Plan Your Field Trip
BEFORE YOUR FIELD TRIP
- Verify that the information in your confirmation email is correct. Haven’t filled out a School Programs Registration Form yet? Book your visit.
- Self-Guided Exploration Packets are available for you to print prior to your visit.
- Preview our Daily Schedule to plan to attend interpretive talks with your students.
- Consider making nametags for students; this allows educators to address students more personally.
- Recruit chaperones; the Museum requires one chaperone for every five students. Ensure each chaperone knows the schedule for the day, including arrival time, scheduled events and locations, lunch time and location, and departure time.
- Notify Museum staff of any group members needing specialized accommodations regarding accessibility.
ON YOUR WAY
- The High Desert Museum is located at 59800 S. Highway 97 Bend, OR 97702
- Bus drop-off and pick-up occurs outside of the main entrance in the loading zone.
- Personal vehicle and van parking is in the main lot; buses can use oversize parking or the overflow parking lot.
- To facilitate an easy unloading process, it is helpful to have student lunches in boxes or bins. Museum staff can supply wheeled carts to bring the bins back to the classroom area.
YOUR FIELD TRIP BEGINS!
- When you arrive, gather your group outside of the main entrance and count the number of students, chaperones, and teachers.
- Send one teacher inside with your final headcount to check in with Admissions staff at the Front Desk.
- Museum staff will greet your group outside of the main entrance for an introduction before touring, and will supply teachers and chaperones with a Museum map and copy of the Daily Schedule of interpretive programs.
FIELD TRIP POLICIES
- While self-guiding, we encourage small chaperone-led student groups to tour indoor and outdoor exhibits independently. Students must be with a teacher or chaperone at all times, regardless of age. Chaperones are responsible for the behavior of the students in their group.
- Be sure to respect the live animals in our care and do not tap or bang on the glass of their enclosures.
- Remind students to be courteous to all visitors, artifacts, and wildlife by remaining in small groups, keeping noise levels low and quiet around the birds, and learning with only the senses suitable to each exhibit.
- Keep students on the paths and respect all Museum grounds as exhibit spaces; the landscaped outdoor spaces are an equally valuable learning tool to all visitors.
- School groups are encouraged to visit the Museum’s gift shop and take home a keepsake. We do ask, however, that chaperones be cognizant of crowds and limit the number of students to 7 in the gift shop at one time.
- No food or drink allowed in the Museum and exhibits, including items purchased in the café.
- Lunch space: Fair weather days – please use outdoor tables in the parking lot, entrance patio or Dig, Crawl, Climb meadow
- an appropriate indoor space for your group. Café seating is reserved for café patrons.
PAYMENT
- Payment must be made in one transaction on day of visit, or invoiced. We are unable to accept any payment in advance of your visit.
- If invoiced, payment must be made within 30 days of visit.
- Individual or family memberships cannot be applied to school group admission.
CHAPERONES
- The Museum requires one chaperone for every five students.
- A maximum of one adult for every three students is allowed at no charge.
- Additional chaperones charged $8.50 and included in group pricing.
- Please ask chaperones to find childcare for younger siblings. Additional children over two years old will be included in student number and charged accordingly.
QUESTIONS?
Contact classes@highdesertmuseum.org
EDUCATION
Field Trip Resources
Self-Guided Exploration Packets
Classroom Resources