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-11:00am, 11:15am-12:45pm, 1:00pm-2:30pm
$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 interactive exhibitions 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 PreK-12 depending on theme selected

Tuesday-Friday

9:30am-11:00am, 11:15am-12:45pm, 1:00pm-2:30pm

50 minute program, 40 minutes of free exploration time. Please allocate time for students and chaperones to gather at the end of their visit within your 40 minutes of free time.

Themes:

• Museum Highlights
• Native American Stories
• Industries in Idaho
• Courage and Compassion (through March 16, 2025)
• Fighting for Rights (after March 16, 2025)

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 3-12 depending on theme selected

Tuesday-Friday

9:30am-11:00am, 11:15am-12:45pm, 1:00pm-2:30pm

80 minute program, 10 minutes of free exploration time. Please allocate time for students and chaperones to gather at the end of their visit within your 10 minutes of free time.

Themes:

• Eye Spy Idaho
• Native American Traditional Ways of Knowing
• Courage and Compassion (through March 16, 2025)

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)

Build on Museum or classroom learning by picking up an activity kit related to a Field Trip or Distance Discovery!

• Gold Panning ($3.00 per container, each container serves about 5 students, 1 week check out period)
• Boat Builders ($.50 per student)
• Paper Parfleche ($.50 per student)
• Design Your Own State Seal ($.50 per student)

2024-2025 Field Trip Program Descriptions

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 selected Homeschool Days each month from 10am – 3pm. Admission is $3 per student (Youth 2 and up) and adults/teachers are free in a 1:1 ratio, any additional adults must pay regular admission. ISHS Members are free. Preregistration is required; Walkups will not be accommodated. Payment is due at the time of reservation and is non-refundable.

Join us on:

2024 First Semester Dates: September 13th, October 11th, November 8th, December 13th

2025 Second Semester Dates: January 10th, February 7th, March 7th, April 11th, May 6th

Register here.

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. To ensure an engaging Museum experience, we can only accommodate one group for each field trip slot.

After you complete the form, a Museum staff member will be in touch within 5 business days 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 offer both virtual and in-person field trips. Please check under our Virtual Programs or On-Site Programs tab for more information.

How much free time will my group have?

The amount of free time will depend on the program you register for. If you are interested in more free time, we suggest registering for a self-guided visit.

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 from 9:30am-11:00am, 11:15am-12:45pm, and 1:00pm-2:30pm.

What if my group shows up and we don’t have a field trip reservation?

Unscheduled groups are subject to regular admission rates for all individuals. Regular admission can only be facilitated with a payment in full upon arrival and is dependent on current admissions capacity.

What are the Museum’s Health and Safety policies?

If you are sick, please stay home from your field trip.

Group sizes and offerings are subject to change at any time for the health and safety of students, teachers, and Museum staff.

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 fewer 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 On-Site Programs and Virtual 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.

If you are a Title 1 school, please visit the Title 1 Admission Rates tab for more information on reduced or free admission. Title 1 Admission Rates are funded by the Ray Knight Field Trip Fund.

If you are interested in receiving bus funding, please visit the Ray Knight Transportation Funding tab.

What if my school qualifies for Title 1 funding?

We have a limited amount of funding for Title 1 classrooms, who can receive programming at reduced rates or no-cost. It is first-come-first-serve. Please fill out and submit the Field Trip Request Form on our website and indicate if your school qualifies. For more information, please see the Title 1 Admission Rates tab.

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 role with your parent volunteers.

 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 stay with their student group, help students navigate the galleries, and complete Museum activities. We ask that teachers and chaperones help encourage students to follow museum rules.  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. Please let the Museum staff know at least 2 weeks in advance if you are interested in using the space.

What does the day of the field trip look like?

Please plan to arrive at the Museum 5 minutes early for your field trip. Bus drivers should drop off students at the loading zone in front of the museum. Buses can park in Julia Davis Park during the program. There is school bus parking behind the bandshell.

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

What if we are running late?

The Idaho State Museum understands that many factors may cause your transportation or bus to be late. As we accommodate multiple schools each day, it is essential for us to honor our scheduled commitments. While we will always try and accommodate, late arrivals may cause necessary changes to the programs. Due to other group reservations, we won’t be able to extend your visit past your identified reservation time.

If you are running behind or need to reschedule, please contact our education team at 208-334-2120.

What if we are early?

If you arrive more than 10 minutes early, please have a teacher check in at the front desk. If there are other school groups with reservations in the Museum, please plan to explore Julia Davis Park for the additional time until your field trip starts.

We’re visiting more than one site on our field trip day. Is there anything we should know?

We understand groups are visiting multiple sites on the same day. Please let staff at sites know what time you need to leave to arrive at your next location on time.

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, in order 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. The Museum offers 2 rolling bins. We cannot guarantee they will hold all your students’ belongings, so we encourage students to leave items 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.

Free and reduced admission is limited to 100 students per grade per school.

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 – 199 miles                                                             $200 max
ZONE 2: 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.