Details:      What to Bring          Questions and Answers

What to Bring

• Alarm clock
• Radio
• Umbrella
• Soap
• Towels & wash clothes
• Medications
• Toiletry items
• Camera and lots of film
• Drinking glass
• Hangers
• Items for auction
• Telephone
• Note paper, pen or pencils
• Juggling items
• Vent figure puppets
• Comedy props for show & tell
• Dollar bills for vending machines
• Soft pillow if you don’t like firm pillows

Questions and Answers

Travel Questions

Q. How do I get to La Crosse?

A. You can fly (yes, La Crosse has an airport serviced by major carriers), use bus service, come by train-Amtrak services La Crosse, or drive your own car. If you drive your own car, parking is available adjacent to the residence hall. A modest parking fee will be assessed at the time of on site registration for those keeping a car on campus.

Q. If I fly to La Crosse, how do I get to campus?
A. Taxi service, which charges a modest fee of approximately $15.00, is available from the airport to campus. Many persons share taxi expenses with other clown travelers arriving at the same time.

Q. Will I need a car while in La Crosse?
A. No, it is not necessary to have local transportation. Campus events are all within walking distance. Anything taking place off campus will have bus transportation provided for you.

Q. How do I find the residence hall?
A. A campus map is located on another page. This map will help orient you to the overall campus. It should be pointed out that UW-L is a closed campus, with no roads running through the campus. Thus you can drive around it, but not through it. Large pedestrian walkways do exist, and one of these is used for limited city bus usage, but is off bounds for automobiles.

Arriving and Departing Questions

Q. When should I arrive?

A. On-site registration begins at 2:30pm on Saturday. While you can begin checking into the Reuter Residence Hall by noon on Saturday, there is really no need to arrive that early. The camp store will also open at 2:30 PM. The first meal service will be Saturday evening, and the first general session will take place at 7:00pm. The evening start time provides persons driving or flying from remote locales the opportunity to participate fully. One exception is a Saturday 4:00pm program intended for 'first timers'. Whether you are a seasoned performer, or a rank beginner, this session will provide you with valuable information, and provide opportunities for questions and answers.

If you must arrive before Friday morning, you will need to secure a local motel for your Friday evening stay. (We do not have access into the residence hall prior to Saturday mornings.) Because La Crosse is a very popular tourist location, motel rooms are often difficult to find at the last minute. (Advanced registrations are highly recommended.)

Q. When is the program over-or when should I plan to leave?
A. The instructional program concludes on Friday evening, around 10pm. The final evening contains a wrap-up program with staff and participants involvement and activities. It is a culminating event, and one you will surely not want to miss. Because the program concludes so late in the day, you are accorded an overnight stay in the residence hall, and breakfast on Friday morning. You are to be checked out of your residence hall room by 9 am on Friday. Extensions may be able to be worked out with housing personnel.

Q. Where should I go first?
A. When you arrive, go to Reuter Hall. Once you have checked into your room, walk over to the on-site registration. It is here that you will get your nametag, notebook and other materials. (Reuter staff will give you directions.)

Camping
Q. Is it possible to camp on campus?
A. While camping is not allowed on campus, registrants will find some lovely campgrounds within reasonable driving distance from campus. The following campsites have been used by camp participants in the past:

Bluebird Springs Recreational Area
N2833 Smith Valley Road, La Crosse tele. 781-2267; This site is located approx.
10-15 minutes from campus-north east of La Cross, Has its own swimming pool
Goose Island Campground
W6488 Co Rd GI, Stoddard tele 788-7018; This site is 3 miles south of La Crosse in a public park, Located on the Mississippi River
Neshonic LakesideCampground,
N5334 Neshonoc Rd. West Salem tele 786-1792; Located 12 miles east of La Crosse Easy drive and only campsites on a Wisconsin Lake
Pettibone RV Park & Campground
333 Park Plaza Dr. La Crosse- tele 782-5858; Closest site-located right in town 7
minutes from campus, Smallest campground-located on backwaters of
Mississippi River

Instructional Program Questions

Q. I'm a beginner, is the program appropriate for me?
A. Absolutely yes! You will not find a better way to begin in clowning, than to attend a one week Clown Camp® program. You'll not only be able to see top professional performances each day, but attend a track of classes especially constructed with persons like yourself in mind. After your track course sessions, you'll be able to select classes or topics that particularly interest you.

Q. Do I have to pre-enroll in a specific course for the week?

A. Yes. You’ll make this selection on the registration form.

Q. I'm an experienced performer, is Clown Camp® going to meet my needs?
A. Yes, you will find a wide array of class offerings to interest you. You will have at least four to six different selections to choose from during the day. And, if you make a selection that proves to not interest you, then leave that session and drop in on another. Clown Camp® does not require you to stay with an experience which is not proving to be of interest or benefit to you.

Miscellaneous Questions
Q. What should I bring along with me to campus?

A. The page on residence halls and food service provides you with a list of items that you might want for your residence hall stay. In addition most campers want to bring notebook paper, pens or pencils, a camera, personal promotional materials (if you are an experienced performer), clown makeup, wardrobe, performance props (magic, puppets, juggling supplies, etc.), items to donate to the charity auction, and some cash to use for purchasing items at the camp store.

Q. Can I bring an animal along with me to camp?
A. Only assist dogs are allowed in campus residence halls or instructional buildings. If you do have one of these animals, advance notice is necessary to provide you with the needed accommodations for your helper. No other animals are allowed, including dogs, cats, monkeys, skunks, birds, etc.

Q. Concerning health issues, does the campus have a health center or hospital on site?
A. We do not have a health center open to us during the summer months. However, in the event of a sudden illness or accident requiring medical treatment or analysis, our campus Protective Services officers can transport persons to local hospitals or clinics. There are no costs for the transport of individuals needing such services. However the costs of treatment are the responsibility of the individual registrant. Bring along necessary insurance documents, so that proper billing can take place.

Q. What about exercise: are facilities available?
A. There are wonderful hiking or jogging paths available adjacent to campus. There are 16 tennis courts on campus, and open access areas for soccer, and basketball. A large recreation center is available on campus, but there is a user fee for those interested in using the weigh training equipment or other services. (An extra cost workout room is also available in Reuter Hall.) A public outdoor swimming pool is located right on campus, and can be used for a modest fee.

Q. Is smoking allowed on campus?
A. At this moment, smoking is still allowed on campus, but not in any of the buildings. (The student senate is currently debating whether or not the entire campus will go smoke free, but at the moment this does not seem to be on the near horizon.) We expect all participants to refrain from smoking anytime they are in costume and makeup.

Q. Can I bring a Non-Participant Spouse?
A. Clown Camp® can arrange to accommodate a non-participating spouse or other relative who may wish to accompany you to campus, but isn't interested in enrolling in the program. Non-participant rates are available, and include all meals and a single occupancy room accommodation in the participating partner’s suite. Non-participants can’t attend any of the daytime sessions, but are welcome to join the participant audiences during the evening performances. We are sometimes asked about local hotel/motel accommodations. Unfortunately none are available within reasonable walking distance of campus.

Q. Is there a registrant age limit?
A. All registrants must be 18 years of age or older, unless accompanied by a registered parent or sponsoring adult. If you are under 18 years of age, and plan to stay in the residence halls, please indicate the name of your parent/sponsor who will be attending with you when you send in the registration form.
(In 2006, 100 year old, Ruth Winblad (see photo), attended camp for the fourth year. She even tried unicycling!)

Q. Can I do video recording at Clown Camp®?

A. You may wish to bring your video camera to capture some of the special memories of Clown Camp® - which is fine, but there are some extremely important rules about video recording. You will not be allowed to videotape any of the staff performances. You will not be allowed to videotape any classes (although audio recording is fine with the permission of the class instructor). You also can’t video tape any performances on Open Mic nights - unless given permission by the performer, or if you are having someone videotape your own performance. But we do encourage you to take all the photographs you can! As you can see by the photos on this website, there is never a shortage of photo opportunities at any given time of the day or night while at Clown Camp®!