Welcome to Chautauqua Institution

Chautauqua Institution is a community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. Over the course of nine weeks, more than 170,000 visitors will stay at Chautauqua and participate in programs, classes and community events for all ages—all within the beautiful setting of a historic lakeside village.

Planning your visit

Step One: Finding Accommodations > Details

Search our online accommodations directory

Finding accommodations should be your first priority when planning a visit to Chautauqua. Gate passes with an overnight stay on our grounds never sell out and are available for purchase up to the moment you arrive. Accommodations however, can fill up long before gate passes even go on sale.

All accommodations within the Institution’s grounds are privately owned except for the Athenaeum Hotel and Bellenger Hall dormitory. There are six classes of places to stay: single-family homes, condominiums, apartments, hotels and inns, historic inns and rooms, and denominational houses. To explore and secure accommodations, visit our web-based search engine. Chautauqua Institution operates the 150-room Athenaeum Hotel situated on Chautauqua Lake, available for short- and long-term stays.

Step Two: Tickets > Details

To enter the Institution grounds, a gate ticket is required for all visitors ages 13 to 90; a youth ticket is available for ages 13 to 25. This ticket is your passport to the Chautauqua Experience, entitling you to attend most events on the grounds, including all lectures, religious services, Amphitheater entertainment and performances by the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Additional tickets and/or registration are required for:

• Chautauqua Opera and Chautauqua Theater Company performances
• Children’s School and Boys’ and Girls’ Club enrollment (one-week minimum enrollment)
• Special Studies courses (over 300 continued education courses are offered each summer)
• Boat slip or ramp requirement
• Vehicle parking
• Ticketing and registration can be completed online or by calling (716) 357-6250. Download the Ticket Order Booklet here.

Step Three: Register for classes and programs > Details

Browse Special Studies Classes

Special Studies: Whatever educational experience you are seeking, Chautauqua’s Special Studies program continues to create distinct new learning opportunities for the 10,000 lifelong learners that enroll in courses each summer. More than 300 teachers, experienced in subjects they love, arrive each summer to create a diverse assortment of courses for youth and adults offering a cross-generational learning experience. Special Studies offers subjects ranging from child and youth development, music, education, religion and philosophy, to fitness, health, and personal and professional development. Enjoy Chautauqua’s Special Studies’ unique learning experience and enrich your mind, body and spirit.

Additional programming sponsored by the Institution and other organizations on our grounds are available throughout the day. Check our website calendar for up-to-date program information. Daily program guides are also available in our summer season newspaper, the Chautauquan Daily. Weekly guides are available in Saturday’s paper and at our Main Gate Welcome Center.

We are here to help > Details

Accommodations Concierge
Mon. – Fri. 9am to 4pm
(716) 357 – 6231 | mpeterson@ciweb.org

Ticket Office:
Mon. – Fri. 9am to 4pm
(716) 357-6250 | boxoffice@ciweb.org

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