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April 13, 2020 by

Field Trips

Field Trips

learner looking at a botany exhibit

Take your class on a field trip to Carnegie Museum of Natural History for engaging explorations of nature and science topics! The museum offers 60-minute Guided Tours, scavenger hunt-style Museum Quests, and self-paced Learner-Led Explorations designed to meet your needs and learning goals for all preK–12 grade levels.

Plan Your Field Trip

Field Trips are available year-round during regular museum hours. The availability of specific field trip options may be limited during peak visitation dates, including the week of Thanksgiving and the last week of December. The museum is closed on Tuesdays between Labor Day and Memorial Day; tours are unavailable on those days. Please note: Guided Tours and Museum Quests are not available to schedule between May 17–June 6, 2026. All groups visiting on those dates can book Learner-Led Explorations only. 

The museum requires a minimum of 1 chaperone per 10 learners. Chaperones and teachers are admitted free for field trips at a ratio of up to 1 adult for every 5 learners, and additional chaperones can be included at a reduced admission rate.  

The cost per student below includes general admission to Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History for the same day as the field trip visit. Costs listed below are applicable for groups of 10 students or more.

We have scholarship opportunities for schools and organizations that qualify. Groups may apply for a scholarship when filling out the booking form. 

Please note Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt is currently closed for renovation.

Field Trip Options

60-Minute Guided Tours

$12 per student
Join our Natural History Interpreters for a one-hour guided tour through exhibitions that can be customized to meet your experiential goals and grade level. Topics include: 

Animals, Plants, and Ecosystems 
Anthropology
Biomes and Climate
Evolution of Life
Pennsylvania Natural History
Rocks, Minerals, and Gems
World of Dinosaurs

Guided Tours must be booked four weeks in advance of the visit. Guided Tours are not available to book from May 17–June 6, 2026.


Museum Quests

$12 per student
Or add this program on to a Guided Tour – additional $2 per student
This self-paced, scavenger hunt-styled learning activity guides learners through exhibits to practice critical thinking skills. Chaperones receive answer packets to support the group’s exploration. Topics include:

Animals, Plants, and Ecosystems (Ideal for grades K-8)  
Rocks, Minerals, and Gems (Ideal for grades K-8)
Anthropology (Ideal for grades 3-8)

Museum Quests Field must be booked four weeks in advance of the visit. Museum Quests are not available to book from May 17–June 6, 2026.


Learner-Led Explorations

$11 per learner

For groups looking to explore the museum on their own with a flexible schedule, this option includes a printed guide for chaperones to support learners on their exploration. Learners can build observation skills and make connections at their own pace throughout three floors of exhibits.

Learner-Led Explorations must be booked two weeks in advance of the visit.

Book a Field Trip Today!


Working on STEELS standards? 

Field trips to the museum can help your group work towards Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability (STEELS) standards. We can help learners make connections, create ideas for project topics, look for real-world examples, and understand and explore patterns, processes, and relationships of organisms. 

Guided Program Frequently Asked Questions 

For more information about parking, reserving lunchrooms, program descriptions, and more, please check out our FAQ page.

Additional Field Trip Information

Our Visitor and Museum Services team will get back to you via email to confirm details about your upcoming visit. If you have any questions, please email GroupVisits@CarnegieMuseums.org for more information.

To request special disability accommodations for field trips, please contact GroupVisits@carnegiemuseums.org

Field trips to Powdermill Nature Reserve are also available. Please visit the Powdermill Field Trips and Group Visits page to learn more and book a program at that location.

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April 13, 2020 by

Online Educator Resources

  • Botanists Gone Wild! Perspectives from the Record-Breaking Finish for City Nature Challenge 2024

    Botanists Gone Wild! Perspectives from the Record-Breaking Finish for City Nature Challenge 2024

  • City Nature Challenge: Noticing Invasive Plants 

    City Nature Challenge: Noticing Invasive Plants 

  • Snags, Logs, and the Importance of a Fallen Tree

    Snags, Logs, and the Importance of a Fallen Tree

  • Scientific Names Matter in March Mammal Madness 

    Scientific Names Matter in March Mammal Madness 

  • Happy Retirement, Pat McShea!

    Happy Retirement, Pat McShea!

  • A Three Rivers Waterkeeper Biocube

    A Three Rivers Waterkeeper Biocube

  • Birds in “Twelve Days of Christmas”: a Museum Search

    Birds in “Twelve Days of Christmas”: a Museum Search

  • A Tree Pittsburgh Biocube  

    A Tree Pittsburgh Biocube  

  • Turtle-Centered Learning

    Turtle-Centered Learning

  • Museum Connections to a College Lab

    Museum Connections to a College Lab

  • Hispanic Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt: Three Birds and a Butterfly

    Hispanic Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt: Three Birds and a Butterfly

  • March Mammal Madness 2023: Learn and Win

    March Mammal Madness 2023: Learn and Win

  • Echoes of Freedom in an Owl’s Call

    Echoes of Freedom in an Owl’s Call

  • Beyond the Simple Ecosystem Graphic: Teaching About Biodiversity and Pollination

    Beyond the Simple Ecosystem Graphic: Teaching About Biodiversity and Pollination

  • An Intern’s Point of View

    An Intern’s Point of View

  • Finding Answers: From Museum to Mountains and Back Again

    Finding Answers: From Museum to Mountains and Back Again

  • Wonderment Returns

    Wonderment Returns

  • The Art of Making Fish Familiar

    The Art of Making Fish Familiar

  • Learning From Misinterpretations

    Learning From Misinterpretations

  • March Mammal Madness and Middle School Science Class

    March Mammal Madness and Middle School Science Class

  • Pitt Outreach Efforts Enriched with Museum Materials

    Pitt Outreach Efforts Enriched with Museum Materials

  • Survival of the Fishiest: Astonishing Adaptations of the Aquatic World

    Survival of the Fishiest: Astonishing Adaptations of the Aquatic World

  • Rising through the Educator Ranks

    Rising through the Educator Ranks

  • Interpreting Museum Exhibits Virtually

    Interpreting Museum Exhibits Virtually

  • Fish and the Fourth of July?

    Fish and the Fourth of July?

  • Expanding the Scope of Environmental Education

    Expanding the Scope of Environmental Education

  • Reading Results: CNC Final Phase

    Reading Results: CNC Final Phase

  • Stage and Screen Sharing

    Stage and Screen Sharing

  • Go For a Color Walk

    Go For a Color Walk

  • Evidence Counts for Absent Creatures – City Nature Challenge

    Evidence Counts for Absent Creatures – City Nature Challenge

Filed Under: Uncategorized

November 4, 2019 by

Education at the Museum

Educator Information

A teacher in Discovery Basecamp with students.

Students on a field trip in Dinosaurs in their Time

Field Trips

Are you ready for an in person trip? We’re currently offering group discounts for field trips.

Educators in a workshop

Educator Workshops

Earn continuing education credit while learning something new at the museum–and get access to museum materials!

A museum educator shows off some specimens

Bring the Museum to You

Bring museum educators, specimens, and artifacts to your classrooms and festivals!

Hikers at Powdermill Nature Reserve

Field Trips at Powdermill

Explore the museum’s environmental research center. With trails to hike as well as gardens and a nature center to visit, it’s a full day!

Children inspect a specimen with a magnifying glass

The Learning Collection Kits

Rent an activity kit with museum specimens and lesson plan/activity info from the museum. Check out the loan kit catalogue to get started.

An educator shows students a specimen

Educator Resources

Browse our Educator Blogs, activities and more online.

Bees sitting Queen Anne's Lace flowers

Climate and Rural Systems Partnership (CRSP)

Talking about human-caused climate change can be difficult, especially in communities where it feels politicized or socially unsafe. However, starting the conversation is an essential step toward taking the scaled actions we need to tackle this challenge and build sustainable, resilient futures, both in our region and the world.

A display in Botany Hall

Virtual Field Trips & Activities

Explore the exhibits of the museum with your students online. Interact with our educators and the museum collection in live interactive programs. Scholarships are available.

Sign Up for Educator Emails

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November 14, 2018 by

Protected: Nature 360

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

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October 15, 2018 by

Nature 360 Form Submission

two children looking through binoculars

Return to Nature 360

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October 15, 2018 by

Nature 360 Registration

Nature 360 Registration

two children looking through binoculars

Surround yourself with nature at Carnegie Museum of Natural History! We are looking for curious kids and their families to test the museum’s newest nature program: Nature 360. This brand-new program features activities that will be fun for kids and grown-ups to do together. We welcome all kids ages 8–13, as long as one adult accompanies each group.

Please note, Nature 360 activities are designed for small groups of kids and adults, working together. Every kid must attend with a grown-up. Every grown-up must attend with a kid. If your group has more than three children, we recommend bringing a second grown-up along.

Drop-In Sessions

Available Sunday, October 28.
Session times: 10 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1 p.m.–3 p.m.
Arrive any time within the 2-hour window, leave when you’ve satisfied your curiosity.

For drop-in sessions, we’re taking it big picture! From the scat of local wildlife to the animal tracks you may see in your neighborhood to the holes and rubbings left on trees in the park, learn to read the many signs of the wildlife that surround us in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Select the timeframe that works for your family, then drop in together for a free-ranging exploration of common wildlife traces and signs.

Drop-In Sessions

 

45 Minute Structured Session

Available Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 11.
Session start times: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m.

Arrive at your session start time, guided activities will begin promptly at 10:10 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 1:10 p.m., and 2:10 p.m.

In these scheduled sessions, we’ll zero in on one specific sign of an animal—its tracks! Learn what environmental conditions yield the most visible animal tracks, brush up on your track identification skills, and practice interpreting trackways as your family works together to read the signs animals leave behind. Select the session that best fits your schedule and get ready to explore the tracks left behind by local wildlife.

45 Minute Structured Session

 

45 Minute Structured Session

 

45 Minute Structured Session

 

45 Minute Structured Session

 

45 Minute Structured Session

 

45 Minute Structured Session

 

45 Minute Structured Session

 

Please note, Nature 360 activities are designed for small groups of kids and adults, working together. Every kid must attend with a grown-up. Every grown-up must attend with a kid. If your group has more than three children, we recommend bringing a second grown-up along.

Inclement Weather Policy

For children’s programs scheduled to occur December through March, the following inclement weather policy will be used: Should hazardous conditions result in cancellation of classes, announcements will be made on television stations KDKA, WTAE, WPXI, and FOX. Decisions are based on the needs of all students and instructors, some of whom drive considerable distances to Oakland. Makeup days may be scheduled for missed classes. During any inclement weather, please use your own discretion to attend for your own safety and that of your student.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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