Your health profile on CampDoc and all required documentation must be completed and uploaded prior to your arrival on the grounds.

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.

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.

Coming to Chautauqua Institution by Bus:Coach USA runs five buses per day to Jamestown, New York out of the Greyhound Terminal Metro Transportation Center (800-231-2222) in downtown Buffalo, New York (181 Ellicott Street). This location is walkable from the Buffalo/Exchange street Amtrak station.  One-way cost is $9.50. Roundtrip cost is $19. Trip is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes. Cash only. There is no bus service out of Erie, Pennsylvania.

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.

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.

Because we are located on a lake, the evenings can be cool; an extra blanket and warm clothing are musts. (Daytime temps during the summer typically range from 70–90 degrees Fahrenheit. Night temps are 50–70 degrees.)

Dorm rooms do not have air conditioning. You may bring an AC unit if you have a medical reason and accompanying doctor’s note.

A fan is recommended to make you more comfortable on hot days and/or nights. We do have several fans available to loan out if needed on a first come, first-served basis.

Please bring a clear bag for attending events. Learn more

Most rooms in Bellinger Hall and Lincoln Dorm are doubles; some rooms are triples. Dorm rooms are mainly all double occupancy, with a few triple occupancies. Each room includes a bed, desk and closet for each student, and each room shares a bathroom with one other room. There are four coin-operated washers and dryers in the basement of Bellinger Hall 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. Please be aware that we do not have cable hookup in the rooms.

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 1–2 and 8–9. Our dormitories are all in a central location, just a short walk from the School of Art, Dance, and Music facilities. Bellinger Hall, 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 all double occupancy, with a few triple occupancies. Each room includes a bed, desk and closet for each student, 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 Bellinger Hall for first aid and holds regular office hours.   

All students who live in the residence halls will automatically be enrolled in our full meal plan. This plan includes all meals seven days a week cafeteria-style in Bellinger Hall. 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. 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. For more information about additional purchases, please contact the Ticket Office by calling (716) 357-6250 or emailing ticketoffice@chq.org.

Your mailing address will be:

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

Students pick up their mail in mailboxes located in the foyer of Bellinger Hall North (716-357-6203).

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

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

The RA in the Main Office of Bellinger Hall 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 Bellinger address. Upon arrival, they should be picked up in Bellinger Hall North. We will keep items locked up in the mail room until the students arrive. Please don’t send anything to Bellinger Hall before June 14.

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 (716-357-9032).

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.

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 Bellinger Hall 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 (716-326-4921), about 15 miles from UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital in Jamestown (716-487-0141) and about 35 miles from St. Vincent (814-452-5000) and Hamot Medical Center (814-877-6000), 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 Bellinger Hall 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.

Your tuition (Art, Music, Dance Pre-Pro students only) includes a membership to the Turner Fitness Center for the duration of your program.  Please call the fitness center front desk for more information on the amenities included with your membership: 716-357-6430

Learn more about Chautauqua Health & Fitness here.

Learn more about college credit here.

Calendar of Events

On-Grounds Dining and Shopping

Chautauqua Bookstore

Smith Memorial Library

Rules and Regulations

Anti-Bullying Policy

Service & ESA Animal Policy

Sheets (standard twin)

Pillows

Blankets

 Mattress pad

Washcloths

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

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!)

Thermometer (for self-screening) Music stand (SoM students)

On-Grounds Dining & Shopping

Chautauqua Bookstore

Smith Memorial Library