Know Before You Go: Information and helpful hints for your next visit
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Educators

Field Trips and School Programs

Pique your students’ curiosity about science, nature, and art with one of the many programs available to school groups at The Morton Arboretum.

Registration for spring programs opens Thursday, January 2

The Morton Arboretum offers tailored programs for all ages.

Guided Programs

Available for pre-K through 12th grade during spring and fall school seasons

Guided Labs

Immersive labs can supplement a guided field program during spring and fall school seasons.

Self-Guided Programs

Explore the Arboretum at your own pace. Available for pre-K through 12th grade all year long.

Winter Classroom Visits

Have an Arboretum master educator lead scientific inquiry and hands-on learning activities in your school classroom December through March.

Discover hands-on learning at the Arboretum

Spark curiosity about science, nature, and art with one of the many programs available to school groups and classrooms at The Morton Arboretum.

The Arboretum offers field
trips tailored to you

Discover all you can do during your field trip

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Nature-Based Learning in Your Classroom

Winter
Classroom
Visits

Explore

Guided Programs

Trek through the Arboretum with your students and a master guide to learn firsthand about environmental science. Arboretum guides use expert teaching techniques and scientific knowledge to make nature-based learning fun and engaging. Available for pre-K through 12th grade during the spring and fall school seasons.

Plan a guided field trip

Self-Guided Programs

Conduct your own lesson plans among the Arboretum’s woodlands, marshes, lakes, and prairie. Staff will provide you with suggested itineraries, learning tools, and a variety of excursions from which to choose. Available year-round for pre-K through 12th grade.

Plan a self-guided field trip

Guided Lab

Investigate nature up close with your students, using microscopes or other scientific instruments. Labs are designed to extend scientific inquiry and make connections with outdoor discoveries. Available when paired with select programs for third- through eighth-grade spring and fall school seasons. To explore these offerings, browse field trip pages by grade level.

Field Trip Frequently
Asked Questions

Have a specific question? Feel free to reach out to the Arboretum team on the contact page or chat with us.

Contact us

  • The Arboretum offers a Youth Science Education Outreach Grant to schools serving 40% or more low-income families, according to the Illinois Report Card. Grant applications open in late May or early June and are first come, first served. For inquiries, please email mkuhl-horbin@mortonarb.org or call 630-725-2118.

  • Due to the volume of students and visitors on any given day, it is recommended that you arrive at your scheduled arrival time so we can best accommodate your group.

  • We recommend that groups bring brown bag lunches for their field trip. Box lunch options are only available through the Arboretum’s exclusive caterer, Ginkgo Catering. Ordering boxed lunches through Ginkgo Catering is separate from field trip registration procedures and limited availability may apply.

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