Step back in time at Courtyard Camp hosted at Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses, a one-of-a-kind summer experience set on two National Historic Landmark properties in the heart of the French Quarter. Each week, campers explore what daily life was really like in nineteenth-century New Orleans: how people lived, worked, cooked, played, and adapted to a rapidly changing world. Through hands-on activities, games, and creative projects, kids discover how the city grew into the place we know today, all while learning in an environment where history is something you can see, touch, and experience.
Campers investigate the dramatic changes of the 1800s by doing what kids do best: making, building, experimenting, and imagining. They might plant and care for crops important to Southern food traditions, try their hand at early photography techniques, explore how new inventions transformed communication and daily life, or be their own chef and cook in our historic open-hearth kitchen. Along the way, campers begin to understand how science, technology, and culture shaped everyday experiences without it ever feeling like a classroom lesson.
With our small group size and an emphasis on creativity and collaboration, Courtyard Camp offers a relaxed, welcoming space where curiosity leads the way: field trips to nearby French Quarter museums, behind-the-scenes moments with museum staff, and a celebratory visit to Café du Monde to round out the week. Campers leave with new skills, new friends, and a deeper connection to New Orleans’ history, plus plenty of stories to tell!
Why This Camp?
Courtyard Camp offers something rare: a summer experience rooted in real history, in a real place, where kids learn by doing. Instead of screens or worksheets, campers spend their days exploring our historic homes, creating hands-on projects, and discovering how children and families lived in New Orleans long ago. The setting itself becomes part of the learning, helping history feel exciting, personal, and memorable.
Designed especially for ages 7–12, the camp balances fun and learning in a way that keeps kids engaged while building confidence, curiosity, and creativity. Campers work together to solve problems, try new skills, and ask big questions about how people adapted to change in the nineteenth century, from new inventions to evolving food traditions. These experiences gently introduce scientific thinking, collaboration, and critical thinking without the pressure of a traditional classroom.
With our small capacity camps with experienced museum educators, and access to unique collections and partner sites, Courtyard Camp is both enriching and joyful. Families love that their children are spending a week of their beloved summer in a safe, welcoming environment, one that allows them to connect with New Orleans’ past while gaining skills and perspectives that last far beyond the week.
Project-based learning is an important aspect to building critical thinking skills. As the campers work in groups for the various games and activities related to cooking or exploring the themes of the homes, they are using problem solving and communication skills for a goal larger than themselves. Since the focus of the camp is on daily life in the19th century, they will be consistently engrossed in learning that is real and practical. When learning is done through experience and hands-on approaches, the campers will come away with critical thinking skills gained from activities with a real-world focus. For more information or to set up a payment plan, email education@hgghh.org.
What to Expect?
Dig In & Grow Big! Campers will plant and nurture their own garden filled with Southern favorites like okra, peanuts, southern peas, and juicy watermelon, discovering how these locally important crops shaped our region’s food traditions.
Invent Like It’s the 1800s! Through high-energy games and hands-on challenges, campers will explore groundbreaking 19th-century inventions and dream up bold new creations of their own.
Picture This: Photography’s First Moments! Young creators will dive into early photographic technology, building their own pinhole cameras and developing brilliant blue images on cyanotype paper.
Step Into the Past Through a Lens! Campers will examine fascinating early photographs from our collections and venture out on field trips to see historic images in museums around the city.
Food Science Meets Food Fun! From a lively “Making Groceries” game to churning fresh homemade butter, campers will explore the culture, chemistry, and creativity of 19th-century cooking.
History Up Close! Special visits to partner institutions, including the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, The Historic New Orleans Collection, The Louisiana State Museum and BK Historic House and Gardens, bring these themes to life in unforgettable ways.
A Sweet Grand Finale! We’ll wrap up the week with a celebratory stop for beignets at Café du Monde.
