Two Major Philadelphia Science Summer Camps Cancelled for 2026 Amid Financial Strain
Two of Philadelphia’s most prominent university-affiliated science summer camps—the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and the Penn Museum’s Anthropology Camp—have cancelled their 2026 summer programs, leaving parents scrambling and highlighting a deepening financial crisis in the region’s cultural sector.
Deep Search: The Scope of the Cuts
The cancellations are not isolated administrative decisions but appear to be part of a broader contraction within Philadelphia’s academic and cultural institutions.
The Academy of Natural Sciences has completely scrapped its 2026 summer camp season. This follows a trend of “financial instability” that previously forced the museum to slash its public operating hours to just three days a week (Friday through Sunday) and lay off staff in late 2025. Leadership cited “budget constraints,” a lack of federal funding, and visitation numbers that have stubbornly refused to rebound to pre-pandemic levels.
The Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania) has suspended its long-running “Anthropologists in the Making” summer camp for 2026. A statement on the museum’s website explicitly attributes the suspension to a university-wide hiring freeze driven by “financial constraints.” Without the ability to hire seasonal staff, the museum stated it is “unable to cover the operational staffing required to run the camp.”
Broader Impact: The cuts at Penn extend beyond just the museum. The “Penn GEMS” (Engineering, Math & Science Camp) for middle schoolers is also listed as “Paused for 2026” on the university’s engineering website, suggesting a wider retreat from summer youth programming than initially reported.
Objections: “Heartbreaking” for Families
The sudden removal of these programs has triggered frustration and disappointment among local families who rely on them for high-quality educational childcare.
Loss of Legacy: Parents on local forums and Reddit described the news as “heartbreaking,” with one noting their child had attended the Penn Museum camp for years and “loved the experience.” The program had been running for 27 years, making it a staple for a generation of Philadelphia students.
Educational Void: Critics argue that these cancellations disproportionately affect students interested in STEM and history. “It makes me really sad to think that future generations of kids won’t have such a fun and exciting introduction to something that could be a lifelong passion,” wrote one former camper, now an anthropology major.
Work-Study Losses: The cancellations also eliminate popular summer employment and work-study opportunities for university students who typically staffed these camps, further rippling the economic impact.
Background Info: A Sector Under Siege
These cancellations are symptoms of a hostile financial landscape for cultural institutions in 2026.
Federal Funding Uncertainty: Both Drexel and Penn are grappling with significant shifts in federal policy. The University of Pennsylvania recently directed its schools to cut budgets by 4% in response to “uncertainty” regarding federal research funding (specifically NIH caps) and potential changes to endowment taxes.
Drexel’s Struggles: The Academy of Natural Sciences has been particularly vulnerable due to its affiliation with Drexel University, which has been managing a severe operating loss. The museum’s strategic contraction—cutting hours and staff—was intended to “stabilize finances,” but the cancellation of revenue-generating summer camps suggests those measures may not have been enough.
Historic Context: The Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas, and its retreat from summer programming marks a significant reduction in its educational footprint. similarly, the Penn Museum’s camp had survived the initial pandemic lockdowns only to succumb to the post-pandemic financial “new normal.”
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