Some places are designed. Others evolve. And a rare few carry forward a mission across decades, adapting to serve new needs while honoring what they’ve always been: gathering places where people connect, grow, and create memories that last lifetimes.

Camp Reily in Harrisburg, PA is one of those rare places.

For nearly 100 years, this property in Middle Paxton Township has witnessed the kind of moments that shape lives. First as a summer camp where generations of young kids discovered confidence and independence. Now as a heritage event venue where couples marry, teams retreat, and celebrations unfold on land that remembers what it means to bring people together with purpose.

This is the story of how a generous gift in 1927 became a beloved institution, survived a critical turning point in, and continues creating meaning today.

The Gift That Started a Legacy
When Helen Boas Reily, last occupant of the historic Fort Hunter Mansion, donated 10 acres in Middle Paxton Township to the YWCA Greater Harrisburg in 1927, she invested in generations she would never meet. Her vision was simple yet ambitious: create a place where children could swim, explore, play, and build confidence in an environment that nurtured independence.

The property eventually grew to 28 acres of Pennsylvania woodland, complete with trails, fields, and gathering spaces—all designed to give Harrisburg-area youth experiences they couldn’t find anywhere else. Helen understood that the right environment changes what people believe is possible, and that memories made in certain places shape who we become.

For over 70 years, Camp Reily served as a YWCA weekday day camp, making enriching summer experiences accessible to families throughout the Harrisburg area.

The Pool taught courage—where “I can’t” became “I did it.”

The Trails taught curiosity—campers learned to navigate, identify wildlife, and move through nature with confidence.

The Lodge taught what it meant to gather with purpose—rainy day crafts, camp songs, and the warmth of belonging.

The Fields hosted relay races, kickball marathons, and the kind of unstructured play that built cooperation and genuine fun.

The Friendships lasted lifetimes—children from different schools and neighborhoods became friends through shared adventures.

For many decades, generation after generation spent their summers at Camp Reily. Mothers and fathers who attended as children brought their own kids. The property became woven into family stories and Harrisburg community memory.

The YWCA Greater Harrisburg Legacy
Since the 1890s, the YWCA Greater Harrisburg has worked to empower women and eliminate racism through leadership development, economic advancement, and community programming. Camp Reily embodied these values: empowerment through experience, accessibility across economic backgrounds, safe community, and leadership development as counselors-in-training returned to mentor the next generation.

That legacy lives in the land itself. You can feel it in the way light filters through the trees. In the way the lodge invites people to slow down and settle in. In the way strangers become friends over shared meals and evening fires.

While Camp Reily’s chapter with the YWCA has closed, the organization’s vital work in our community continues. We honor their 70+ years of stewardship here by encouraging you to support their ongoing mission of empowering women and eliminating racism throughout Central Pennsylvania. To learn more about the YWCA and its programs, please visit www.ywcahbg.org.

2023: A Critical Turning Point
When the property sold in 2023, Camp Reily faced an uncertain future. The 28-acre woodland could easily have been subdivided, developed, or transformed beyond recognition.

Instead, the Browns purchased Camp Reily with a specific vision: preservation over development. They understood that Pennsylvania is losing accessible natural spaces at an alarming rate, and that the best way to protect what matters is to give it continued purpose.

Camp Reily would not become condos. The lodge would not be demolished. The trails would not be paved over.

Camp Reily Today: Preservation With Purpose
Walk the property today and you’ll recognize what made it special. The Lodge still stands strong with its commanding stone fireplace. The trails still wind through acres of protected Pennsylvania woodland. The Field still offers open possibility. The spirit of gathering continues.

The YWCA brought campers here to build confidence and forge friendships. Today’s couples come for weddings that feel authentic and meaningful. Corporate teams gather for retreats that genuinely strengthen connection. Families celebrate milestones in a setting that adds significance.

Different events, same underlying truth: certain places facilitate human connection that doesn’t happen easily elsewhere.

Former Campers Returning
Some of the most moving moments happen when former YWCA campers return events. They immediately recognize everything: that tree, that turn in the trail, the view from the lodge. Memories flood back—swimming lessons, rainy day crafts, friendships that felt infinite.

Several former campers have already returned to Camp Reily for their event—it’s circular in the best way. Their stories are remarkably consistent:

“I can’t believe it’s still here.”
“It looks exactly like I remember.”
“This place made me who I am.”

In a world where places like this usually disappear, that continuity matters.

When you celebrate at a historic venue like Camp Reily, you’re not just renting space. You’re participating in a legacy. Your event becomes part of what this place has witnessed, adding your story to nearly a century of memories.

Pennsylvania is losing historic properties at an alarming rate. Every preserved property represents a choice—someone deciding that history, character, and continuity matter enough to protect. What you gain is irreplaceable: authenticity, depth, connection to place and time, stories that can’t be manufactured.

The Story Continues
Camp Reily’s next century won’t look like its first, but the essential mission continues: creating space for meaningful gathering, facilitating human connection, serving as a place where important moments happen.

The property is being carefully maintained. Infrastructure is being updated while preserving historic character. And most importantly, the gates remain open—to couples, teams, families, and groups seeking what the YWCA provided for decades: a place in nature where something significant can happen.

Visit Camp Reily
Tours are available by appointment. Whether you’re a former camper returning to see how the property has evolved, a couple considering it for your wedding, or a company planning a retreat—you are welcome.

Contact: (717) 580-4179 | campreily2025@gmail.com
Address: 300 Camp Reily Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112