Field Trips at Discovery Center
Self-Guided
A Self-Guided tour offers your group a chance to explore the Discovery Center at your own pace. After an initial introduction, your group will explore in small, chaperone-supervised groups. Must have 10 or more students to make reservations.
Please fill out an inquiry form below before emailing or calling.
Please note: Filling out a program inquiry form does not reserve your preferred date and time. A Discovery Center staff member will call you to complete your reservation.
Guided Field Trips
Discovery Center provides fun and effective, informal learning experiences that meld with classroom learning. Located adjacent to 20 acres of spectacular wetlands, Discovery Center is full of exciting exhibits and wildlife to explore – both inside and out. The exhibits and staff-led activities are designed to complement the standards-based curriculum. Programs include a 60-minute field study plus Discovery Center exploration. The specific field study content is based on grade level attending.
Our goal is to make the Discovery Center an extension of your classroom with premier hands-on and inquiry-based learning. We look forward to seeing you and your students soon!
Animals All-Around
PK, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds are part of our menagerie! Students learn through guided animal encounters. Also available as a Mobile Lab!
Amazing Anatomy (Dissection Lab)
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Explore the parts of the body and functions of organs through hands-on investigations and dissections of real frogs, earthworms, squid, or owl pellets.
Eco Engineers
3rd, 4th, 5th
Energize your students with this exploration of engineering. Students will build their own relocation containers to help rescue a beaver in the wetlands. As students iterate through this design challenge, they gain firsthand experience in the design process. Students can ask questions, make observations, and discuss their ideas together.
Science Sampler
K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Be prepared to be wowed by our science a la carte offerings. You get to choose two physical science experiences tailored to your grade level. Experiences include states of matter, magnets, circuits, forces, and sound and light waves.
Wetland Wonders Tour
PK, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Explore the urban wetlands that unique plants and animals call home. Weather permitting, students put on boots to wade in Murfree Spring, use a net to catch and release tadpoles, and have an up-close encounter with our wetlands animals. Available April – October.
STAR Tour
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
A guided tour where students have the opportunity to walk into a star lab and become astronauts. The student astronauts use observational data to categorize planets and stars, understand the lunar cycle, and observe the day and night patterns that the sun and Earth create. This opportunity allows for hands-on experience with states of matter, reflection and refraction, potential and kinetic energy, and speed and trajectory.
Please fill out an inquiry form below before emailing or calling.
Please note: Filling out a program inquiry form does not reserve your preferred date and time.
A Discovery Center staff member will call you to complete your reservation.
Field Trip Fees & Policies:
Self-guided tours are $7 per person (10 student minimum)
Guided field studies at Discovery Center are $8 -$13 per person (20 student minimum)
We reserve the right to combine schools to effectively maximize museum space and staff. Group sizes may be limited.
Dissection Labs are $13 per student
Teachers and school personnel are free with the field study. Chaperones are $8 each. Instructions for chaperones to prepay will be sent in advance.
Cancellations & Late Arrivals: Please call us if you need to change your reservation date. We will do our best to accommodate. If you will be late, please call (615) 890-2300. We honor the time reserved for each group. Your free time in the museum may be shortened if you do not arrive at your scheduled time.
Lunch Facilities: Outdoor lunch facilities are available. Discovery Center cannot guarantee indoor lunch facilities.In case of inclement weather, we will do our best to provide you with an indoor lunchroom. Beverages, healthy snacks, and ice cream are available in our gift shop.
Learn about our Virtual Field Trips and Mobile Labs!