Vacation Destination
Nature-based science fun with Fairbanks educators
Summer Discovery Camps
week-long programs, June – Aug
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
All camps take place at the Fairbanks Museum. Limited extended day options are available until 3:00 PM.
- $175/child: members
- $200/child: non-members
- $10/child sibling discount
- $100/child extended day (until 3:00 PM)
Magnificent Metamorphosis
Ages 4-5: July 15-19 (FULL) or July 22-26
Ages 6-8: June 24-28 or July 1-5 (no camp on July 4th)
In this camp, we will focus on all kinds of critters that go through metamorphosis. Along with butterflies, we will also talk about crabs, frogs, dragonflies, and cicadas! We will explore these creatures’ amazing life cycles through crafts, games, and activities!
Plant Palooza
Ages 4-5: June 24-28 (FULL) or July 1-5 (no camp July 4th)
Ages 6-8: Aug 5-9 (FULL) or Aug 12-16
Let’s get planting! Campers will explore the plant life cycle and what they need to survive and thrive. During this week we will touch upon some interesting and unusual plants that grow in extreme environments. We are excited to grow a garden with you!
Unreal Animals
Ages 4-5: Aug 5-9 (FULL) or Aug 12-16
Ages 6-8: July 15-19 (FULL) July 22-26
Did you know that there is a sea slug that looks like a cartoon sheep? Or that there’s a scaly mammal called a pangolin, whose tongue is as long as its body? In this week of camp, we will explore all kinds of wacky animals that seem too strange to be real!
Drones and Robots
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Camps take place in the Fairbanks Museum’s STEM Lab.
- $300/child: members
- $350/child: non-members
- $20/child sibling discount
Drones (ages 9-12)
July 8-12 or July 15-19 (FULL)
Robots (ages 9-12)
July 29-Aug 2 (FULL) or Aug 5-9 (FULL)
If you could make your own robot, what would you want it to do? Come find out what you can make with some imagination and the skills you’ll learn with us! You don’t need any experience with coding to join, but we will be learning some of the languages used every day by robots and computers. Each camper will also get to construct a real, re-programmable robot that they will get to take home with them at the end of the week!
Advanced Drones & Robots (ages 11-14, returning campers only)
June 24-28
In this action-packed week exploring both drones and robots, campers will dive deeper into building and programming their own creations… from scratch. Please note this camp week is only for those who have completed our Drones and Robots camp in previous years.
Franklin’s Guides
June 24 – Aug 16
Ages 12-16
The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium is looking for engaged, mature students who are ready for the responsibilities of interacting with the public in a natural history museum setting. This program is designed to give students a chance to learn what it’s like to be a docent. If you enjoy science, history, animals, astronomy, and more, Franklin’s Guides is the right program for you.
Our Guides will spend time in the museum, planetarium, Build It Lab, and native butterfly house. They will greet visitors, interpret exhibits, educate, and assist with programs. June 24th to 28th will be an orientation week, where all guides will be trained on the different locations where they will be stationed throughout the summer.
Students are expected to commit to a Monday- Friday weekly schedule, with their days starting at 10AM and ending at 4PM. Upon completion of all 8 weeks, Franklin’s guides will receive a stipend of $300. We will conclude our summer fun with an overnight at the museum on August 17 to 18th.
Please email Karina Weiss to inquire about this program and request an application. Applications must be completed and submitted by Sunday, May 26th at 5:00 PM.