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Home / Education / Teachers / 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 FAQs
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The 2008-2009 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.
New this school year: 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 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, 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. What about TEKS? The Museum offers customized TEKS-based field trip units at no cost. The field trip marketing team can provide teachers with TEKS-based units designed to make the field trip experience educationally sound and fun. The units of study cover each of our permanent and special exhibits. These units begin with a list of the specific grade-level interdisciplinary TEKS objectives the trip will address. In addition, you will receive a list of vocabulary words and pre-activities to prepare the students for the trip, questions to be answered at the Museum that are designed to promote higher-level thinking skills, a list of post-field trip activities to extend the day beyond the Museum, and a list of books and Web sites for further investigation. Units are available for grades K-8 and high school science. Click for information on downloading units. For information on the units contact Susan Buck at (713) 639-4659 or sbuck@hmns.org. .
5. Can we see special/traveling exhibitions? Absolutely! Click for more information about special exhibitions now showing at the Museum.
6. 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
7. 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. Seven topics are available: Texas Wildlife, Paleontology, Under the Sea, Native North Americans, Native Latin Americans, Africa, and the Insect Zoo.
Cost: $2.50, includes either permanant 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
8. Are there any hands-on programs for students? The Museum offers Interactive Science Labs. Students will have the opportunity to explore science and nature in our weekday Interactive Science Labs featuring genuine Museum specimens, artifacts, and laboratory equipment. Students inspect natural specimens, investigate technology, meet live animals, and conduct scientific experiments in five different themed labs. Choose from the Techno Science Lab, Science Foundations Lab, Time Lab, Wildlife Lab, or the Dissection Lab. Each lab lasts one hour.
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 and advance ticket purchase for other groups (if group discounts are to be applied). School group reservations may be made by phone by calling (713) 639-4659. Please let us know if you have any special needs.
For customized TEKS-based field trips information (available at no extra cost) contact Susan Buck, Field Trip Marketing Manager, at sbuck@hmns.org or (713)639-4659.
FIELD TRIP HOW TO!
Learn more about the following:
POLICIES
To qualify for school group discounts, you must have at least ten students, belong to an educational organization, 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 (18 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. 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 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. Students are not permitted in the Collector’s Gift Shop.
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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