes by February 9.

3. Placement notifications will be sent via email within one week of the lottery window closing. If you are offered a place in camp, the email you receive will share the date by which you must complete your registration to secure your placement.

4. If any selected registrants decline their placement by the registration deadline, we will continue drawing names from the lottery to fill the remaining open spots.

5. If any camp openings remain after the lottery process is complete, they will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please check this webpage for updates.

Accessibility & Inclusion

Accessibility & Inclusion

We strive to make summer camp at Shelburne Museum as accessible, safe, and inclusive as possible. We welcome and affirm all campers regardless of gender identity, race, background, religion, sexual orientation, and physical and cognitive ability. To learn more about Shelburne Museum’s commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, click here. Detailed information about accessibility around the Museum campus can be found in this link. If you have questions or concerns about how we can best support your camper, please contact the Education Department at education@shelburnemuseum.org. 

Summer Camps FAQ

You will be notified via email within a week of the lottery registration period closing. Please note that the emails will come directly from Activity Hero. Be sure to check your spam and other folders if you are concerned that you are not receiving emails from us.

Yes! Families who get offered camp placement will have a few days to accept their placement. If they do not complete their registration by the deadline provided, they will forfeit their place in camp. At that time, any remaining openings will be offered to families who will be drawn from the waitlist. Cancellations sometimes happen in the months leading up to camp, so spots can open at any time. If you do not wish to stay on the waitlist, please log in to your Activity Hero account and remove your registration(s) from the waitlist.

  • Cancellation notice given at least 4 weeks prior to the first day of your camp session will receive a full refund, minus a $25 administrative fee.
  • Cancellation notice given less than 2 weeks prior to the first day of your camp session will not receive a refund.
  • If you have selected a deposit payment plan, any cancellation made before the final payment is due will receive a refund of the deposit, minus a $5 administrative fee. Once the final payment has been made, we will honor the same cancellation policy that is stated in the first three bullet points listed above.
  • If you need to cancel because of COVID-19, and for all other cancellations, please contact Sara Wolfson at summercamp@shelburnemuseum.org or 802-985-0922 with questions or concerns.

Yes. When completing your camp registration, you will have the option of paying a $75 deposit per registration. The full remaining balance will be

automatically charged on March 30, 2026.

We do also offer financial assistance. You will be able to share your needs on the registration form when entering the camp lottery. A request for financial assistance does not have any impact on your chances of being selected in our lottery.

Please visit https://help.activityhero.com/help-for-families for the Activity Hero Help Center.

Owl Cottage Academy campers (ages 4-6) will spend the mornings playing in Owl Cottage and exploring the Museum in small groups. After lunch, they will transition to the classroom in the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, where they will spend the afternoon focusing on art activities. There will be different options each day based on the daily theme. Carousel rides are also a part of most camp days! Throughout the day, there will be plenty of

opportunities for active games, as well.
 
The Creativity Lab camps (for ages 7-9 and 10-12) will be based out of the Pizzagalli Center. Campers will start their day with some art activities before exploring the Museum in small groups. After lunch, they will do a deeper dive into art making with a variety of options based on the daily theme. These older campers will also get their share of Carousel rides and active games!
 
Our summer camps differ from other art-based camps in that we don’t have very specific themes or highly structured projects. For example, an Owl Cottage Academy daily theme may be “Transportation,” while a Creativity Lab daily theme may be “Sculpture.” Our goal is to provide campers with materials, inspiration, and guidance to experiment and explore their own creative ideas.
 

While campers will have plenty of room to move their bodies as we explore the Museum and will play some active games throughout the day, we have found that this camp is best suited for children who express a deeper interest in art and have the ability to focus on creative, art-based tasks for extended periods of time. Please take this into consideration before registering for our camps.

Yes. All campers must be able to use the toilet independently. We understand that accidents can happen, but will expect campers can clean themselves up (under the supervision of camp staff) and change their own clothes if an accident occurs.

We do not provide food. We are asking that children come to camp with a packed lunch (including snacks and drinks). We do not have a refrigerator to store lunches, so please plan accordingly.

We provide all supplies, but if children have their own sketchbook or special materials they would like to bring, they may. However, we are not responsible for any materials children choose to bring to camp.

Please contact Sara Wolfson at education@shelburnemuseum.org or by phone at 802-985-0922 to make arrangements.

Both! More detailed information about what to bring and wear will be provided closer to the start of the camp season.

More information about drop-off and pickup procedures will be shared closer to the start of the camp season.

Still have questions? You may contact Sara Wolfson, School and Youth Programs Educator at summercamp@shelburnemuseum.org or by phone at 802-985-0922.

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