Camp BioPark

Inspire your child's awareness of nature with Camp BioPark.

Camp BioPark is for children grades K-9. Learn science through hands-on activities, games and art. Join us to explore the fascinating world of plants and animals!

Camps for All Ages

Discover!--grades k-1
Explore!--grades 2-3
Adventure!--grades 4-6
Investigate!--grades 7-9

Camp BioPark Experience

Camp BioPark is educational and great fun! Typical camp days include

Guided walks to see animals and plants
Indoor and outdoor activities
Games and crafts
Time for snacks and lunch
Quiet time for reflection and reading

Camps for students in Grades 2 through 9 include at least one behind-the-scenes tour.

Choosing a Camp

From butterfly discovery to biology treks along the Rio Grande, Camp BioPark has curriculum for youth of various ages.

Select camps based on the grade your child is entering in the upcoming school year.
Camp curriculum repeats every week, we recommend grade appropriate classes at each facility to maximize your child's experience.
Camps are designed for students from Kindergarten through grade 9. (We have a great summer volunteer program for kids, ages 14 and up.)

Registration

Register Online!

Online registration allows us to save thousands of pieces of paper and streamline the sign-up process! If you have problems, please call 505-764-6214.

Registration begins Wednesday March 6, 2024, at 9 a.m. Spaces are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Discounts

New Mexico Biopark Society members receive a 10 percent discount for camps. Please have your membership number handy when you register.

Refund Policy

Refunds given if requested at least four weeks prior to the start of the first day of class, minus a $25 processing fee per class/per child. No refunds will be given if requested within the four weeks prior to the first day of class.

Lunches

Please bring a sack lunch for full day Camps. Lunches are no longer available through the café.

Camp Descriptions

Camp BioPark for Grades K-1 - Discover!

Discover camps are for children entering grades K-1. These camps allow children the opportunity to discover more about nature through hands-on activities, art and tours of the facility. Children will spend their mornings with our skilled early elementary educators. Discover camps are week-long camps, Monday-Friday, and are morning sessions only. Morning sessions are from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Discover the Zoo

Grab your safari gear and head down to the Zoo for new adventures! You’ll meet animals up close and tour the Zoo to learn about incredible critters from around the world. You’ll discover amazing animals from tiny frogs to enormous elephants and everything in between! Games, arts and crafts, and lots of fun and learning are all included in this half-day camp.

Grades: K-1
Cost: $150
Where: Zoo
Time: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 10-14, June 17-21, June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26

Discover the Garden

From exploding seeds to model trains, amazing insects in the BUGarium, and farm animals at the Heritage Farm, there is much to be discovered in the Botanic Garden. Join the quest to see, smell, hear, touch, taste and discover the wonders of nature in this half-day class. Participants will learn about plants and wildlife native to New Mexico and around the world, and get hands-on in the dirt to learn all about the earth.

Grades: K-1
Cost: $150
Where: Botanic Garden
Time: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 10-14, June 24-28 or July 15-19

Discover the Aquarium

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Is a jellyfish really a fish? Why are some fish so bright and beautiful? Campers will discover the secrets behind the fascinating lives of aquatic animals, and get up-close and personal with sharks, stingrays and invertebrates at our touchpools. Fish songs, crafts, games and exhibit exploration will make up this half-day camp to learn all about rivers and oceans and their amazing inhabitants.

Grades: K-1
Cost: $150
Where: Aquarium
Time: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 17-21, July 8-12, July 22-26

Camp BioPark for Grades 2-3 - Explore!

Explore camps are for children entering grades 2-3. These camps encourage science exploration through hands-on experiments, keeper talks and inquiry-based activities. Explore camps are half-day, week-long camps, Monday-Friday.

Explore a Bug's World

Explore all that bugs do for us, from pollinating plants that grow our food to decomposing our waste and so much more. Explore the Botanic Garden through a bug’s eyes this summer! Learn about the life cycles of butterflies and dragonflies, find out which bugs like bright colors and which bugs like rotten odors, and explore the different kinds of environments bugs call home in the BUGarium. This class is full of hands-on activities and games to help us understand the wild and weird world of bugs!

Grades: 2-3
Cost: $150
Where: Botanic Garden
Time: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 17-21, July 8-12, July 22-26

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Aquatic Critter Exploration

Have you ever investigated marine animals under a microscope? Or felt the skin and teeth of a shark? With hands-on activities, action-packed games, and behind the scenes tours, we’ll take a closer look at aquatic animals in this fun afternoon class. Along the way, we’ll discover the jobs these animals do, how Albuquerque is connected to the ocean, and why the health of the Rio Grande and oceans are so important to us all.

Grades: 2-3
Cost: $150
Where: Aquarium
Time: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 10-14, June 17-21, June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26

Explore the Zoo

Spend the week learning all about the amazing animals at the Zoo. Explore habitats from around the world and what animals need to survive. How does mucus help keep a hippo cool in the African savanna? How does a polar bear’s hair and skin help keep it warm in the Arctic? Uncover the amazing adaptations of animals around the world with activities, art, zookeeper talks and behind-the-scenes tours in this fun-filled and educational morning camp.

Grades: 2-3
Cost: $150
Where: Zoo
Time: 9 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 10-14, June 17-21, July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26

Camp BioPark for Grades 4-6 - Adventure!

Adventure camps are for children entering grades 4-6. These camps take participants on adventures throughout the BioPark facilities and include multiple behind-the-scenes tours and keeper talks on top of science activities, games and art to make summer learning fun! Adventure camps are full-day, week-long camps, Monday-Friday.

Zoo Adventures

Calling all animal lovers! Prepare to be amazed by the things you’ll learn about amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. In this camp, you’ll discover the wildest creatures on Earth and learn their secrets of survival. You’ll find out what it takes to care for exotic animals as you go behind the scenes with zookeepers, and you’ll even have the chance to prepare enrichment for some of the Zoo’s animals. Games, hands-on activities and art projects complete this wild week of day-long adventures.

Grades: 4-6
Cost: $265
Where: Zoo
Time: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 10-14, June 17-21, June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26

Undersea Adventures

Aquatic adventures await you as you unravel the mysteries of marine life and discover your connections to the ocean! Sink your teeth into the truth about sharks, meet a “living fossil,” and look down into the tanks from behind the scenes. You’ll learn about the most magnificent creatures found in water—from plankton to whales and everything in between! You’ll also discover why oceans and rivers are important to your everyday life. Hands-on activities, aquarist talks and art projects complete this week of day-long adventures.

Grades: 4-6
Cost: $265
Where: Aquarium
Time: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 17-21, July 8-12, July 22-26

Diggable Planet

Plant, mulch and grow alongside a variety of plants and arthropods! Discover the importance of plants and how they are essential in every ecosystem around the world. Take a behind the scenes tour of a bug lab and find out how bugs contribute to our food production, decomposition and much more. Come and unearth the mysteries of botany and entomology in this hands-on camp!

Grades: 4-6
Cost: $265
Where: Botanic Garden
Time: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 10-14, June 24-28, July 15-19

Camp BioPark for Grades 7-9 - Investigate!

Investigate camps are for children entering grades 7-9 who are interested in science careers and want to deepen their interests in nature. Participants meet with the expert staff and learn what it takes to care for BioPark animals, plants and habitats. Investigate camps are full-day, week-long camps, Monday-Friday.

Investigating Animal Behaviors at the Zoo

Ever want to be a zookeeper? Investigate how zookeepers care and interact with the exciting animals at the ABQ BioPark Zoo! Each week will focus on a different group of animals and engage campers in a hands-on experience where they will create animal enrichment, research and observe animal interactions first hand, and submit their own exhibit designs. Discover the special techniques used by zookeepers and trainers to enhance and stimulate the lives of zoo animals. Learn from the experts in this fun camp that will teach you what it takes to work with these fascinating animals.

Grades: 7-9
Cost: $265
Where: Zoo
Time: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 3-7, June 10-14, June 17-21, June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, July 22-26

Eco Investigators

Ready to save the planet? Join this unique, combo camp where we will explore the Aquarium, Botanic Garden and Tingley Beach. Campers will flex their problem-solving skills and come up with creative solutions that are both botanic and aquatic. Campers will learn about hydroponics, riparian ecosystems and aquatic conservation. They will also have the opportunity to take behind the scenes tours and talk with staff from all three facilities.

Grades: 7-9
Cost: $265
Where: Aquarium and Botanic Garden
Time: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Dates: Camps run Monday-Friday. June 10-14, June 24-28, July 15-19

Questions?

Visit our FAQ page.