Field Trips

Self-Guided Visits

Explore the Idaho State Museum as a class on your own – use activities from your curriculum or download our Explorer Guides to help your students engage with museum exhibits through a multidisciplinary lens. Pre-registration is required.

Tuesday-Friday,
9:30am, 11:15am, 1:00pm (90 minutes)
$3 per student, adults are free up to a 1:5 ratio ($10 per additional adult)
100 student maximum, 1 group per time slot

Guided Tours

Bring your students to the Idaho State Museum and immerse yourself in Idaho history, exploring the relationship between the land and its people. Museum educators will guide your students through the exhibits and answer questions. Pre-registration is required.

$4 per student, adults are free in a 1:5 ratio ($10 per additional adult)
50 student maximum
Leveled to Grades 3-12
Tuesday-Friday
9:30am, 11:15am, 1:00pm
45 minutes

Themes:

• Museum Highlights
• Native American Stories
• Innovation Idaho
• Fighting for Rights
• Roots of Wisdom (January 14 – May 7, 2023)

Guided Tour + Hands-on Activity

These programs include a themed tour and hands-on activity facilitated in the Museum’s classroom with our Museum Educators. Pre-registration is required.

$5 per student, adults are free in a 1:5 ratio ($10 per additional adult)
50 student maximum
Leveled to Grades 3-5
Tuesday-Friday
9:30am, 11:15am, 1:00pm
75 minutes

Themes:

• Eye Spy Idaho
• Drawn to Idaho
• Roots of Wisdom (January 14 – May 7, 2023)

Distance Discoveries
Join us as we discover Idaho history. Programs are conducted in real-time using web-based video conferencing, allowing Idaho State Museum Educators to interact with students online. Idaho State Historical Society primary sources will be featured in the lessons including one-of-a-kind videos featured in the Museum’s exhibits, images, documents, and artifacts.

$50 per class (max 35 students)
Grades 3-5
Tuesday-Friday
9:30am, 11:15am, 1:00pm
45 minutes

Themes:

• Idaho’s Native Peoples
• Oregon Trail
• Gold Rush

Activity Add-ons (for Grades 3-5)

The Museum will provide activity kits for Treasure Valley students in grades 3-5, available for curbside pickup by the teacher. Great to add on to a virtual tour or Distance Discovery program. The activity will be introduced by our Museum Educator remotely.

• Gold Panning ($3.00 per container, each container serves about 5 students)
• Boat Builders ($.50 per student)
• Paper Parfleche ($.50 per student)
• Design Your Own State Seal ($.50 per student)
• Create Your Own Compass ($.50 per student)

2022-23 Field Trip Program Descriptions

Field Trip Request Form

Museum Explorer Guides

Julia Davis Park And Parking Map

Exhibition Standards Alignment

Chaperone Guidelines

Student Guidelines

Homeschool students and their families are encouraged to explore the Museum and experience the stories of Idaho on the last Monday of each month from 10am – 3pm. Admission is $3 per student (Youth 6 and up) and adults/teachers are free in a 1:1 ratio, any additional adults must pay regular admission. Preregistration is required; Walkups will not be accommodated. Payment is due at the time of reservation and is non-refundable.

Join us on:

September 26, October 31, November 28, January 30, February 27, March 27, April 24

(Please note: there are no homeschool days in December or May due to holidays)

Register Now

How do I book a field trip to the Idaho State Museum?  

At least two weeks prior, identify the date you wish to schedule a program and fill out and submit the Field Trip Request Form on our website. We take reservations on a first-come-first-serve basis, so the earlier you book, the more likely you are to get your requested date.  

After you complete the form, a Museum staff member will be in touch with you to confirm details, and a confirmation email will be sent to you. Your booking is not confirmed until you have received a confirmation email.  

If you have any questions, please contact shseducation@ishs.idaho.gov or our education staff at 208-780-5195.

What field trip programs are you offering?  

We are offering both virtual and in-person field trips this school year. Please check under our Virtual Programs or On-Site Programs tab for more information. 

What days and times does the Idaho State Museum offer field trips?  

Both virtual and on-site field trip programs are offered Tuesdays-Fridays, with programs available at 9:30, 11:15, and 1:00.

What are the Museum’s COVID-19 policies?  

The Idaho State Museum is following guidance provided by the CDC and local health districts. The Museum may be required to cancel or modify visits at any time based upon this guidance.  

All staff, students, teachers, and chaperones may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 are recommended to wear a mask.

I received a confirmation email, but now I need to make changes. How do I do that?  

If you need to make changes to your attendance numbers to accommodate more or less students, chaperones, or teachers, please confirm these changes with the education staff at the museum at least two weeks prior to your field trip. 

You can contact us at shseducation@ishs.idaho.gov or at 208-780-5195.

What if there is inclement weather?  

Field trips cancelled due to inclement weather will be rescheduled at no additional charge. 

How do I pay for a field trip? 

The field trip programs vary in price depending on what you select. Prices are listed on our Programs tab.  To pay for your visit ahead of time, you can call 208-334-2120 and pay with a Visa or Mastercard. Payments can also be made on the date of your field trip. Please make checks out to Idaho State Historical Society. If you require an invoice, please email shseducation@ishs.idaho.gov.  If paying as a classroom or group, teachers are responsible for collecting payment from students. 

Payment should be received either prior to or on the day of your field trip.  

What should I do to prepare for a field trip?  

To prepare for your field trip, please review the Museum Etiquette rules with your students and the Chaperone Sheet with your parent volunteers.  

Also, please divide your students into groups with chaperones before their visit. Chaperones should be in charge of groups of 5-10 students (we require 1 chaperone for every 10 students) and will need to help students move through the museum, follow museum rules, and complete museum activities. It is essential that students stay in their supervised groups for their safety, the safety of the artifacts, and the safety of all other museum patrons.  

Is there a place for us to eat lunch?  

The Museum is located next to Julia Davis Park, which offers plenty of seating and space for groups to eat lunch. The Museum’s outdoor Pioneer Village Pavilion is also an option for school groups to utilize (dependent on availability). 

What does the day of the field trip look like?  

Please arrive on time for your field trip. As we accommodate multiple schools each day, it is essential for us to honor our scheduled commitments. If you are running behind or need to reschedule, please contact our education team at 208-334-2120.  

Bus drivers should drop off students in front of the museum. Buses can park in Julia Davis Park during the program. There is Bus Parking behind the bandshell.

Museum educators will greet you at the front and start your field trip. For self-guided groups, a museum staff member will give a quick orientation and group greeting before sending your students in their assigned groups with chaperones to explore.  

What can students bring with them to the Idaho State Museum?  

Students may only bring a notebook and a pencil in the Museum with them. No pens or markers are allowed to protect our exhibits. No backpacks, food, drinks (including water bottles), or gum are allowed in the museum. Please note, we do not have a place to store students’ belongings. Please leave them on the bus or at school.  

More questions?  

Please contact our education staff at shseducation@ishs.idaho.gov if you have any more questions or concerns.  

Student admission costs for all field trips will be based on Title 1 eligibility. Schools that have 40% or more of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch will be given reduced admission rates covered by the Ray Knight Field Trip Fund. There is no application necessary, please  answer all the questions on the field trip request form and our staff will calculate the reduced admission rate if the school is eligible.

Ray Knight Transportation Funding will help to subsidize the cost of field trip transportation for schools and will cover up to the following amounts depending on the school’s distance from the field trip location:

Distance of School to Field Trip Location                            Amount Covered
ZONE 1: 0 – 99 miles                                                             $100 max
ZONE 2: 100 – 199 miles                                                       $200 max
ZONE 3: 200 miles or more                                                    $300 max

A limited number of scholarships are available and are awarded based on these criteria:

• Your school must be located in Idaho.
• The school must be attending a field trip at one of the following locations: Old Idaho Penitentiary, Idaho State Museum, Idaho State Archives, Rock Creek Station & Stricker Homesite, or Historic Franklin Properties.
• One transportation scholarship per school each school year. Max 3 buses.
• Scholarships are awarded to schools on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted.

Please note:

•  Teachers are required to make a program reservation with the Old Idaho Penitentiary, Idaho State Museum, Idaho State Archives, Rock Creek Station & Stricker Homesite, or Historic Franklin Properties before applying for the transportation scholarship.
• Schools must arrange for their own transportation.
• Teachers are required to complete and sign the Application form.
• Applications must be received at least two weeks prior to the planned visit. Applications will not be considered if they are submitted within two weeks of the Field trip date.
• We require that you obtain a bus transportation quote of invoice showing trip information and the approximate cost of the bus in advance and submit it together with the application. We will cover up to the max amount based on distance per bus (see the above chart, max 3 buses). For schools with invoices that are less than the max amount, we will cover the amount on the invoice.
• A completed W-9 form must be completed before the funds are disbursed.
• Applications will not be processed without a bus transportation quote or invoice.
• Once the application is received, a representative from the Idaho State Historical Society will review and notify you of the status of the application. You are not guaranteed the funds until you receive an official confirmation letter from the Idaho State Historical Society representative.

Please submit your application and additional documents to  shseducation@ishs.idaho.gov.