All student program information is stored in Microsoft SharePoint. Enrolled students are provided with a private link to their Student Folder that includes all pertinent information about their summer at Chautauqua, including calendar access, rosters, music, and more. Students are highly encouraged to bookmark the link to their Student Folder and become familiar with its contents.  

Your health profile and all required documentation must be completed and uploaded prior to your arrival on the grounds. CampDoc is the portal we use to collect this information, and access is sent out to enrolled students via email in the Spring. 

Students should arrange their transportation to and from Chautauqua well before the summer.  

We are happy to assist you in making your plans, but Chautauqua Institution does not provide transportation to and from Chautauqua. The two closest transportation hubs are Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA.

The majority of our students arrive by car, or plane via Buffalo Niagara International Airport then shuttle to Chautauqua Institution. Students often organize shuttles together to save costs.  

Coming to Chautauqua Institution by Train:

The closest train stations to Chautauqua are either the Buffalo/Depew station or the Buffalo/Exchange station. The Buffalo/Exchange station is within walking distance of the Greyhound bus station. From Buffalo you will need to take a limo, taxi or bus. The Amtrak also goes into Erie, Pennsylvania, but from this point you will have to take a limo or taxi.

Please note that Chautauqua County is primarily rural, and popular ride share services (Uber, Lyft, etc.) typically don’t service in the area.  

Click here for more information about how to get to Chautauqua.

The program deposit is a placeholder for a student’s room and is refundable in full if space is no longer available when the deposit is received. Part or all the deposit is returned to the student in September, following a final inspection for any or all damages incurred in the dorm room, regardless of responsible party, as well as area of study (i.e., music not returned, books not returned to the School of Art, etc.), and completion of post-program evaluations. 

Chautauqua Institution provides residence hall lodging for approximately 300 full-time students and artists enrolled in the art, music, dance, and theater programs, as well as visitors of Chautauqua via our CHQ on a Budget Program during Weeks 8–9. Our dormitories are all in a central location, just a short walk from the School of Art, Dance, and Music facilities. The Greene Family Commons, formerly Bellinger Hall, is made up of two buildings (North and South), is the largest dormitory and the location of the dining hall, where all dormitory residents receive meals, regardless of where they are housed. Students are housed together based on their age, gender and program. Dorm rooms are mainly double occupancy, with a few triple occupancies. Each room includes a bed and closet for each student, a desk/chair and each room shares a bathroom with one other room. Chautauqua employs a full-time, experienced Residence Staff of Resident Assistants (RA’s) that manage the student residential experience from move-in to check-out. Several of our RA’s are former students who love giving back to the current student experience. There is always an RA on duty 24 hours a day, available in-person or by a call or text to the RA Duty phone. Additionally, a full-time Registered Nurse resides in the Greene Family Commons for first aid and holds regular office hours.   

The Greene Family Commons is currently going through Phase I of a major renovation project. Students in summer 2025 will have rooms with new carpet, paint, furniture, and air conditioning.  

Students must bring all necessary linens. (Pillows are provided for you, but you may want to bring your own.) Other items to consider include mattress pads, lamp, throw rugs and comforter. 

There are four coin-operated washers and dryers in the basement of Greene Family Commons North wing. The RA’s can make change in the North office. Small fridges are allowed in the dorm rooms, but keep them small, as space is limited! No microwaves allowed.

All students who live in the residence halls will automatically be enrolled in our full meal plan. This plan includes three meals a day, seven days a week cafeteria-style in Greene Family Commons South. There is no option to opt-out of the meal plan. Please be aware that we cannot cater to unique or individual dietary requests, however, we will try to accommodate everyone as best as we can. The cafeteria has daily vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options for students who list these requirements in their health forms. Students are encouraged to keep a small mini-fridge in their room for snacks and diet-specific foods. Services like Instacart are also available in our area.

All students receive a Traditional Gate Pass for the duration of the program which includes access to the Institution grounds and admission to most of our programming. Opera and Theater performances will require the purchase of an additional ticket.

Grounds Access Passes and vehicle unloading passes are provided to those moving students in and out (Parents, guardians, etc,) on designated arrival and departure days.  

Your mailing address will be:

(YOUR NAME)
Greene Family Commons (Bellinger Hall)
PO Box 992
Chautauqua, NY 14722

Students pick up their mail in mailboxes located in the foyer of Bellinger Hall North.

When sending UPS or Federal Express, do not use the PO Box number. Use the following street address:

(YOUR NAME)
Greene Family Commons (Bellinger Hall North)
77 Hedding Avenue
Chautauqua, NY 14722

The RA in the Main Office of the Greene Family Commons will place a note in the student’s mailbox indicating receipt of a UPS or FedEx package. PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to send luggage or supplies before you arrive, it may be sent via UPS or Parcel Post to the above address. Upon arrival, they should be picked up in Greene Family Commons North lobby. We will keep items locked up in the mail room until the students arrive. Please don’t send anything before June 16.

ATMs (M&T Bank) are in the Colonnade building lobby, and at the Main Gate Welcome Center, Brick Walk Cafe and at the Athenaeum Hotel. Money orders are available at the Chautauqua Post Office on Bestor Plaza. The nearest full-service banks, an M&T branch and a Jamestown Savings Bank, are in Mayville, approximately 4 miles north of the Institution grounds.

Chautauqua is a self-contained, walking community with shopping, a bookstore, mail and other services conveniently located within the grounds. Besides hosting the Schools of Performing and Visual Arts, Chautauqua Institution is a resort, designed as a center for a learning vacation. The use of automobiles within the grounds is tightly restricted because of the narrow streets and concern that the noise of traffic would disrupt activities held in outdoor facilities.

Bicycles are a popular form of transportation; bring a bicycle and lock. Bicycles may be rented (though expensive for long-term rentals) from Jamestown Cycle Shop’s Chautauqua location on Massey Ave.

Parking is available in protected lots adjacent to the grounds. There is a courtesy bus service within the Chautauqua grounds. If you are planning to keep a vehicle here during the summer, you must order a parking pass through the student registration portal. Doing this in advance will save you a lot of time — we can’t stress this enough! Your permit will be provided to you at registration if you order in advance, and there is a discounted rate for students.

Parking tickets will be issued to those who do not park in their designated spot. If the problem persists, the vehicle will be towed and/or confiscated at the owner’s expense.

In addition to the registered nurse who keeps office hours in the Greene Family Commons during the summer, Chautauqua offers the on-grounds Westfield Memorial Hospital Chautauqua Health Care Clinic, which offers basic medical care for children and adults like that provided in a doctor’s office. The center offers treatments for minor medical emergencies and provides wellness services such as health checkups, allergy shots, prescriptions, etc., plus free blood pressure screening. For all emergencies or medical issues that require more Comprehensive attention, Chautauqua Institution is located about 10 miles from Westfield Memorial Hospital, about 15 miles from UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital in Jamestown and about 35 miles from St. Vincent and Hamot Medical Center, both located in Erie, Pennsylvania. All costs incurred by a medical visit to either the clinic or to a hospital will be at the expense of the student. The main office in the Greene Family Commons will be happy to assist any student in making an appointment to the clinic or if a student needs a ride to a nearby hospital.

Tuition (students 14 years and older) includes a membership to the Turner Fitness Center for the duration of your program. Students may set up their membership once they arrive. 

Learn more about Chautauqua Health & Fitness here.

Calendar of Events

On-Grounds Dining and Shopping

Chautauqua Bookstore

Smith Memorial Library

Rules and Regulations

Anti-Bullying Policy

Service & ESA Animal Policy

(Daytime temps during the summer typically range from 70–90 degrees Fahrenheit. Night temps are 50–70 degrees.)  

Sheets (twin XL)

Pillows

Blankets

 Mattress pad

Washcloths

Towels/bath mat

Throw rug

Desk lamp

Fan

Mini-Fridge

Bicycle and lock

Cellphone

Laptop or Tablet

Water Bottle

Movies and games

Quarters for laundry

Laundry basket/detergent

Clear bag for attending events. Learn more 

Alarm clock

Toiletries

Hangers

Power strips (surge protected)

Snacks

Money

Bluetooth speaker/headphones

Umbrella

Raincoat

Swimsuit

Clothes (for warm and cold weather)

Sneakers (for walking!)

Music stand (SoM students)