Adult summer camp hits Indianapolis
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Adult summer campers hit the water slide during Throwback Camp at Conner Prairie. Photo: Courtesy of Conner Prairie
Who says Hoosier kids get to hog all the fun of summer camp?
Why it matters: Americans spend less time socializing than they did two decades ago, fueling a loneliness epidemic.
- Adult camps promise something increasingly hard to find: real-world connection and the chance to try something new.
The big picture: Summer camps for grown-ups are booming across the U.S. and Europe, the Economist recently reported.
- Yelp searches for such getaways jumped roughly 350% last year.
Zoom in: In Fishers, Conner Prairie is preparing for the next edition of "Throwback Camp," which packs canoeing, archery and s'mores into one nostalgia-soaked summer day on Aug. 1.
- Marianne Collar, Conner Prairie's director of camps and recreation, tells Axios the idea grew out of the success of their Adventure Camp for kids.
- "We would put together this day that families or grown-ups could come together ... and have this glorious day of different kinds of adventure," she said. "We swim in the pond, we zipline, we do archery. All those great outdoor activities that you don't typically get to do, especially as you get older."
Plus: Perks like two catered meals and a cash bar make Throwback Camp a place to kick back and unwind.
Between the lines: Collar took over the program in 2023, expecting mostly late-20s and early-30s campers to show up.
- Instead, "the average age is somewhere in the mid-40s and early 50s," she said.
- Some drive over an hour to attend, often after hearing about it by word of mouth.
For indoor adventurers, camps like Butler University's Adult Strings Camp provide Hoosiers the opportunity to hone their skills while meeting others with a shared interest.
- Adult Strings Camp, which runs Monday through Friday, is for adult string musicians with at least one year of experience.
- Participants explore chamber music, large ensemble playing and effective practice techniques under the direction of musician and private instructor Shannon M. Crow.
Zoom out: The appeal of these camps goes beyond nostalgia.
- They offer adults a break from busy schedules. They re-create the carefree fun of childhood. And they encourage campers to swap phones for face-to-face conversations with strangers, who often become friends.
- "It's an intentional day just for them to come and put away devices ... and just have that good old-fashioned fun," Collar said.
Yes, but: Like most other things in adulthood, escaping to camp isn't free.
By the numbers: Throwback Camp costs $120 for Conner Prairie members and $135 for non-members.
- Butler's Adult Strings Camp has a program tuition of $300 with a non-refundable deposit of $25.
- Elsewhere, many adult camps charge around $1,000 for a long weekend that includes lodging and meals, according to the Economist.
The bottom line: Camps promise meaningful bonds — and the chance to be a kid again — which, for many, is priceless.