Field Trips

Immersive, Quality Education

Our goal is to make your experience with the museum as simple, fun, and educational as possible.

It’s easy to visit any of our three locations – Hermann Park, Sugar Land, or the George Observatory – and customized field trip packages allow you to theme your day based on what you’re studying. Our themed packages take the work out of planning a field trip. Simply choose your topic and let us do the rest. Teachers also have the exclusive opportunity to choose the most appropriate films for their class with our Teacher’s Choice and Planetarium Picks for Educators programs in the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre and the Burke Baker Planetarium. All Field Trips require a 3 week notice. Inquiries made within a 3 week time period may not be fulfilled.

About Our Packages

All of our packages are TEKS-aligned and give your students the opportunity to become active participants in their learning. Packages are available Monday – Friday during the school year on a first-come, first-serve basis and fill quickly, so schedule early to ensure your spot. If your program of choice is unavailable, we will make every effort to create a similar itinerary that will accommodate your needs.

Book a Field Trip

Contact

Reservations

reservations@hmns.org

Field Trip Curriculum

Exhibit Hall TEKS

Field Trip Checklist

The Museum requires advance reservations for all visiting school groups.

Download our Field Trip Prep Guide

At least a Month prior to trip (we recommend booking well in advance):

Fill out a Field Trip Request form

Two to four weeks prior to trip:

Complete required school documentation (field trip permission forms, transportation forms, contracts, etc.).
Secure chaperones for trip; at least one chaperone for every ten students. Groups should not exceed 10 students.
Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older.
Coordinate transportation with your district.
Download online curriculum

The day before your field trip:

Adjust final count of students, parents, teachers, and chaperones. Write this number on the Required Teacher Admission Sheet (page 2). All participants who are included in your school’s payment (students, parents, chaperones, and teachers) should be counted on that sheet.
Adults not included in the chaperone count will need to purchase their own tickets at the full rate, if available, upon arrival at the Box Office. You must inform all chaperones of your venue and entry times for your reservation. Museum personnel are not allowed to give out this information for the safety of the students.
Assign students to groups. One chaperone is required for every ten students. The group may not exceed 10 students.
Prepare payment. Final payment is due upon check in. Cash payments must be consolidated into large bills.
Review the Museum Etiquette guidelines with your students and chaperones (page 3).
Ensure that all chaperones have a copy of the Museum Map and your field trip itinerary.
Distribute curriculum to students along with necessary materials.

The day of your field trip:

Ensure that all chaperones have a copy of the Museum Map and your field trip itinerary.
Buses will unload on Hermann Park Drive near the “Bus Unloading Zone” signs. Lunches must be left on the bus unless prior arrangements have been made.
Once unloaded, students will line up outside the main entrance at the “Teacher Reporting Point” while the lead teacher enters the Museum to check in.
During check in, the lead teacher will provide a final count, payment, and the
Required Teacher Admission Sheet (page 2).
Once checked in, chaperones may lead their student group into the Museum. Remind chaperones that they must remain with their student group at all times, and they should arrive at least 15 minutes early to each ticketed venue, show or docent tour.

Safety Tip: Please bring student medical forms and all necessary medications to ensure a safe and enjoyable field trip!

Policies & FAQs

We strongly recommend scheduling your trip early in the school year to avoid overcrowding and the possible unavailability of your ideal dates and programs.

How do I make a reservation? E-mail us at reservations@hmns.org or Submit the field trip booking form. A representative will get in touch with you to finalize your reservation.

Who can take a field trip? To qualify for school group discounts, you must belong to an educational organization (K-12), make advance reservations, and visit us Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. We require a minimum of 10 students to qualify for the field trip rate.

What if I have fewer than ten students? 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 may 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.

Do homeschool groups count as field trips? Homeschool groups with 10 students (K-12th grade) or more and visit the Museum Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. qualify for the field trip rate. Trips after 5 p.m. or on weekends do not qualify for field trip rates. If your group has less than 10 students, you may still be qualify for the field trip rate, but you will be charged for 10 students.

How many chaperones do I need? We require one chaperone for every group of ten students, and the chaperone must remain with their student group at all times. Chaperones must be at least 21 years of age and must wear their chaperone sticker. All adults (teachers, parents, and bus drivers) accompanying the field trip will be charged for a ticket; chaperones on the reservation will be eligible to receive the field trip rate. Those not included on the chaperone count (including teachers, parents, and bus drivers) will need to purchase their own tickets at the full rate, if available, on arrival.

How do I pay for my field trip? Field trips may be paid for in advance, by calling 713-639-4659 or mailing a check, or on the day of the trip. If you choose to pay on the day of the trip, the Museum will accept school district checks, credit cards, or cash (large bills only). A purchase order (PO) will not be accepted. Field trips must be paid for in one transaction. If paying separately, all students and chaperones on the reservation must give their payment to one person who will present the money at the box office.

School checks should be mailed no later than two weeks before the field trip to:
Attn: School Services Houston Museum of Natural Science
5555 Hermann Park Drive Houston, TX 77030

Do teachers have to pay? Yes, teachers are considered chaperones and are charged the field trip rate as long as they are included on the reservation. If they are not included on the reservation, they will be charged the normal adult rate.

Can I change my itinerary? Adding or removing venues from a reservation requires a 24-hour notice. On the day of the trip, after the tickets have been printed, nothing on the reservation may be changed.

What if I need to cancel the trip? Can I get a refund? 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.