Educational Camps, Clubs & Events

Why wait until midnight to ring in the new year? Celebrate with an early countdown at the museum! We’ll create masks and decorations for our New Year’s Eve Ball; clink our glasses of sparkling grape juice together for a toast; enjoy tasty kid-friendly hors d’oeuvres; and play fun interactive games!

Predators and their prey are in a constant game of hide-and-seek. Come see how they use their anatomy and environment to win the game! You’ll also get a chance to BE the PREY or BE the PREDATOR, as you interact with the food web and seek out our camouflage critters.

Ever wonder how people survived chilling winters of the past? Experience a Victorian’s winter at the Mathias Ham House. Join us for winter games, food and candy preparation, and other activities. Pending weather, snowshoeing and sledding will also be held at the historic campus.

Calling all dragonmasters, we need your HELP! Do you know what to do when your reptile, amphibian, or mammal is feeling under the weather? Our special animal caretakers are ready to train you on what protocols to take when your animal is feeling ill. You’ll explore the good and the ugly cells!

Create Christmas cards, bags, ornaments, bookmarks, and gift tags with recycled holiday cards. Registration required. Register online at www.dubuque.lib.ia.us or call the Children’s Help Desk at 563-589-4225, ext. 2228.

School's Out Day Camps are fun, educational camps. Throughout the day, the youth will engage in several hands on activities in small groups. Snacks will be provided.

This is a film against child trafficking, to raise awareness of issues surrounding the topic.

Join us for a fun family character education night with the Fighting Saints. Get your picture taken with your Two by Two pet and Bernie before the game!

We all know that dogs are great companions, but some dogs go a bit farther – they save lives! Based on our newest film, Superpower Dogs, we’ll explore how dogs and other animals work with their surroundings to assist us in our daily lives. Make sure to sign up for the AM session to see the movie.

Web application bootcamp to provide a skill set employers are looking for. Scholarships are available.

It’s cold outside and the water is frozen – where do all the fish go? Do fish freeze in the water? Can a shark live in Antarctica? We’ll explore what aquatic creatures do to survive the cold winters. Campers will get to experience our LIVE sharks in our Shark Touch Tank!

Explore the STEM world of the Museum & Aquarium! Be prepared to get messy with experiments. The day will be full of crackling, sizzling, and bubbling fun! Younger kids will explore our newest children’s exhibit while the older kids will concoct advanced experiments.

The Museum & Aquarium is full of magic, and during this session, you’ll turn into a magician! You’ll learn some new magic tricks and experience how animals are magicians too. There will be live animal encounters and you’ll create a magic trick box to take home!