Interlochen Center for the Arts Review

This is a fine Campground to camp at. Plenty of sites available and nice proximity to Downtown Traverse City. Don't forget to stop at Bud's down the Road!

Nice summer camp! Great concerts! The only thing is I have very limited cellular service on campus. WIFi on campus is also not great.

What is there to say that hasn't already been said? This place is incredible!

I attended Interlochen on scholarship in 1986 & I still consider it one of my favorite memories. The staff, directors, teachers and conductors were unparalleled!
We recorded a song with a choir of one thousand singers where all parts of the song were created vocally. It was amazing to hear voices create the instrumental sounds, while other vocalists sang the song.
If you get the opportunity to attend Interlochen or Blue Lake, go for it!
It's an experience you will never forget!

Went here back in middle school (06 or so) for choir camp. Location is gorgeous. So much beautiful nature kids get exposed to. Guys cabin found a chipmunk in their toilet, it was super cool. Our cabin found a brown recluse spider in the sink and some girl killed it with her flip flop. Another girl tried to jump off a bunk bed and sprained her foot. Daddy long legs in all the showers so you were never lonely. super fun, I will never forget those fond memories.

It's a beautiful scenery and it's also has like an outdoorsy feel to it.

This was one of the most beautiful venues I have attended.

It's a great summer camp. I went there in the summer of 2017 and learned a lot and made new friends, new experiences and new memories. It really helped me grow and developed as a person and as an artist. I would 100% recommend paying a visit. Plus the melody freeze cafe (the mo-fro) does the best pizza and ice cream!

Great environment and an awesome academy and summer camp for gifted children and adults.

Went as a child to summer camp here!
I wish I realized what a privilege it was to not only learn here but the shows, concerts, ballet and all theatre were world class and I still remember the experiences I had.
Especially those half naked Indian dance/shows we had to put on during the summer in junior camp!!!!

Interlochen Arts Camp was such a fulfilling experience for me. I can already feel myself being strengthened in my Musical abilities. Everyone there is so kind and polite, and the food is not very important, but i just wanted to mention this. It is not like normal cruddy camp food. It isn't quite mom's cooking, but it isn't half bad. The orchestra program is especially wonderful. The conductors are so welcoming and helpful, no matter what your skill level is. I took a class called instrument exploration, and now I can play Trombone, Baritone, Trumpet, Cello, and viola, which prior to camp I could only play Ukulele, Violin, and Piano. Overall, Interlochen was a life changing experience.

My daughter loves the camp! She loves being able to focus on her art. I asked her what made camp different than her other performance experiences. She said the instructors really teach you how to hone your craft in depth. Instruction she hasn't had anywhere else. The money is worth it if you have a child that truly wants to go far in their art.

I read a review about kids doing chores & have to respond to the review. The kids at the camp do chores called capers & get points creating a competition. I think this is fantastic. As a high school teacher, I can attest that a lot of students don't clean up after themselves. When asked why. They say "that's the janitor's job". I think having kids do capers is great. It creates a sense of community, self respect, and helps them become more independent.

I'm glad my daughter is at this camp having fun and learning. Thank you Interlochen.

Incredible and beautiful location to pursue your art or craft! I attended as a bassoonist and worked at the summer camp as a counselor, and the experiences I have had there changed my life for the better and made me who I am today. It is a lovely venue for seeing artists and concerts as well.

Great place for kids to develop at maximum capacity talents

Stood in a very long line to get in. Terrible. Because their new rules about clear purses, we waited about a half an hour walk 50 feet.
I'm not sure I'll ever come back or recommend this place. People were very upset all through the place. We missed the first band.

I had a wonderful time here. I ve gone to the camp for music for two summers so far, and I m proud to say it has been one of the best experiences I ve had my entire life.

I went to camp here it was so much fun. I really recommend it!!!

We were very disappointed. the bunks are incredibly narrow with no guard rails packed 3 feet apart. They have to get up at 7 am on the weekends even when exhausted just to do chores, then have no activities for the entire day. Wouldn't sleeping in be a better? Or activities? The staff actually whine to the kids about having to wear uniforms. Then when they couldn't' find my paperwork to check my child out for the night (despite having submitted it and followed up), I was told the staff was too busy because "there's a kid drowning in the lake". Yikes.

Absolutely disappointed with this camp, it is absurd that they charge such a large amount of money and not give them a good bed to rest, a good meal to feed themselves, students eat spoiled meals, and besides that they charge so much tuition money and uniforms put them to clean toilets, bathtubs, sweep, etc .. With all the money they charge easily could pay a person to take charge of cleaning, it looks like a juvenile correctional and not a music camp. My son has been in other camps where they charge less money and there is better treatment. My son will not return to this camp and I do not recommend it to anyone else either. If I could give -1 I would.

My child was nervous at drop off, to say the least. The counselors were attentive and professional, quickly setting my child at ease. Interlochen has the staff, the experience and the motive to help young artists unleash their true potential. The students are among others like themselves, who are truly interested in learning and developing their skills. In addition, students grow socially and mature while learning to work with peers and encourage each other in the process. For most students, it will be among-if not the most memorable-summer of their life. Worth every penny!

Picked child up for weekend halfway to camp. Child had severe mono temp of 104 liver failing throwing up no one had done anything at Interlochen except -let her sit down in class'. Medically evavuated...in hospital for 1 month as mono triggered a life threatening disease. INTERLOCHEN HAS NEVER EVEN ASKED HOW CHILD WAS. Did send bill though.

A powerful country will produce great art ... that's for sure.

I genuinely enjoyed my time spent at Interlochen Arts Camp! The teachers and staff truly care about each student and camper. Also I really enjoyed the sense of community and acceptance. The over all experience deserves 5 stars!

ALL tourist have to attend a concert (1st Class) or just stop out and see the beautiful facility. There is also a NICE state campground across the street!! how cool is that?! Be there.

I went, years ago as a part of the band program. Even now when I visit, my heart feels "home."

I attended as a student years ago. What a wonderful experience that I will never forget.

I loved every minute of my 3 years at Interlochen summer camp and I d recommend going to anyone who gets the chance!

Life changing experiences. That's the easiest way to sum up what Interlochen specializes in, at least in music. My son, who is a two-time Florida All-State Jazz saxophonist, told me that much of what he learned that accelerated his ability to play he learned at Interlochen, which is all the more impressive as he was able to also attend a summer workshop put on by Juilliard each year. Yes, there are uniforms and yes, they're horribly old school, belt buckles and all, but the camp brings together amazing artists and gives them a beautiful place to spend the summer, create, hang and meet other top artists their age from around the world. The oldest summer arts camp also is a great scouting location for midwestern colleges and great lakes schools like Michigan who look there for talent.

Am an avid musician, work in the schools. It is uplifting to go here, when the academy is in full swing. To walk by a stone building and hear jazz being played at or above college level. Michigan no longer has Talent and Gifted Schools, but Interlochen tries to prove that they are one. There are great places to stay on campus, they are not five-star but when you realize your stay for the night helps fund the place, how can you lose? It is an unusual setting to spend a night and great to play in Traverse City all day, and come back to your quiet quarters at Interlochen. I have seen student film productions that were mind blowing. Art does live at Interlochen and you can walk around a beautiful campus and have to tell yourself that this is a high school!

Completly amazing. I was blown away by the performences.

Going to see Momic: Botanica. Very excited. Great map google!

Attended the July 5th performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - it was incredible, very excellent. Master Shakespeare would be proud

Attended a creative writing class which was absolutely first class. Great instructor who taught on the finer points of revising a draft as well as creating the intersection between emotion and things in one's writing.

So sad. No students. No programs. Like a ghost town.

A bit pricey to go to school here, but a lovely campus to work on

Interlochen Arts Camp changed my life.
There is no place on earth that is a better place to spend your summer.
The blend of nature and art is unparalleled.

Plus, I TOTALLY got an autograph from Bela Fleck!!

i attended interlochen in 2011 in cabin 13. from staff, my piano teacher and colleagues this was the most positive experience in my entire life and i will never forget it. this place taught me so much life lessons and gave me powerful connections. i still keep up with people who stayed in the same cabin as me! the uniforms and the no-cell phone rule is a bit meh but you get over it litteraly within a day when you realise all the fantastic people around you and when you leave is when you realise how much you have grown and developed not only as an artist, but as a human being. they allow you to use their landphone things anyways whenever you want providing you have the funds. if you are on the fenced, i strongly believe you will not have the same support and sense of community as you would in others. i hope one day i can go back as it was the happiest time of my life. you may feel the counselors are ordering you around and being unfair during inspection, but they are human just like you (i hope) and they are just looking out for you.

I've heard of Interlochen before, and know a few people that have attended. This was my first experience going to a concert there. My husband and I got there early to look around. It was really fun, and we enjoyed listening to students practice in the small practice cabins littered throughout the campus.

The Concert itself was great. I saw other people complain about having to bring in a clutch or clear bag instead of a purse. Those rules are stated clearly when you buy the ticket though, nice and big. I brought a clutch and was SO glad I did. The stadium is nice, but the seating is old. So there really isn't much space for everyone to be bringing in large bags.

Everyone was also great about listening to the music and not taking out your phones to take photos. (Also a rule) it's the first time in ages I've been anywhere were people weren't taking selfie after selfie the entire time. (People, including me, took out their phones at the very last performance to take photos, and I think that worked best.)

Also, the Tamale Ladies food truck was at the venue! So freaking yummy!

It was horrible here. Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is cheaper and better. Anyways, the cabins leaked, we had a raccoon, and my teacher made our tuba player cry several times. Anyways, Blue Lake has fun teachers, outside pavilion practices, and much more.

Fantastic environment to experience great music, theater, and other performances. Also, a wonderful academic experience. The cosmopolitan setting is hard to find anywhere else; it's unique and wonderful!

Very disorganized, the application process was disorganized and we got passed from staff to staff.

In 1955, I attended National Music Camp (as it was known then and who's sticker is still on my violin case) at Interlochen as a hs grad. I had been a big duck in a CA puddle, but I knew I would be a little duck in a big puddle back here. I was happy bouncing around on Bloody Fridays in the first dozen first violin chairs and in 1st chair second violin in the honor orchestra which played on radio every Sunday. My best friend was Pepper (Judy) Weingard. I took lessons in violin,piano and flute and tried a harp, played for an operetta, sang with dozens of bugs inhaled with each breath at our cabin's turn at nightime serenading, went swimming and sailing & played in many concerts conducted by Dr. Maddy and others. It was the most intense and FUN time I had had in my 17 years! Thank you all who provided and now provide for such an experience.

First I have to say I loved the area and the venue. We went to see a concert and the concert was amazing and it fit the venue very well. In the midst of all of this someone seemed to come up with a series of rules that not only did not make sense, but were enforced by students who were not prepared or mentally mature enough to determine their effect on people. The rules caused confusion and chaos and impacted a significant number of people. I am sure someone thought they were doing it for safety or other reasons, but they did not achieve their goal in a well thought out manner. The volunteers were very helpful and were positive but the actual group of young people in charge were not. I suggest going as this is an amazing place. (My mother went to the school) Be prepared, however, to be treated poorly. Set it aside and enjoy and you might have a good time. (It would be nice too if you could have something besides water when watching a show, not alcohol, but at least something with flavor)