Field Trips


Bring your group to the Children's Discovery Museum to explore all three floors of exhibits at your own pace. On arrival, every group receives a brief orientation by a Museum staff person.

**All field trips and group trips MUST be reserved at least three weeks prior to their visit.
**Memberships not valid for field trip and group trip admission.
**For every five children, one adult must be present.

Begin your field trip by reading though our Teacher's Guide and completing our Field Trip Reservation E-Form.

School Field Trip Rate



A minimum of 10 paid admissions is required to receive the School Educational Rate. Reservations must be made at least THREE weeks in advance and are based on availability.

In-session public and private schools during the school year only. Summer camps and youth programs hosted at the school do not qualify for the School Field Trip rate:
  • Youth rate: $5
  • Adult chaperones: $5
  • Children under two: free
  • Paid staff of the school: free

Payment & Cancellation Policy

  • A final headcount is due 3 weeks in advance of the field trip date. Please provide a breakdown of chaperones, students, and teachers/ paid staff. An invoice will be mailed once final numbers are received.
  • Payment is due 14 days prior to your field trip date. We accept checks or Visa/MasterCard. Your reservation will be cancelled if payment is not received.

Cancellations/changes to a reservation must be made 14 days prior to the scheduled visit to receive a refund.

Refunds will not be provided on the day of your visit for any absent students or chaperones.

Learning Lab/Museum Exploration Combo


You may add a facilitated Learning Lab in addition to your self-guided field trip for just $3 per student. Learning labs offer your group an in-depth, hands-on program led by a museum educator based on museum exhibits and other exciting topics. 

Labs have a class size limit. Classes with more than our classroom can allow need to break up into multiple labs. 

Lunch Options


Limited lunch space for up to 48 people is available to at a cost of $15 per 1/2 hour.  Reservations and prepayment required. Please note, indoor lunch space is not available on Fridays.

Field Trips and Group Trips may NOT eat lunch in the Museum unless they reserve and pay for a lunch space in advance.

For outdoor eating, we recommend booking a pavilion at Anderson Park, located within walking distance of the Museum. Outdoor pavilions can be reserved through the Normal Parks and Recreation Department at (309) 454-9540.

Avanti’s Sack Lunches Available: You may pre-order Avanti’s sack lunches for your group. Cost is $5.00 per lunch and includes 1/3 gondola, baked chips, applesauce and juice.

Customized Programs


Have a special request or interest in a different topic? Give us a call and we will do our best to meet your needs. Call 309-433-3450 for more information. All pricing subject to change.

Contact Us

  1. Abby Boggs

    Office Associate
    Email Abby Boggs
    Phone: 309-433-3455

Book Your Field Trip Here


Field Trip Reservation E-Form

School Programs

  1. Preschool Learning Labs (PDF)
  2. School Age Learning Labs (PDF)
  3. Museum Outreach-Museum in Motion (PDF)
  4. School and Organization Scholarship Application (PDF)
  5. Teacher's Guide

Scholarship Information 


Scholarships may be available for low income families. Please complete this form to help us make a determination of scholarship eligibility. Information given should be about the household and/or child who will be attending a program at the Children’s Discovery Museum. Our scholarship program covers up to 50% of program fees.
Field Trip Scholarship Form (PDF)