All student program information is stored in Microsoft SharePoint. Enrolled students are provided with a private link to their Student Folder in SharePoint 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 students arrive by car, or plane via Buffalo Niagara International Airport then shuttle to Chautauqua Institution. Students often organize shuttles together to save costs.  

Please note that Chautauqua County is primarily rural, and popular ride share services (Uber, Lyft, etc.) typically won’t provide rides all the way from the nearest cities (Buffalo, NY and Erie, PA.)     

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

The security/housing 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. 

As Chautauqua is a gated community, any person entering the grounds during the Summer Assembly must have a Gate Pass, no exceptions. All students receive a Traditional Gate Pass for the duration of their program, which includes access to the Institution grounds and admission to most of our programming. Opera and Theater performances require the purchase of an additional ticket, but students are often provided with opportunities to attend dress rehearsals and preview performances for free.

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 from the RA on duty in the Greene Family Commons North Office.

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 North Office of the Greene Family Commons will inform students when they have mail. 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 students arrive. Please don’t send anything before 5 days prior to program start.

ATMs 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 & 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. Students are only allowed to bring vehicles on grounds for move-in and move-out. 

Parking is available in the Main Lot, across the street from the Main Gate Welcome Center. There is a courtesy bus service within the Chautauqua grounds. If you are planning to keep a vehicle here during the summer, you must purchase a parking pass through the Ticket Office. Your permit will be provided to you at registration if you order in advance, and there is a discounted rate for students.

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 tickets will be issued to students who do not park in the Main Lot. 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

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

Sheets (twin XL)

Pillows (Beds already come with one pillow)

Comforter/Blankets (Dorms are air-conditioned and can get cool at night)  

 Mattress pad

Towels/washcloths/bathmat

Throw rug

Desk lamp

Fan

Mini-Fridge

Bicycle, helmet and lock

Cellphone

Laptop or Tablet

Water Bottle (bottle fillers are in the residence hall and throughout the grounds)

Movies and games

Quarters for laundry

Laundry basket/detergent

Clear bag for attending events. Learn more 

Toiletries

Hangers

Power strips (surge protected)

Snacks

Money

Headphones

Umbrella

Raincoat

Swimsuit

Clothes (for warm and cold weather)

Sneakers (for walking!)

Music stand (For music students wishing to play outside)