Welcome to "Orphanage Camps"

We Are taking a year off. No OE Camps for 2024.

See you in 2025!

2025 ORPHANAGE!

We BUILD better Burners

Our camps create the interactivity that is critical to the Burning Man experience.
Additionally we provide a well organized and comfortable camp to call home.

Interactivity planned for 2025:

  • SQUID Games, but with "less lethal" weapons
  • Orphanage Bar & Brewery, voted one of the top 25 bars in BRC
  • TRUMP ASSault, giant dildos, baseball bats and the DONALD
  • Daddy WARBUCKS Cigar Lounge
  • Captain RON's Fishing Shack & Hoist, fish for hippies with Hi Tech baits
  • Swinging DICKS bowling pit

We are NOT a Plug & Play camp!

All of our campers are expected to PARTICIPATE in making the magic that is Black Rock City. If you’re looking for a P&P or tunkey camp, do us all a favor and go to Coachella or EDC……..

 Fun at camp
camp history

A Bit of History...

In 2010, the Orphan camp was established for “loners who didn’t want to be totally alone”. Orphans who either couldn’t talk anyone into going with them; or their friends had bailed, or couldn’t get a ticket. The original Orphan Endorphin camp grew in popularity and size over 2011 and 2012, and we filled up fast. Not wanting to exclude anyone who wanted the Orphan experience, we created satellite camps. Modeled after the “mothership” these camps developed and evolved based on the character and mood of their populace. In the past, we’ve had camps feature a high-rise scaffolding structure, a custom washing machine burn barrel, and a mobile coffee delivery wagon.
vita
In 2013, we expanded again, moved the camps from the 3 o’clock side to the other side of the city, and became even more crazy! All three camps were located on the 8 o’clock radial, with Orphan Endorphin at B street, Orphans Too at H, and Li'l Orphan Annex at I. We added community shade structures for tents and established the Asylum Bar at Orphans Too. The Orphanage Bar at Orphan Endorphin enhanced its reputation as being THE most popular 24/7 ‘dive bar’ to hang out at. Frank, our magic transvestite goat mascot, became the victim of what is now known as the “Frank Wars”, and suffered humiliation and mutilation at the hands of the ‘rebel scum’ at Orphans Too.

In 2014, we expanded yet again, with more community shade space and more interactivity. The “three camp” model worked really well. Orphan Endorphin was located at a prime location at 7.30 & B, at the mouth of the 7.30 portal. Orphans Too was at 7.15 & H, and Li'l Orphan Annex was at 7.15 & J. The Orphanage Bar served copious quantities of beer, much of it brewed by our growing community of Orphan Homebrewers. We created the battle arena and brought Hippie Hunger Games to the playa for the first time at Orphan Endorphin. The Asylum Bar at Orphans Too became a popular suburban bar. Li'l Orphan Annex was a huge success, and served as a haven of relative peace and quiet on the edge of the city. The “Frank Wars” continued, and Frank even made it on a plane to take a flight above Black Rock City.

2015. Damn, it was dusty! Despite the wind, we successfully set up our biggest camps yet - more shade, more interactivity and more campers spread across our three camps. Orphan Endorphin was at 7 & A, Orphan’s Too was at 7:15 & E, and Li'l Orphan Annex was at 7:15 & J. The Orphanage Bar provided was a refuge from the weather with all the finest beer you could drink! Our homebrewers brought our ciders, meads, and gallons of homebrewed beer. We even had a midnight brew session on a particularly chilly night. When the weather climbed back up in the afternoons, we served ice cream to delighted passersby! We managed to hold the CARnival of Death Race when the dust died down. Our campers brought out projects including an incredible interactive light dome, and a cozy cuddle puddle yurt that was a popular spot to hide out from the weather. The Asylum Bar was back with even more delicious beer. Li'l Orphan Annex celebrated the marriage of two of our campers!

2016 was a year of change for us. We decided to experiment and try something new: we combined Orphan Endorphin and Orphans Too into one large village! Who would have ever thought after all these years of friendly competition, that we would bring out the laurels and join forces? To our amazement, it worked really well for us and we were placed at the prime location of 7&C! Even though we combined forces, we agreed that both camps should still retain their own name and identity. What about Lil’ Orphan Annex, you say? Not to worry, they were in their usual location at 7&?. Yet again, the Orphanage Bar was the neighborhood hotspot, complete with cocktails, vodka infusions, and gallons of beer, including our famous homebrews. Not to mention the gold lamé underwear disco parties (you read that correctly), Backstreet Boys sing alongs (yes we’re serious), and the return of Birthday Thursday (the fastest growing holiday on the playa). There was cake. In keeping with the year’s theme we brought the Wheels of Da Vinci Jousting Arena. It was exactly what it sounds like. For those looking for a more relaxed experience we offered Daddy Warbuck’s Cigar Lounge, the Lit for Lit Library, and Woon’s renowned Regalo Gelato. Mmmmm gelato. Lil Orphan Annex hosted a ramen dinner by camp member who is a professional chef!

2017. Was that hot AF or what?! Seriously though, I don’t think we’ve ever experienced a hotter Burn. That didn’t stop us from having one hell of a time, though. Since it worked so well for us the previous year, we once again combined the forces of OE and OT to create the Orphanage Village. We were even placed in the same location of 7&C! ‘Lil Orphan Annex was out at its calm location of 7&K. To beat the heat, we really upped our game at the Orphanage Bar by having a daily menu of specialty and bespoke cocktails, as well as a selection of fine beer and cider. Vodka infusions were a hit at the bar as always, and we even hosted Orphan Annie’s Shimmy Academy on the dance floor, where participants could learn the Electric Slide, the Cupid Shuffle or the Cha Cha Slide! Captain Ron brought back his Hippie Fishing Hoist, and a new bawdy activity: Swinging Dicks Bowling Alley, where participants knocked over Drumpf adorned bowling pins with dildos in a stocking. You can imagine what a hit this was with passersby! Our annual Supper Club really warmed our hearts and bellies, and one of our German camp mates even made fresh pretzels! The Germans really stepped it up this year because they also brought the Spielmaschine, an interactive video game, and they even helped build a shrine around The Temple of the Golden Spike, where the Man was housed! Lil Orphan Annex garnered a little reputation for its Snow Cone Karaoke, especially on those sizzling hot days.

In 2019 we will continue with the Orphanage Village model, and we look forward to really running with this year’s theme of Metamorphoses. More surprises anon...

Galleries

 



Useful External Links
 Principal Principles

 

Here Are The 3 Camps

Orphan Endorphin Camp MORE

The "HEART" of the ORPHANAGE

Orphan Endorphin in 2022 is a camp for those who have already camped with one of our camps in the past. "Noobs" can apply for the camp but must be sponsored by a member in good standing. Our campers are the lifeblood that keeps the interactivity going and the beer flowing. We provide massive infrastructure including a community kitchen, showers, evap pond and tent shade. We’re always placed in the 7:30 sector, known far and wide as the best neighborhood in all of Black Rock City

Your adoption fee INCLUDES a 10x10 shade space under the (O)rphanage) (S)hade (H)ousing (I)ndividual (T)ents

Adoption fees (non refundable):
$200.00 USD

OE camp photo 2015

 

Orphans Too MORE

A subdivision within the ORPHANAGE

Located in the back 40 of the village, this camp will share the same amenities as Orphan Endorphin, including a fully equipped kitchen, showers, and gray water evap pond. There is NO tent shade option for this camp!

Adoption fees (non refundable):
$150.00 USD

Your adoption fees help pay for camp operations, infrastructure, storage, transport, repair and replacement. Additionally it enables us to gift massive amounts of alcohol to the citizens of BRC.

OT camp photo 2014

 

Li’l Orphan Annex MORE

A suburban outpost

Li’l Orphan Annex offers a peaceful retreat for our quiet-seeking campers who still want to participate in the Orphanage activities. We are laid-back, friendly folk who take pride in our radical self-reliance, while enjoying each other’s company. We encourage new members and experienced burners who prefer a little more independence.

The Annex offers a large community shade shelter to escape to blistering rays of the SUN and a fully-equipped kitchen. We reserve land in rural Black Rock City, where your chances of getting a decent night’s sleep improve. There is NO shower or evap pond, and NO tent shade.

Adoption fees (non refundable): $75.00 USD

Your adoption fees help pay for camp operations, infrastructure, storage, transport, repair and replacement. Additionally it enables us to gift massive amounts of alcohol to the citizens of BRC.