Chautauqua Institution

Chautauqua Institution is an educational center on the shore of Chautauqua Lake in western New York State, offering courses, lectures, and artistic performances in historic buildings and open spaces. The grounds include theaters, an open pavilion for concerts, a library, and residences arranged around a central amphitheater.

Two Methodists founded this place in 1874 as a summer camp for Sunday school teachers on the shore of the lake. Over the following decades, the program expanded and attracted speakers, artists, and scholars from across the country who addressed large audiences here.

The name comes from a word used by the Seneca Nation and refers to the nearby lake that has been part of the landscape for centuries. Visitors today see Victorian wooden houses along narrow streets, where families return during summer months and participate in public events.

Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the paths between buildings are walked and the grounds slope gently. Guided tours are available during the summer season and last about an hour, with groups walking through the center at several stops.

An open wooden amphitheater that seats several thousand people has stood at the center for over a century and is still used today for concerts and speeches. The acoustics in this structure without amplification allow speakers to be heard by audiences in the back rows.