Schedule a Visit

Call early for best selection of programs and dates. Consider reserving programs in the fall or winter when the Museum is less busy.

Museum Science Programs are:

SOL-correlated
Grade-level targeted
Endorsed by the:
- Virginia Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Education
- National Science Foundation

Contract Schools

The Museum has contracts with the following school systems to provide pre-paid science programs: Newport News and Gloucester. Teachers in these school systems should contact the Museum to determine the specific programs available to them.

Planning a field trip can be an enormous undertaking and the Virginia Living Museum wants your class to have the best visit possible. Below are procedures for reserving a field trip.

Before You Make a Reservation

Field trip rates are available for school groups visiting the Museum during the traditional school year.
Pick three potential days for your school trip
To avoid rescheduling or cancellation, please check your school’s calendar for holidays, test dates, late arrival/early dismissal, teacher in-services, etc. before requesting your field trip.
March, April and May are peak months for school field trips. For best selection of activities, try requesting trips in September-October or January-February.
Find out whether your school buses will be available on those days.
Confirm permission for the trip with your school administration.

Complimentary Admissions

All Teachers, School Staff, Aides and Bus Drivers are free of charge
ONE free parent chaperone provided for every TEN students (based on number of students brought to the museum NOT based on number of classes) – round up (15 students = 2 free chaperones)
Any additional parents will be charged our discounted chaperone rate of $18
Parents are not guaranteed a seat in programs
Parents with additional children not enrolled with the grade level/school visiting are NOT permitted in programs

Gather the Following Information

School division
School name
Street address
City
State
Zip code
School phone number
Contact person
Contact email

Last names of CLASSROOM teachers
Email addresses of CLASSROOM teachers
Grade
Estimated number of students
Arrival time
Departure time
Will you be doing a picnic lunch on site?
Will you be allowing your students into the gift store? (Students MUST be supervised closely)

Two Ways to Make Your Reservation

Call the Reservations Office at 757-534-7410 to set up a time and date for your visit.
Fill out the online request form (best option)

If one of your requested dates is available, you will receive a confirmation email.

If your requested dates are unavailable for any reason, you will receive a phone call from the Reservations Office to work out a time and date for your visit.

Submit one application per visit. To book multiple trips on different days, please submit separate requests.
Once you receive your email confirmation, please review the information to make sure that it is correct and complete.

Any changes to the numbers of students can be made on the day of the visit (unless it will change the number of programs needed).

If for some reason you need to change or cancel a field trip, please call the Reservations office at least two weeks before your scheduled date.

Teachers Please Note

If you schedule a visit, you are entitled to reserve a free Teacher Check Out prior to your school’s visit. To set up your check out, please call Reservations at 757-534-7410. When you arrive, make sure that you bring your teacher ID.

As you plan your visit, check out our step-by-step Planning Guide.