kindergarten field trips in orange county

Orange County Field Trips

When it comes to learning, the home and classroom have many great resources. But exploring your surroundings, seeing things in person, and using hands-on activities can help increase what students retain, improves the ability to learn and remember new skills, and honestly, who doesn’t love getting out and exploring someplace new. Here are some of the best places to go in Orange County for a Field Trip.

Animals & Marine Science

Local animal lovers have many options to explore and learn about different species all over Orange County . Here are some destinations you won’t want to miss, followed by a list of more places to visit for in-depth animal fun.

Zoomars at River Street Ranch

Los Rios Historic District 31791 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano Open all week 10 – 4

Take the kids out to this family-owned farm and get to know the residents. From guinea pigs and goats to horses and llamas, everyone will leave with a favorite. Guests can interact with the animals by holding and petting, grooming and feeding them – of course levels of interaction vary by breed. Other attractions available at Zoomars includes pony rides, mining, play areas, train rides, and excavators.

Zoomars is located in San Juan Capistrano ‘s Los Rios Historic District so you can turn this field trip into a complete history study. Los Rios is the oldest neighborhood in California, established in the 1700’s by workers from the nearby Mission . Three original adobes still stand.

Check out all the petting zoos in Orange County .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zoomars at River Street Ranch (@zoomars) on Aug 17, 2020 at 5:50pm PDT

Pacific Marine Mammal Center

20612 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Open daily 10AM – 4PM

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach rescues, rehabilitates, and releases sick and injured marine mammals and educates the community to become involved in ocean stewardship. Young students can participate in-person and through virtual camps and programs that introduce them to marine science, conservation, animal health, and ecology. Programs and field trips are available for all ages. Certain programs and field trips are geared for specific age groups and most can be tailored to the ages and interests of the participants. Programs offered include:

• Meet the Patients: Marine Mammal Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release (all ages)
• Marine Mammal Senses (ages 5-8)
• California Sea Lion Life, History, Ecology & Conservation (ages 9 & up)
• Ocean Emergency (ages 9 & up)
• Chat With An Expert (all ages)
• Stewards of the Sea (grades 3-5)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pacific Marine Mammal Center (@pacificmmc) on Aug 16, 2020 at 9:46am PDT

More Animal Fun

• Santa Ana Zoo – 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92701
• OC Zoo – 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869
• Our list of Best Petting Zoos
• Prehistoric Pets Reptile Zoo – 18822 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708
• Magnolia Bird Farm – 8990 W Cerritos Ave, Anaheim, CA 92804
• Omar’s Exotic Birds – Brea: 903 E. Imperial Hwy & Lake Forest: 23507 El Toro Rd.
• Back Bay Science Center – 600 Shellmaker Rd, Newport Beach, CA 92660
• Dennis Kelly Aquarium at Orange Coast College – Lewis Center, 2701 Fairview Rd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
• Centennial Farm at OC Fair and Event Center – 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
• Laguna Koi Ponds – 20452 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
• The Ocean Institute – 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA 92629
• Discovery Cube’s Ocean Quest – Temporarily Closed
• Oasis Camel Dairy – Not in OC but a home educator favorite – 26757 CA-78, Ramona, CA 92065

Museums, Makers, and Artists

There are numerous art and children’s museums throughout the Orange County area with programs that explore creativity, culture, history, and science. Even when the museums are closed, they offer a variety of learning opportunities for the community.

Here are just a few of the ways these facilities contribute to your educational adventure even when you can’t physically visit the facility:

• Bower’s Museum offers in-person (when open) and online programming and even pre-packaged kits complete with supplies, information, and links to instructions that you can pick up curb-side. 2002 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92706
• DiscoveryCube has introduced DiscoveryCube Connect to bring virtual STEM-themed lessons and experiments to homes everywhere. 2500 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92705

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Discovery Cube (@thediscoverycube) on Aug 7, 2020 at 9:56am PDT

You can also get to know local artisans and explore their crafts by visiting some of the many Art Walks throughout the year. You never know where you’ll find inspiration for your next project or new favorite hobby.

Public art displays throughout the area also add to the history and culture of the county.

For an additional creative experience, check out one of the local makerspaces. These offer ways for kids to explore STEAM-based projects through creative reuse of repurposed materials. Many offer scheduled programming with with specific themes, open studio, field trips, and more. When the makerspaces are closed, they are busy offering virtual activities and resources.

Here are a few of the makerspaces in Orange County:

• Child Creativity Lab – 1901 Carnegie Ave Ste 1A, Santa Ana, CA 92705
• HBPL Makerspace – 7111 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
• Urban Workshop – 365 Clinton St Suite A, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
• UCI FABWorks – University of Irvine

Check out all the free museum days in Southern California and how to get free and discounted museum admission .

Farms, Gardens, Ecology, & Environment

Farm+food lab at the great park.

Orange County Great Park 8000 Great Park Blvd, Irvine, CA 92618

Staffed by University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, students can learn all about gardening, sustainability, composting and more. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about the process of growing food and how they can create their own garden at home from raised beds and large scale themed gardens, to utilizing small spaces by planting window gardens and patio planters. They can even take a class on pickling and canning their own foods. Guided tours are available when open to the public but field trips must be scheduled in advance.

Centennial Farm

Orange County Fair & Event Center 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Animal lovers enjoy Centennial farm for an up-close visit with pigs, cows, goats, and other livestock. However, the grounds are full of gardens and the educational programs they offer teach kids about farming, gardening, agriculture and more.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Enjoy Orange County (@enjoyorangecounty) on Jan 13, 2020 at 2:09pm PST

Here are a few more places to visit if you’re interested in farms, ecology, conservation, and the environment:

• Backyard Bees – Orange, CA
• Crystal Cove Environmental Study Loop – 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, California 92651
• The Ecology Center – 32701 Alipaz St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
• Fullerton Arboretum – 1900 Associated Rd, Fullerton, CA 92831
• Hortense Miller Garden – 22511 Allview Terrace, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
• Manaserro Farms – 33 Irvine Valley, Irvine, CA 92604
• Niguel Botanical Preserve – 29751 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
• Sherman Library & Gardens – 2647 East Coast Hwy, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
• Tanaka Farms – 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

Local History & Culture

Orange County is rich in history and every city has historic sites to explore, local museums and societies, parks and trails. While many of these are self guided, you can explore Orange County at your leisure and discover topics from early mammals and the first Native Americans to settlement of the coast and the oil boom. Here is a list of destinations that focus on the history and culture of the Orange County region.

• Arden: Helena Modjeska Historic House & Gardens – 29042 Modjeska Canyon Rd, Silverado, CA 92676
• Balboa Island Museum – 210 Marine Ave, Newport Beach, CA 92662
• Casa Romantica – 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672
• Heritage Hill Historical Park – 25151 Serrano Rd, Lake Forest, CA 92630
• Heritage Museum of Orange County – 3101 W Harvard St, Santa Ana, CA 92704
• Los Rios Historic District – 31831 Los Rios St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
• Lyon Air Museum – 19300 Ike Jones Rd, Santa Ana, CA 92707
• Marconi Automotive Museum – 1302 Industrial Dr, Tustin, CA 92780
• Mission San Juan Capistrano – 26801 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
• The Muckenthaler Cultural Center – 1201 W Malvern Ave, Fullerton, CA 92833
• Muzeo – 241 S Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805
• Newland House – 19820 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
• Old Orange County Courthouse – 211 W Santa Ana Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92701
• Olinda Oil Museum & Trail – 4025 E Santa Fe Rd, Brea, CA 92823
• Ramon Peralta Adobe Historic Site – 6398 E Santa Ana Canyon Rd, Anaheim, CA 92807
• Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace – 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
• Stanley Ranch Museum – 12174 S Euclid St, Garden Grove, CA 92840
• Yorba Cemetery – Woodgate Park, Yorba Linda, CA 92886

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lyon Air Museum (@lyonairmuseum) on Aug 24, 2020 at 4:18pm PDT

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Starting at $11.00 per student

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Lace up your curiosity as we dive into the fascinating physics behind slap shots that send pucks rocketing towards the net. From understanding the science of friction and ice to unraveling the secrets of momentum and force, you’ll discover that the ice rink is a classroom of excitement and wonder. Hold onto your helmets, because this isn’t just a classroom – it’s an interactive adventure that’ll have you testing your own shooting skills, immersing in hockey game play, and diving into the science behind the action.

Get ready to embark on a captivating journey to Discovery Cube, where students will explore the wonders of the ocean and take a deep dive into the importance of our watershed. During this immersive experience, students in 3rd and 4th grades will discover the vital connection between our local watershed and the health of the ocean, as well as how our everyday choices can impact the ocean ecosystem.

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Program Highlights

Students will enjoy large scale science exhibits and an interactive Next Generation Science Standards correlated workshop designed for each grade level.

STEM Videos

Each field trip includes exciting STEM videos featuring puppets & animation to help students discover and understand science concepts.

Hands-On Activities

Experience also includes activities & hands-on learning that can be used in the classroom pre and post field trip for a complete week-long science curriculum.

Our Mission is to INSPIRE and EDUCATE young minds through engaging science-based programs and exhibits therefore creating a meaningful IMPACT on the communities we serve.

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2500 N Main Street Santa Ana, CA 92705

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Field Trips

Irvine Park Railroad offers activities for schools and groups. Activities include:

4th Grade California History Education Program

Pumpkin Patch Tours

Group sales, surrey scavenger hunt.

Group Rentals – Bike & Paddle Boat

4th Grade Field Trips

Group Rentals Bike & Paddle Boat

For more information or to make a reservation, call (714) 997-3968 x2230..

Nature Classes and Camps for Kids in Orange County

Outdoor Learning — Nature Classes and Camps Directory

We are so lucky to have nature classes and nature camps for kids in Orange County . Although, I’ve always valued and promoted purely unstructured play – there are also benefits to outdoor learning. I’m hoping this becomes an ultimate list of all the outdoor learning opportunities and field trips for kids in Orange County .

Nature Classes in Orange County

FEATURED SPONSORS

Inside the Outdoors Summer Day Camp Locations: Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach Ages: 6-18 years old Cost: $275 (Extended Camp available from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm for an additional fee of $75)

(Disclosure: I work as social media manager for Inside the Outdoors Foundation for every school year starting in 2017-18 up until the most recent school year in 2022-23. They became sponsors before I started working for them. I don’t charge them for the featured listing, but I still want to support their work.)

GENERAL CLASS LISTINGS

OC Zoo Preschool Programs Location: OC Zoo inside Irvine Regional Park Ages: 3-4 years old Cost: Cost is $5 per child (one parent included). Fee to park paid separately.

OC Zoo Programs for older kids Location: OC Zoo inside Irvine Regional Park Ages: 5-6 year olds ONLY programs and 7-10 year olds ONLY programs Cost: Cost is $5 per child (one parent included). Fee to park paid separately.

Wild Tales at Upper Newport Bay Location: Muth Interpretive Center Ages: 2-4 years old Cost per class: Free, registration required

The Dragonfly Shops & Gardens Fairy Garden workshops for kids (check their calendar) Location: Orange Ages: Varies Cost per class: Varies

Tinkergarten Locations: Enter your zip code into their website to find a location near you Ages: 18 months – 5 years old, sometimes up to 8 years old Cost: $180 per 8 week session

Family Nature Hikes or Programs

Back Bay Science Center

• Community Day

Environmental Nature Center

• Family classes and community events

Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks

Laguna Canyon Foundation

• Family Hikes

Newport Bay Conservancy

• Restoration events
• Kayak tours

Ocean Institute

• Family programs and community events

Nature Camps in Orange County

Inside the Outdoors Summer Day Camps

Earthroots Field School

Sea and Sage Audubon

Starr Ranch Junior Biologists

Turtle Rock Nature Center in Irvine

Schools with a Play-Based or Outdoor/Nature Focus

Annaliese Schools in Laguna Beach (Private School)

Environmental Nature Center (Nature Preschool)

Journey School in Aliso Viejo (Public Charter School)

Multi-Age Program at Orangethorpe Elementary in Fullerton (Public School)

Piper Preschool (Irvine)

St. Paul’s Preschool in Tustin (Demonstration site for the Outdoor Classroom Project)

Turtle Rock in Irvine (Preschool, Kindergarten, Academy)

Organized Outdoor Groups for Parents to Get Their Kids Out in Nature

Hike It Baby Orange County Cost: $10/year membership

2023 Summer Camps

Summer 2023 will start the season for summer camp sign-ups. Most sign-ups start in March and that’s when I start updating my annual post about summer nature camp or at least those with outdoor themes. Here’s a link to my post on OC summer camps with outdoor themes . I will be updating it as new info becomes available. 

Disclaimer: Please contact listings directly for questions. Directory information subject to change without notice. This listing does not constitute or imply endorsement by FunOrangeCountyParks.com. The views and opinions expressed in this listing do not necessarily state or reflect those of FunOrangeCountyParks.com. FunOrangeCountyParks.com does not make any warranty, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information from this server or the links to servers via FunOrangeCountyParks.com. Sponsors may include tracking links to help determine the value of their sponsorship investment.

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The Best PreK and Kindergarten Field Trips (Both Virtual and In-Person!)

From the pumpkin patch to the fire station.

Kinders are a wild bunch and taking them anywhere might seem daunting, but field trips provide kids with the kind of real-world learning that really sticks with them. These kindergarten field trips will keep your young students interested and (mostly) out of trouble.

Not all of these trips will be possible everywhere, but keep in mind local treasures that are unique to your area. And when you can’t manage a trip—for whatever reason—try our virtual kindergarten field trips below.

In-Person Kindergarten Field Trips

1. the pumpkin patch.

Is it even kindergarten if you don’t go to the pumpkin patch? Many locations offer tours via hayride and the opportunity to learn how vegetables like pumpkins grow. And, of course, picking out your own pumpkin is the best part!

2. The Grocery Store

A behind-the-scenes trip to the supermarket can teach kindergarteners everything from how their food is sourced to the concept of paying for goods with money. They can explore different roles and departments and—everyone’s favorite—try food samples.

Going to the zoo provides students with the chance to observe animal behaviors and learn about wildlife conservation. Most of them, like the San Diego Zoo , have educational programs, including keeper talks and up-close animal encounters.

4. A Children’s Museum

At children’s museums, the rule is: Please touch! If you’re lucky enough to have a children’s museum close by, most have areas specifically designed for children ages 5-6. Look for role-play areas, climbing structures, and water play.

5. The Fire Station

Grades K–2 are big on learning about community helpers, so the fire station is a great choice! A visit can help ease young children’s anxiety (sometimes firefighters can look scary in all their gear). And they’re sure to be fascinated by the trucks and equipment.

6. An Apple Orchard

Who doesn’t love apple activities ? A visit to the orchard allows little ones to learn how apples are raised and harvested. This is a great opportunity for them to pick their own apples and taste different varieties.

7. The Public Library

It’s never too early to teach kids about the amazing place that is their local library. On a trip to the public library, you can show your kinders how a library works, introduce them to the librarians (ask in advance for a storytime), and maybe even sign them up for their own library cards!

8. The Aquarium

If you’re not lucky enough to have a zoo close by, an aquarium is another good choice. Students will get a window into life under the sea, and lots of aquariums have touch pools that are sure to delight littles.

9. A Bakery

On a bakery field trip, curious kindergarteners can learn about how bread, cakes, and pastries are made. Take a tour of the kitchen and watch the mixing of ingredients and the baking process. Some bakeries even offer kids’ activities, like cookie decorating!

A farm field trip is a great way to connect children to agriculture. Plus, there are all kinds: dairy farms, poultry farms, apiaries, and more. You might try a large commercial dairy farm or a smaller family-owned hobby farm.

Virtual Kindergarten Field Trips

1. an egg farm.

We love these virtual egg farm field trips from the American Egg Board. Make sure you catch the elementary-friendly versions of Hertzfeld Poultry and Creighton Brothers Farms.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6wbfVWVk8Q[/embedyt]

Most zoos have live webcams in some of their most popular exhibits, such as the Panda Cam at Zoo Atlanta . However, some zoos offer a more in-depth look. You’ll definitely want to check out the San Diego Zoo .

3. The Aquarium

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8__n13tKM[/embedyt]

It’s a similar story with aquariums. You have your pick of live webcams, but our favorites are the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager webcam (wait for the whale shark!) and the “jellycam” at Monterey Bay Aquarium (so soothing). And definitely check out  The Maritime Aquarium where you can register for their virtual programs (try Fish Tales, A House for a Hermit Crab, or Shark Safari).

4. Boston Children’s Museum

“Walk” through all three floors of the Boston Children’s Museum on this virtual tour . Direct your students to the Countdown to Kindergarten exhibit.

What are your favorite kindergarten field trips? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out the  Best Field Trip Ideas for Every Age and Interest (Virtual Options Too!)

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260+ Field Trip Ideas for Grades Pre-K Through 12 (In-Person and Virtual)

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Best Places in Orange County, CA to Take Students for Field Trip

• Orange County CA

Getting an education is about more than sitting in class and reading from a book. It’s more than tests and homework and pop quizzes. It’s also about experiencing life.

With Orange County, CA, field trips, students can get a diverse taste of fun and culture to cultivate the imagination and get them thinking about what they want to do after school is over.

To help you determine the right student field trips in Orange County, Pacific Coachways has put together a list of the best places in the area for that next experience. Let’s get started!

1. Orange County Museum of Art

The Orange County Museum of Art should be on any list of the best Orange County school field trips. Educators have the opportunity to show students some of the most captivating works with a plan tailor-made for schools of all sizes and age groups. According to the official rules from the site’s web page, the OCMA will even provide a $100 transportation reimbursement to make the trip more affordable.

2. Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Yet another great choice if you’re in charge of planning Orange County school trips is taking the kids to an event or simply a prearranged tour of the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, where the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim call home. Public tour prices for students 14 and under run $6, and private tour options are available for $2 more per student.

This is a particularly good idea if you have students, who are more athletic-minded and tune out when studies are involved. By giving them the incentive of a field trip to Angel Stadium of Anaheim, you improve their chances of staying engaged.

3. Newport Landing Whale Watching

Want to give students the opportunity to experience the life aquatic in a way they never could via textbook? Consider taking them to Newport Landing Whale Watching, where they could interact with whales and dolphins and other aquatic wildlife year-round.

Special packages exist for educators and their students, which you can read up on at this link .

4. Knott’s Berry Farm

One type of field trip students often find hard to resist is the amusement park. Knott’s Berry Farm and Soak City delivers everything they’re looking for with tube and body slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and a water funhouse area. That doesn’t even touch on the other thrill rides, shows, and attractions, that are great for rewarding your students on a job well done. To learn more about the specific packages available, visit the official website at this link .

There are dozens of other great picks for your Orange County school field trips. Wherever you end up deciding to take your students, don’t be intimidated by the logistics.

Pacific Coachways has many years of experience navigating not only the options presented above, but others including beaches, concert/retreat centers, outdoor education areas, and other performance venues. So whether you have a senior trip, band excursion, or any other type of field trip on the horizon, let us take you there.

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Field Trips

Come experience our day immersion programs!

Groups will be provided a more in-depth academic version of one of the following:

Mine Immersion

A perfect rotation for California students which combines the basics of geology, mining, and the history of the Gold Rush. As the area that gives the most “take-aways”; students are able to crack open and keep their own geodes after learning the unique way they are created, polish and keep their own rocks in order to process a natural resource into a manmade one, learn the different characteristics of rocks in order to help identify them, and experience several different mining practices in a very real way. Our campus offers a fully functioning 1800 ft mine simulation, complete with mining helmets with lights, shovels and pickaxes, authentic mining sounds, and two digging areas. Students are fully immersed in what a real mine would sound and look like. They are also able to pan for gold in real sluice boxes while learning how miners were able to get land to mine and how they panned for it. Students then visit the Assay Office to learn how gold and other metals are tested for their purity and value. Students also focus on the positive and negative implications of mining upon our society and our environment and about improvements in the field that will affect both safety and sustainability.

Wacky Science Immersion

One of our most popular programs in which students learn the basics of chemistry and biology through fun hands-on experiments! Students engage concepts such as covalent bonds and how we create and break them, non-Newtonian liquids and how they bend the laws of physics, and how matter can go through fascinating processes such as sublimation and deposition. Students are also able to observe both implosions and explosions, as well as, learn about acidic-basic reactions to fully understand the differences between physical and chemical reactions. The students will be able to extract, isolate, and observe the DNA of different fruit/vegetable in minutes. Our trained instructors can juggle fire, create explosions, and teach about free radicals, convection, and thermal energy in a safe yet captivating way.

Ranch Immersion

At the Ranch, students will explore the relationship between humans and the environment in a small-scale agricultural setting. Orchard pests will be identified, and the role that insects play in helping us maintain a healthy and biologically diverse agroecosystem will be discovered! Students will take a close look at the importance of pollinators and explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and the European honey bee. We will also investigate the living compost system and discuss the role that decomposers play in the nitrogen cycle. Hypotheses will be formed regarding plant health, and testing for macronutrients and pH levels in the soil will be carried out. Students will learn about the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into an out-of-living organism. Additionally, the distribution of water, resources on earth, and the water cycle will be discussed. Students will have the opportunity to explore the garden and orchard, harvesting, and juicing fruits and vegetables fresh from the earth. In the end, students learn the important lesson that if we take care of the earth, the earth will take care of us!

STEM Immersion

Our STEM program is going to bring life to science, technology, engineering, art, and math components. Students will be immersed in various STEM based activities that can include sessions that revolve around our earth system, structural integrity, and the human body.

We also host academic field trips at the Newport Sea Base! Please visit Journey to the Ocean for more information.

Our son completed science camp and could not be happier. He had a wonderful experience. What he learned in 3 short days far exceeded our expectations. Colleen M.

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Museum hours: Mon-Sat: 10am - 5pm | Sun: 12pm - 5pm

School Field Trips

Onsite Field Trips to the History Center

Themed field trips.

We offer a variety of themed options for field trips to best fit your curriculum needs. Each field trip option allows for hands-on exploration of the museum, with additional activities and experiences.

Available field-trip themes:

(Please note that at this time our Fall 2023 field trip slots are booked to capacity for groups of more than 50 students. We are currently accepting registrations for Spring 2024.)

• Highlights of the Museum (all grade levels) – A comprehensive overview of 14,000 years of Florida history, spanning a variety of content areas. Enjoy free supplemental activities.
• First Floridians (grades 2 and up) – A look at the lifeways of Florida’s indigenous people, with a focus on the Timucua and the Seminoles. Enjoy free supplemental activities.
• Breaking Barriers (grades 2 and up) – An exploration of Black history in Florida, through the stories of those who broke through barriers and inspired change. Enjoy free supplemental activities.
• Pioneer Hustle (grades 1 and up) – An overview of life as a pioneer, with a look at what it took to survive on the Florida frontier. Enjoy free supplemental activities.

Onsite field trips include:

• 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. schedule, with five rotating stops
• Hands-on workshop based on selected tour theme
• Courtroom mock trial experience
• STEM challenge activities, hands-on replicas and primary sources*
• Standard-based lesson plans emailed to teacher

*Activities and exhibits are subject to change

Cost for Field Trips:

$8 per student. One free chaperone per 10 students. $8 per additional chaperone. (Limit of four chaperones in addition to the teacher for each class.) Educators are free. Maximum: 150 students per day.

Grant funding is available for eligible Orange County public schools on a first-come, first-served basis.

Onsite Field Trips are available Monday-Friday, August 28, 2023 – May 17, 2024.

Self-Guided School Tours

Self-guided tours of the History Center allow educators and children to set the pace and guide their own experience through the museum. These tours include:

• Suggested exhibit-rotation schedules
• Teacher guides for each exhibit
• Standard-based scavenger hunt for students

Cost for Self-Guided Tours: $6 per student. One free chaperone per 10 students. $8 per additional chaperone. Educators are free.

If you are a Home School Group interested in booking an onsite field trip, please visit Home School Field Trips .

How to Book Your Field Trip

Registration for field trips is available online. Click the link below to complete the registration form.

A $50 deposit is required to reserve a date for field trips (cash, check, or credit card). Deposits are refundable with notice of cancellation no less than two weeks prior to your program date. Deposits are applied to the total cost of your tour. Upon arrival at the History Center, we will collect the remainder of the payment for the number of classes in attendance.

If you have questions about booking your field trip, please call the Education Department at 407-836-8533  or email Courtney Burns at [email protected] .

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College Sports | UCF adds future home-and-home series with…

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College sports | ucf adds future home-and-home series with northwestern, pittsburgh.

The Knights will travel to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sept. 12, 2026, and the Panthers will return to Orlando on Sept. 15, 2029. The programs have met three times, with the most recent game coming in 2019 as UCF dropped a close road contest, 35-34. Pitt owns a 2-1 advantage in the series.

UCF will make its first trip to Northwestern as the Knights are set to face the Wildcats at Ryan Field on Sept. 9, 2028. Northwestern will return to FBC Mortgage Stadium on Sept. 6, 2031.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors to Orlando from Pitt and Northwestern and the road games are fantastic cities for our fans to travel,” UCF AD Terry Mohajir said in a statement. “Pennsylvania is currently ranked a top-five state UCF students come from and Chicago is home to one of our top alumni communities.

“With a nine-game Big 12 schedule, we’re very strategic in how we schedule each year. Our philosophy for nonconference has been to play a Power Four, a Group of Five team and an FCS program. As we navigate the analytics of the new College Football Playoff, we will continue to evaluate how we schedule.”

UCF also added a pair of nonconference games with teams from the Football Championship Subdivision during the next four seasons with North Carolina A&T (2025), Bethune-Cookman (’26), UT Martin (’27) and Maine (’28). The Knights have never faced North Carolina A&T or UT Martin but are 11-5 overall against B-CU and 2-0 against Maine.

Matt Murschel can be reached at [email protected]

Future nonconference schedule

Jacksonville State

North Carolina A&T

North Carolina

Bethune-Cookman

At Pittsburgh

At North Carolina

At Northwestern

Florida Atlantic

James Madison

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