Plan Your Visit
Accommodations
Accommodations Specials
Athenaeum Hotel 
Tickets
Dining
Conferences/Weddings
Off-season Programs
FAQs
and Travel Tips
Interstate-90 (NYST)
Take exit 60, turn left onto NY-394/North Portage Street. Continue to follow NY-394.
Interstate 86
If eastbound, take Exit 7 (Panama/Chautauqua Institution), turn left onto CR-33, then right onto West Lake Road/NY-394
Airport Service
Chautauqua is served by the Chautauqua County Airport at Jamestown, N.Y. (15 miles south of the Institution) via USAirways Express commuter from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Other nearby airports are the Buffalo (NY) Niagara international airport and the Erie (Pa.) international airport. Privately owned transportation services for travel to and from the Chautauqua County Airport are available.
Chautauqua Season, Set shuttle times
For reservations call, Buffalo Airport Shuttle at 716-685-2550
(must call for reservations 2 weeks in advance)
Saturdays
Buffalo Int. Airport --->
Chautauqua
10:30am and 3:30pm
Chautauqua --->
Buffalo Int. Airport
7:30am and 12:30pm
Sundays
Buffalo Int. Airport --->
Chautauqua
11:00am and 3:30pm
Chautauqua --->
Buffalo Int. Airport
2:00pm
Also schedules from:
- Toronto, Ontario Canada - door to door
- Erie international Airport, Erie, PA
- Jamestown, Chautauqua County Airport
- Cleveland International Airport
- Pittsburgh international Airport
Please visit our FAQs for additional transportation options to and from Chautauqua.
We are
here to help
If you have a question about any aspect of your trip to Chautauqua, we have knowledgable staff members ready to assit you.
Ticket Office:
Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(716) 357-6250
boxoffice@ciweb.org
Chautauqua Institution
P.O. Box 28
1 Ames Ave.
Chautauqua, NY 14722
Visit Us / Plan Your Visit
Chautauqua Institution is a 750-acre expanse in Western New York on the shores of Chautauqua Lake that comes alive with activity during a nine-week season each summer. The 2013 Season opens June 24 and runs through August 25.
Over the course of a season, over 100,000 visitors will stay at Chautauqua and participate in the outstanding programs, events, lectures and activities offered in the arts, education, religion and recreation areas.
Each of the nine weeks during the summer carries a theme that is developed throughout the week in various venues. The hallmark event is the 10:45 a.m. lecture series, held Monday through Friday in the 4,000-seat Amphitheater, where distinguished speakers explore contemporary issues and engage the audience in a lively Q&A session.
While people visit Chautauqua Institution for all different lengths of stay—ranging from a daily lecture or evening performance to an overnight, multiple weeks or a even a full-season stay—the most popular length of stay on the grounds is one week. This is somewhat influenced by the weekly lecture themes, enrollment requirements for the various day camp programs for children, and accommodations alternatives.
Step 1: Accommodations
Finding accommodations should be your first priority when planning a visit to Chautauqua. Gate passes and tickets do not go on sale until January and never sell out. Accommodations however, can fill up long before gate passes even go on sale. >> Show More
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 2: Tickets and Passes
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. >> Show More
- 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. (PDF)
Step 3: Register for Classes and Programs
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. >> Show More
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.
Additional Information
Classes
Classes vary by week, and a weekly index of classes is
provided in the Special Studies catalog (PDF). >> Full Article
Youth Programs
Learn about various youth activities/programs on the grounds. >> Full Article
Getting Around the Grounds
Chautauqua is a walking community with narrow streets and traffic noise concerns, the use of automobiles on the grounds is very restricted. >> Full Article
Handicapped Accessibility
We work very hard to accommodate those needs by offering a number of options to help with accessibility. >> Full Article
Helpful Hints
Frequently Asked Questions >> Full Article
Regional Attractions
Tour Chautauqua County >> Full Article
55+ / Road Scholar
The Chautauqua Institution's 55+ programs were founded in 1974 by Helen Overs and remain an important component of the Chautauqua experience. Each program presents a topic through lecture, discussion, films or other appropriate means. Road Scholar is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing extraordinary learning adventures for people 55 and over. >> Full Article
