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Home / Education / Teachers & Students / Field Trips
Field Trips to the Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science welcomes all school groups to explore technology and the natural environment on a field trip designed to meet the learning goals of your students.
Learn more about the field trip experience.
PDF PowerPoint
*An updated IMAX schedule is currently available. Please contact a Sales Assistant at (713) 639-4659 to book your field trip now!*
FAQs
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The 2009-2010 Educator's Guide is now available! Download here.
Field Trip Downloads
Answers to FAQs
1. What can we see? Lots! Dinosaurs, butterflies and much, much more.
Venue |
Times |
Price |
More Info |
| Permanent Exhibit Halls |
9 a.m - 5 p.m.
Continuous admission
|
$2.50 per person |
Learn more! |
| Cockrell Butterfly Center |
9 a.m. - 5 p.m
Groups admitted every 15 min.
|
$2.50 per person |
Learn more! |
| Wortham IMAX® Theatre |
10 a.m - 1 p.m. |
$5.00 per person |
Learn more! |
| Burke Baker Planetarium |
9:30 a.m - 2:30 p.m. |
$2.50 per person |
Learn more! |
| Challenger Learning Center |
Full day or half day |
Varies |
Learn more! |
| George Observatory at Brazos Bend State Park |
9 a.m - 3 p.m. |
$120 per class (plus park admission) |
Learn more! |
| Challenger Learning Center at the George Observatory |
Full day or half day |
Varies |
Learn more! |
2. How do we schedule a field trip? Call (713) 639-4659 to reserve your field trip. Advance registration is required. You may pay on arrival. The Box Office accepts credit cards, school district checks and cash (large bills only). A Texas Driver’s License is required on all non-school district (ISD) checks. Purchase orders are not accepted.
In order to avoid delays when you arrive at the Museum, you also have the option of prepaying for your trip. To do this, 2 weeks before the trip you should mail a school check with your reservation number on it to:
Attn: School Services
Houston Museum of Natural Science
1 Hermann Circle Drive
Houston 77030 Another option is to prepay by credit card by calling (713) 639-4629. You will need the following information:
Card type
Name on the card
Zip code
Expiration date
CVV number on the back of the card (3-digit number)
.
3. Who can visit? To qualify as a school group, you must belong to an educational organization (K – 12), make advance reservations, and visit the Museum Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Groups must have at least one adult chaperone for every 10 students.
4. Do Home School groups qualify for Field Trip ticket rates? The Museum is able to extend field trip rates to home school groups of at least 10 students, which book their trips in advance and visit the Museum Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Trips after 5 p.m. or on weekends do not qualify for field trip rates. Home school field trips taken after 5 p.m. or on weekends will pay regular admission prices.
Groups of fewer than 10 students may still book a field trip; however, they will be charged for 10 students plus any chaperones. Our representatives are available to help determine the most cost-efficient method for your group to visit the Museum. Regular admission tickets may be purchased at the box office at any time.
For an established field trip, the person who booked the trip should call (713) 639-4659 at any time prior to the day of arrival to add or subtract people from the reservation. Groups that fall below 10 students will be charged for 10 students plus any chaperones. Adding or removing venues from a reservation requires 24 hours notice.
When a field trip arrives at the Museum it is met by our greeter. On the day of the trip, after the tickets have been printed, nothing on the reservation may be changed. Like all field trips, home school field trips must be paid for in one transaction. All students and chaperones on the reservation should give their payment to one person who will present the money at the box office.
5. What about TEKS? The Museum offers customized TEKS-based curriculum to accompany your field trip. The Youth Education Sales Department can provide teachers with these free units designed to make the field trip experience educationally sound and fun. These include each of our permanent and special exhibits. The curriculum consists of TEKS objectives, vocabulary, a Knowledge Hunt, and Extension Activities for grades K – 8. High school curriculum is available, with two weeks notice, upon request. Click for information on downloading units. For information on the units contact Amanda Norris at (713) 639-4770 or anorris@hmns.org. .
6. Can we see special/traveling exhibitions? Absolutely! Click for more information about special exhibitions now showing at the Museum.
7. Are docents available? Yes. Specially-trained docents are available to lead tours of the Museum's permanent exhibit halls. Experience hands-on presentations with touch carts located in the exhibit halls. Docent-led tours available for schools and groups may be booked through the Box Office. Tours are approximately 30 - 45 minutes long.
Cost: $10 per docent, one docent for every 10 students
Time: 10 a.m. - Noon
8. Does the Museum offer programs for younger children? Of course. The Museum's Early Investigations Program is geared especially for 5 - 7 year-olds. This program combines a 45-minute, hands-on classroom program with a 45-minute tour of a Museum exhibit hall. Eight topics are available: Texas Wildlife, Paleontology, Under the Sea, Native North Americans, Native Latin Americans, Africa, Egypt and the Insect Zoo.
Cost: $2.50, includes either permanent exhibit halls OR Butterfly Center admission
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
When: Tuesday-Thursday, October-May (excluding December)
Maximum: 50 students plus chaperones
Minimum: 10 students plus chaperones
9. Are there any hands-on programs for students? The Museum offers Interactive Science Labs where students will have the opportunity to explore science and nature. These classes feature Museum specimens, artifacts, and laboratory equipment. Choose from the Techno Science Lab, Science Foundations Lab, Time Lab, Wildlife Lab, or the Dissection Lab. Each lab lasts one hour and cost $125 for 25 students and 3 chaperones. It may also be possible to book one of our Outreach programs for your group during your visit to the Museum. These include Science on Stage, Wildlife on Wheels, Docents to Go, Bugs on Wheels, and the Discovery Dome. The costs vary per program and per request. A minimum of one month’s advance notice is required to accommodate your requests.
When: Available Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.
Time: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Cost: $125 per lab (includes Museum admission, excluding special exhibitions)
Max: 25 students and up to 3 chaperones
Scheduling Specifics
The Museum requires advance reservations for all visiting school groups. School group reservations may be made by phone by calling (713) 639-4659 or by downloading the field trip and
e-mailing the completed form to fieldtrips@hmns.org. Please let us know if you have any special needs.
For customized TEKS-based field trips information (available at no extra cost) contact Amanda Norris at (713) 639-4770 or
anorris@hmns.org.
FIELD TRIP HOW TO!
Learn more about the following:
POLICIES
To qualify for school group discounts, you must belong to an educational organization (K-12), make advance reservations, and visit us Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Chaperones (includes teachers, parents, bus drivers, etc.) are responsible for the behavior and discipline of their groups at all times and are required to accompany students for the duration of the visit. Each school group must meet a 1:10 student chaperone ratio (21 years or older). All chaperones pay the student field trip price.
RESERVATIONS
We strongly recommend scheduling your trip early in the school year to avoid over-crowding and the possible unavailability of your ideal dates and programs.
Field trip reservations must be made by phone or by downloading the field trip and e-mailing the completed form to fieldtrips@hmns.org. Please call (713) 639-4659 to make a reservation.
Upon completion of your reservation you will receive a confirmation number by e-mail. Please review this confirmation e-mail and notify HMNS immediately to make changes. If you do not have access to e-mail, a confirmation letter will be mailed to you.
PAYMENTS
You may pay on arrival. The Box Office accepts credit cards, school district checks and cash (large bills only). A Texas Driver’s License is required on all non-school district (ISD) checks. Purchase orders are not accepted.
In order to avoid delays when you arrive at the Museum, you also have the option of prepaying for your trip. To do this, 2 weeks before the trip you should mail a school check with your reservation number on it to:
Attn: School Services
Houston Museum of Natural Science
1 Hermann Circle Drive
Houston 77030
Another option is to prepay by credit card by calling (713) 639-4629. You will need the following information:
Card type
Name on the card
Zip code
Expiration date
CVV number on the back of the card (3-digit number)
SCHOOL GROUP RATES are already discounted; no additional coupons or Membership discounts apply.
CANCELLATIONS, CHANGES & REFUNDS:
ALL CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS MUST BE MADE FOUR BUSINESS DAYS IN ADVANCE. After that time, you will be charged for the entire
reservation.
Refunds will be made only in the event of Museum equipment failure, power failures, malfunctions in projection equipment, etc. NO OTHER REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED.
GUIDELINES
Students must be supervised at all times – teachers and chaperones are responsible for maintaining the discipline necessary for proper behavior while visiting the Museum. For the safety and enjoyment of all visitors, disruptive or unsafe behavior will not be permitted and may result in the entire group being asked to leave without a refund.
No backpacks, headphones, lunches, gum, or candy are allowed inside the Museum.
Lunches may be eaten outside in Hermann Park. We regret that the Museum is unable to provide an indoor lunch space. In the event of bad weather, please plan to eat in your vehicle.
The Discovery Gift Shop requires one chaperone for every five students.
HMNS reserves the right to change program dates, times and prices without prior notice.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHEDULING A FIELD TRIP?
Call (713) 639-4659.
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