Field Trips

NPS Photo

 

Whether you are teaching art, history, science, or are searching for an educational opportunity in the local community, a visit to Weir Farm National Historical Park can enrich your curriculum by providing students with unique experiences like painting en plein air at their local national park.

Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be flexible, as you may not get your first or second choice of dates. Because the park can only accommodate one school visit per day, teachers typically book several months in advance. Due to our limited capacity, we can only accomodate each class one time per year - either a fall or spring visit.

We can accommodate up to two classes at a time and groups no larger than 60 persons total including chaperones. If you hope to bring 3 or more classes or more than 60 people, you will need to reserve multiple dates. Adult chaperones must be provided at a ratio of one adult for every ten students.

School groups typically include a guided tour of the historic Weir and Young Studios, followed by the opportunity to paint outdoors and participate in the Take Part in Art program. Some teachers also add a self-guiding hike to Weir Pond, participation in the park's Junior Ranger program, or a picnic lunch to their visit.

A visit to Weir Farm National Historical Park is primarily outdoors. Please dress appropriately for the weather. Rain dates are reccomended. There are no indoor facilities available for groups. The park is also federally protected public use area. Certain activities are prohibited-such as picking flowers, feeding wildlife, and walking or climbing on the stone walls.

Transportation requirements: School groups typically arrive in one or two yellow school buses. Chaperones are required to ride the bus with the students as we have limited parking. Requests for 1-2 cars in addition to the bus /buses may be accomodated for special needs and accessibility accomodations. Home school groups typically carpool, and we can accomodate up to 10 cars for a school group, in lieu of school buses.

Distance Learning Activities, pre- and post-visit activities, and more resoruces are available here on our website, including a Virtual Field Trip option for those that cannot visit the park in person! Check out the Curriculum Materials Page for those resources.

 

Now booking 2024 field trip dates

Weir Farm NHP offers in-park curriculum-based education programs through free field trips. Available dates are listed below, and will fill up quickly, so please be sure to schedule your field trip ASAP if you hope to bring students to Weir Farm NHP in 2024. Please note that spring dates are already booked and we are looking at fall 2024 for school groups only.

How To Book Your Field Trip

Review the information on this webpage, then email us at [e-mail] and provide us a few dates from the list below, including your first choice and other options that might work for your school, your email and phone number, and the number of students. Someone will be in touch to let you know if the date(s) you requested are still available, get more information, and confirm if you are booked.

Field Trip Dates for 2024 available as of 3/1/24:
Wednesday, August 28
Thursday, August 29
Friday, August 30
Wednesday, September 4
Friday, September 6
Wednesday, September 11
Thursday, September 12
Wednesday, September 18
Friday, September 20
Wednesday, September 25
Wednesday, October 16
Wednesday, October 23
Thursday, October 24

Field trip options for 2024:

OPTION 1 - standard program
Arrive at 9:45
9:45 - 10:00 - Unload students off of bus and a quick introduction with a Park Ranger. Split into groups of 10-15 people. For one class, Groups 1 & 2, for two classes, Groups 1, 2, 3, &4.
10:00 - 10:45 - Groups 1 & 2 Tour the Park and Studios; Groups 3 & 4 make watercolor paintings
- switch! -
10:45 - 11:30 - Groups 3 & 4 Tour the Park and Studios; Groups 1 & 2 make watercolor paintings
11:30 - Students gather belongings, take the Junior Ranger Pledge, and board the bus, departing by 11:45

OPTION 2: standard programs and stay for lunch
Arrive at 9:45
9:45 - 10:00 - Unload students off of bus and a quick introduction with a Park Ranger. Split into groups of 10-15 people. For one class, Groups 1 & 2, for two classes, Groups 1, 2, 3, &4.
10:00 - 10:45 - Groups 1 & 2 Tour the Park and Studios; Groups 3 & 4 make watercolor paintings
- switch! -
10:45 - 11:30 - Groups 3 & 4 Tour the Park and Studios; Groups 1 & 2 make watercolor paintings
11:30 - 12:00: - Lunch (please note Weir Farm NHP is pack-in, pack-out and all trash and recycling must be taken back on the bus)
12:00 - Students gather belongings, take the Junior Ranger Pledge, and board the bus, departing by 12:15

OPTION 3: stay for lunch and teacher-led activity in afternoon
Arrive at 9:45
9:45 - 10:00 - Unload students off of bus and a quick introduction with a Park Ranger. Split into groups of 10-15 people. For one class, Groups 1 & 2, for two classes, Groups 1, 2, 3, &4.
10:00 - 10:45 - Groups 1 & 2 Tour the Park and Studios; Groups 3 & 4 make watercolor paintings
- switch! -
10:45 - 11:30 - Groups 3 & 4 Tour the Park and Studios; Groups 1 & 2 make watercolor paintings
11:30 - 12:00: - Lunch (please note Weir Farm NHP is pack-in, pack-out and all trash and recycling must be taken back on the bus)
12:00 - 1:00 - Teacher-led activity (some teachers will use the Park as a classroom and lead nature writing, journaling, tree identification, or other activities. The Park does not provide any materials or staff - this would be something the teachers would prepare and lead in the park)
1:00 - Students gather belongings, take the Junior Ranger Pledge, and board the bus, departing by 1:15

NOTE: If you you prefer to use the park as a classroom and do not want to include the tour or art-making activities, you will still need to schedule with the park, as we have limited parking for school buses and need to coordinate with you to ensure a safe and feasible visit.