Great Field Trip Ideas in Chicago
Where to Bring the Class on a Field Trip
Sometimes the greatest learning experience a child has doesn't take place in the classroom, especially in Chicago, where there's no shortage of hands-on facilities, museums, and nature centers to give classrooms that extra bang for their learning buck. With field trips around Chicago, students can discover new and enforced lessons in science, art, and more without ever knowing they're "sigh-yawn-check-the-clock," learning a thing!
Set off on a journey of exploration with your class on one of Shoreline Sightseeing's group tours. Hop aboard their Waterfront Adventure along Lake Michigan and discover gems from Chicago's past like the building of the Shedd Aquarium to the reversing of the Chicago River. Or, opt for Shoreline's Architecture Cruise along the Chicago River to turn your students into a budding Helmut Jahn or Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. As you discuss these architects' famous Chicago buildings and over 40 others, students will learn about the city's rebuilding since the Great Fire.
Trips to Garden and Nature Centers
Chicago Botanic Garden - For $30 per classroom or group of 30, students may discover of a world of botany at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Self-guided field trips throughout different themed gardens like Native Habitats and Fruit & Vegetable Garden will teach students everything from soil science to pollination. The Gardens offer tailored activities per different age groups.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - All Illinois schools qualify for a yearly free self-guided field trip to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Take your class and enjoy exploring the museum's extensive collection of live, preserved, and nonliving artifacts along with exhibits about everything from butterflies to marshland to Chicago birds. Themed trips for different age groups are available.
Kids Science Labs in Lincoln Park and South Loop offer engaging hands-on science field trips for students throughout Chicago. Accepting groups of 8 to 50, Science Labs introduce kids to everything from how everyday objects like a toaster or bicycle work to concepts like gravity and light. Kids may explore building their own "skyscrapers," designing remote control toys, and more!
With so many quality museums in Chicago, the list below couldn't hope to cover them all! It does, however, offer a good starting point that covers fields of history, art, and science.
Field Museum - Housing thousands of artifacts, the Field Museum brings together anthropology, geology, botany, paleontology, and zoology all under one historic roof. Plan your class trip with one of many guided tours to exhibits like Inside Ancient Egypt or Dinosaurs.
Chicago Children's Museum - Located at Navy Pier, a Chicago Children's Museum field trip offers two hours of exploration of the entire museum. Guide students through CCM's tinkering lab, treehouse trails, dinosaur expedition, and more, all geared towards young minds.
Museum of Science & Industry - Chicago's MSI features exhibits on physics, geology, health, space, and more. Field trips may enjoy catered visits with activities that tie into class curriculum along with self-guided tours.
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum - Step back in time at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, dedicated to social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jane Addams. This preserved house hearkens back to the original settlement where immigrants gathered to share its public bath, educational facilities, daycare, and dining hall. Field trips may explore all current exhibits and preserved rooms.
Field trips to the eponymous dairy feature tours of the plant where Oberweis' famed milk and ice cream is created. Classes will get to wander the plant as well as watch a video presentation about how Oberweis milk travels from farm to factory to milkman. Trips end in the retail store where the class will surely enjoy their free cup of vanilla ice cream!
Discover Chicago Landmarks with Concierge Preferred
Whether you're educating your class on a field trip or entertaining out-of-towners, discovering the story behind Chicago landmarks is a great way to explore the city's rich history. Visit Concierge Preferred to learn about Chicago's many landmarks.
