Explore outdoors through hands-on gardening, deepen observation skills while practicing art and science, play nature games and make new friends.
Camp activities will take place predominantly outdoors.
We welcome all campers and are happy to work with you to plan appropriate accommodations for your child in our camps. Campers may sign up for any or all weeks for their age group. Activities and themes change each week.
Camp hours: Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; aftercare from 1-4 p.m
Location: arrival and pickup at Doris Duke Center.
Fee: $300 per week for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. schedule; $425 per week for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. schedule.
Discounts: Discounts are available for the camp week only and do not apply to aftercare. Discounts cannot be combined.
15% discount for Duke Gardens members.
Waitlist: To add a child to a camp that is full, please select "join waitlist" when registering for a full session. You will not be charged for registering for a session waitlist. If a spot does become available for a camp week that is full we will contact the first person registered for the waitlist session via email.
Scholarship application available upon request; email GardensCamp@duke.edu.
Non-refundable deposit of $100 per child per week is required to reserve a spot. Full payment due 2 weeks before the start date of each camp.
If you have any difficulty registering through this website, please contact us at 919-668-1707 or GardensCamp@duke.edu.
To register online you must pay with a credit or debit card. To pay with cash or check you may register in person with the Registrar; see contact information below.
Summer Camp 2026
Kindergarten- 2nd grade:
- June 22-26: Growing Scientists
- July 6-10: Eco Artist
- July 20-24: Eco Artist
- July 27-31: Plant it, Grow it, Eat it
- August 10-14: Plant it, Grow it, Eat it
3rd-5th grade:
- June 29-July 3: Growing Scientists
- July 13-17: Eco Artist
- August 3-7: Plant it, Grow it, Eat it
2026 CAMP THEMES
Growing Scientists – Join us as we use Duke Gardens as our very own science laboratory. We will spend the week enjoying many different science experiments and participating in real community science projects that help scientists learn about the natural world around us.
Eco Artist- Everyone is an artist! Come play with color, shape, line, and form. We will find beauty exploring nature and use natural materials to make our own unique artworks.
Plant it, Grow it, Eat it - Plant, tend, harvest and taste fruits and vegetables in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden. Each day will include hands-on work time and play time in the garden.
See the camp you want? Register by clicking the green button below!
Registration is a long process. Before proceeding you may want to check if space is available for the camp week for which you are registering your child. You can check camp weeks' capacity by scrolling up and selecting the "Agenda" tab at the top of this page.
Camp Location