Field Trips

A field trip to the Museum of Science can complement and reinforce your school curriculum while also providing an ideal way to encourage students to have fun while learning.

Begin planning a field trip

1. Set goals

   Do you want to reinforce classroom learning? Do you want to use the trip to learn about something you can't learn at school? Is this a reward where fun is the top priority? Set goals for your trip to narrow down your activity choices.

2. Plan your visit

   • The comprehensive Field Trip Planning Guide 2014 – 2015 (PDF) can be downloaded here for offline viewing and is also available in hard copy.
   • View the Museum floor plan (PDF)
   • Large groups of 150 students or more
     • Museum and venue capacities are limited. It can be difficult for large groups to maneuver throughout the Exhibit Halls and to fit comfortably into our theaters and presentations spaces. Therefore, we recommend school groups break up into smaller groups and stagger their schedules.
     • For further consultation on managing a large group, please email fieldtrips@mos.org.

3. Record your planned activities

   Make a list of all of the activities that you'd like to include and record start and run times for live presentations, films, or other timed events.

4. Create a timeline

   Consider your approximate arrival and departure times. Based on the programs and exhibits you are planning to attend, select a lunch time to propose when making your reservation. Learn more about field trip lunch options

5. Print relevant field trip activity sheets

   To enhance your visit, consider using student field trip activity sheets to help direct a topic-specific field trip. View our field trip activity sheets and guides

6. Contact us

   To have a Museum educator review your field trip plan or to set up an appointment for a phone or in-person consultation, contact us at 617-589-0172.

7. Make reservations

   Get scheduling information by contacting Science Central at 617-723-2500.

8. School Requests Form

   Once you have made your reservation with Science Central, complete the School Requests Form for any special school requests for presentations or field trip activities. Requests are accepted October – May and are subject to availability and some restrictions apply. Fill out the School Requests Form

9. Be prepared

   Prepare for your visit by using the confirmation information to inform your students and chaperones about the game plan. Be sure to check the number of students, and calculate the number of chaperones you will need.