Summer Camps in Harlem, Manhattan

Harlem has a genuinely strong camp story, and it’s one that doesn’t get told enough on the usual NYC camp roundup circuits. The neighborhood has Riverbank State Park (a 28-acre park on a platform over the Hudson, with a pool, skating rink, track, and athletic fields) which is one of the better public spaces for summer programming in all of Manhattan. Several of the programs here are connected to that park and to other significant community institutions.

The free and subsidized options in Harlem are more substantial than almost any other neighborhood in this directory. Children’s Aid Society Summer Day Camp, Little Lions Camp at Columbia University (free, run by the university’s athletics department for West Harlem kids), and Riverbank State Park Summer Camp are all either free or heavily subsidized. If cost is the primary constraint, Harlem has real options.

On the more distinctive side: Learn to Row Camp at Row New York uses the Harlem river as its campus, rowing and outdoor sports for ages 12–18. The Movement Creative runs outdoor adventure and multi-sport programs. And Action Arts Summer Camp (Performing Arts, run through Teachers College at Columbia) is a gem for kids ages 5–14 interested in theater and visual arts.