Field Trip Programs

Enrich your Group Visit to the Museum with a 45-minute Field Trip Program! Led by a museum educator, students will engage in science and engineering practices as they investigate a topic. All programs are aligned with Nebraska College and Career Ready Standards for science and/or social studies. 

A group of students examine a moveable globe in a space exhibit with guidance of an educator.

**LIMITED TIME SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE -- Sixth Mass Extinction Program** 

Free admission is available for this program for participating students and teachers courtesy of a generous donor while gift lasts. Register early to ensure free access for your class.

Field Trip Program Details

Fees

Prices below include both admission to the Museum, plus a Field Trip Program. Prices subject to change. 
-Title I schools receive a 25% discount
--Tax will be added where applicable. Tax exempt organizations please provide a form 13

 Single Program Cost2 Program Cost
(Field Trip + Planetarium)
Adults* (19 and over)$11.00$16.00
Children (18 and under)$8.50$15.00
Minimum Fee$85 

*One adult chaperone receives free admission for every 10 students.

Reservation Policy

  • Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance.
  • In order to receive the group rate, please have one person pay for your group.
  • Your punctuality is appreciated for Field Trip Programs. We reserve the right to cancel a program if a group is more than 10 minutes late, does not show up without prior warning or cancels with less than 48-hour's notice. An $85 cancellation fee will be charged in such cases. 

Payment Methods

We accept cash, a credit/debit card, or a check. Alternatively, an invoice can be emailed after the visit.

Checks should be payable to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and may be presented at the time of check-in. If invoiced, mail checks to:
          University of Nebraska State Museum Morrill Hall
          645 N. 14th Street
          Lincoln, NE 68588-0343

To pay an invoice by phone, call Morrill Hall at (402) 472-2637, Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sundays, 12-5 p.m.

Bus Drop Off & Parking

Bus Drop Off
  • Conventional (standard-sized) Buses: Groups may be dropped off in the S St./U St. loop. The group will walk between Hawks Hall and the Kauffman Center and cross 14th St. before arriving at the museum. Drive north or south on 16th Street, turn onto S Street, turn right onto 15th Street, and drop students off at the corner of 15th and U. 
  • Shorter Buses and Vans: Drive south down 14th Street to drop students off and use the circle to turn around.
  • Groups may also be dropped off at either of the StarTran bus stops on Vine St. Groups will then walk down Vine St. before turning south on 14th St. to arrive at the museum.
Please DO NOT drop off in the A or F3/D1 lots to the north of the museum (marked by yellow stars on the map). This is faculty and staff parking. Buses block traffic in these areas and UNL Parking and Transit Services reserves the right to fine your group if you park, drop off, or pick up in these areas. 
map of bus drop off locations for Morrill Hall
Bus Parking

Park in "Lot 56" north of the Devaney Center at the intersection of Antelope Valley Parkway North and Military Road. Drivers may walk to the Hendricks Training Comlex Lobby on the southwest corner of the Devaney Center (1600 Court St). The lobby opens at 8am and has seating, restrooms, and television. 

Chaperone Information

Before Your Arrival

  • Double-check with your trip's organizer to confirm whether chaperones will be paying as part of the group or paying separately. 
    • Only those paying with the group will receive the discounted group rate. 
    • Chaperones paying separately must pay full price at the door; this is $13.00 for admission and $6.00 for a planetarium show, plus tax. Adult chaperones are not charged for gallery programs. 
  • Ensure that you are aware of your group's schedule for the day. Punctuality for gallery programs and planetarium shows is expected.

Group Etiquette and Supervision
Please be respectful of our exhibits, staff, and other visitors while visiting the Museum (e.g. no climbing on exhibits, keep voices to a reasonable volume, etc.). Children should be supervised at all times.

Parking and Arrival Information

  • Chaperones driving separately will need to park in the 14th & Avery Parking Garage or the Stadium Drive Parking Garage. There are also metered parking spots in various places around campus. A limited number of museum parking spaces are available north (metered) and east of Morrill Hall, indicated by Museum Parking signs. 
    • If you park in a museum spot, your must provide your license plate number to the front desk for entry into the system to avoid being ticketed by UNL Parking Services
  • Please DO NOT park in the A or F3/D1 parking lots to the north of Morrill Hall. This is faculty and staff parking only and you will be ticketed. 
  • Accessible parking is available on the east side of the building. You may access the building through the east door. 
  • When you arrive, please check in at the front desk. Let them know you are with a group and purchase admission if you are paying separately. You will be able to wait in the lobby area until your group arrives. 

Planetarium Policy
A planetarium program or show is an add-on to the museum experience. Museum admission is required for planetarium access. Mueller Planetarium has a maximum capacity of 59 people due to State Fire Marshal regulations. Each person must be seated for the duration of the show. There are no exceptions; this is a safety hazard policy.

Field Trip Program Policy
Our educator-led field trip programs are educational experiences for students led by our Museum Education Team. In order for students to have the best possible experience, we ask that any adults present take an observational, rather than a participatory, role. Please demonstrate good behavior for the students by listening quietly to the Educator. Because adults do not have a direct participating role in gallery programs, we do not charge a fee for any adults in attendance.

Food Policy

Food and drinks other than water are NOT allowed in the museum. Food purchased from the Curious Curator Cafe may be eaten in the cafe space only.
*There is NOT sufficient space in the cafe for entire groups to eat lunch at the same time. The space is reserved for cafe paying patrons. 

A limited number of picnic tables are available to the north of the museum. UNL's campus also has green spaces south of the museum. The Nebraska Union (just south of Morrill Hall) has a food court if your group plans to purchase lunch, and seating is available if you brought sack lunches. 

Discovery Gift Shop Supervision

  • Unsupervised children are not allowed in the Discovery Gift Shop or Curious Curator Cafe. Please ensure that an adult is present with the group at all times. 
  • Please instruct students that they are not allowed to handle merchandise unless they are planning on purchasing the items. 
  • The Curious Curator Cafe inside the Discovery Gift Shop sells food and drinks. The Discovery Gift Shop also offers some food and candy options. Please let students know that food and drink are NOT allowed in the museum. Please ensure they consume any purchased food within the cafe area or wait until they exit the museum. 

For Your Visit Resources

Before Your Arrival
  1. Read these notes, the program details above, and communicate all expectations and information with all chaperones. 
  2. Designate a group leader. The group leader will be responsible for: 
    1. Obtaining an exact count of children and/or adults prior to check-in. One adult chaperone for every 10 youth receives free admission to the museum. 
    2. Checking in at the front desk, providing the final count to Visitor Services, and providing payment (if you have chosen not to be invoiced).
  3. Ensure that you have your group's schedule for the day. Punctuality for gallery programs and planetarium shows is expected. 
  4. Prepare your payment. 
    1. Individual payments for group visits will not be accepted. Payment for the entire group must be collected and counted prior to check-in. Your group receives 1 free adult ticket per 10 youth in the group. Additional chaperones may pay separately, but please note that they will not receive the discounted rate and will have to pay full price for admission and any additional programs ($13.00 for adult admission/$6.00 for a planetarium show + tax). 
    2. Museum memberships and other discounts are not accepted for group visits. 
    3. You may pay via cash, credit card, or check. If you would like to be invoiced, please let our Visitor Services team know at check-in. 
      1. Checks should be made payable to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 
      2. Checks made out for more than the amount you owe will not be accepted. If you arrive with a check with the incorrect amount, we will ask to invoice you after your visit.
When You Arrive
  1. Follow parking instructions outlined in the Program Details above.
  2. Only the designated group leader should check in at the front desk. 
    1. Weather permitting, please have your group wait outside during check-in to avoid congestion at the Visitor Services Desk. 
  3. After check-in, your entire group may enter the museum.

PreK - 3

Dinosaurs

Become a paleontologist and investigate the Mesozoic Era - the Age of Dinosaurs. Discover the differences between dinosaurs and other animals, explore the clues fossils provide about ancient environments, and discover the diversity of life during the Mesozoic Era.

Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.3.7.2.B

Jurassic Gallery Allosaurus skeleton Close Up

Grades 1-5

Nebraska Ecology

Become an ecologist to explore the rich diversity of life on the plains and discover what different animals in Nebraska need to survive. Investigate a prairie habitat to understand how Nebraska's community of plants and animals depend on each other for survival and how humans affect these environments.


Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.K.7.2.C; SC.2.7.2.C; SC.4.6.3.B; SC.5.8.2.C


 

A taxidermy mountain lion lays in front of a sandhills diorama.

Grades 3-4

Fossil Feature

Become a paleontologist and investigate fossils and adaptations of animals that lived in the Mesozoic Era – the Age of Dinosaurs. Discover how fossils form and the clues they provide to help scientists understand ancient life.


Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.3.7.2.B; SC.4.6.3.B; 


 

Mesozoic Gallery plesiosaur fossil head

Grades 3-5

People of the Buffalo

Explore the bison diorama in the Hall of Nebraska Wildlife to discover the animal and plant life on the Nebraska prairie in the late 1800's. Use bison specimens to investigate the relationships between Native Americans and the buffalo on the plains and explore how this relationship has changed from the early 1800's through today.


Standards Supported: NCCRS-Social Studies: SS 3.3.3; SS 3.3.4; SS 2.4.1.b; SS 4.3.3.b; SS 4.3.3.d; 


 

First Peoples of the Plains header

Grades 4-8

Nebraska's Saline Wetlands

Investigate Nebraska’s Saline Wetlands and the endangered Salt Creek Tiger Beetle that calls them home. Discover the role of economic development, habitat degradation, and light pollution upon the beetle. 


Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.5.13.4.C; SC7.7.3.B; SC.7.8.4.E 

Diorama of birds on the Platte River in the Hall of Nebraska Wildlife

Grades 4-12

Fossils of Nebraska

Take a trip through geologic time and investigate Nebraska's rich fossil heritage. Discover life in the Paleozoic Era and the mass extinction, which ended the era. Compare fossils with modern bones to gain a better understanding of the fossilization process. Explore the diversity of life during the Mesozoic Era. Investigate the elephants that once roamed Nebraska during the Cenozoic Era.


Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.4.13.4.A; SC.7.14.6; SC.8.14.7.A


 

Elephant Hall fossil

Grades 5-8

Rocks & Minerals

Look for clues geologists use to understand the formation of different types of rocks. Use microscopes and hand lens to differentiate the three types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.


 

A studio shot of yellow crystals on a black to grey background.

Grades 7-12

Explore Evolution

Delve into evolution by exploring the current research of seven teams of scientists and the seven organisms they study. Investigate four components of evolution: variation, inheritance, selection, and time to develop an understanding of how organisms change through time.

The Explore Evolution exhibition room with large models of DNA and a virus.

Grades 5-8

Sixth Mass Extinction

Utilizing the exhibit featuring the work of Joel Sartore on Morrill Hall’s first floor, students will learn about endangered species and the threats that these animals face. Students then work together to brainstorm solutions to the extinction crisis and learn about the work that young people are doing around the world to save our planet’s animals. 


Standards Supported: NCCRS-Science: SC.5.13.4.C, SC.6.9.3.B, SC.7.7.3.B, SC.7.8.4.C, SC.7.8.4.E, SC.7.13.5.C

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE - *Free admission for participating students and teachers courtesy of a generous donor while gift lasts. Register early to ensure free access for your class.
 

A huge display wall of photographs including several fish, a snake and a colorful parrot.

FAQ's

What if our group numbers increase/decrease?

Visitor Services will update your final numbers at the time of check-in. If you have a Field Trip Program or Planetarium show scheduled, please contact us a minimum of one week in advance should your numbers change by 5 or more. Please note that the planetarium seats 59 people total (children and adults).

What if we are running late?

If you have a Field Trip Program or Planetarium show booked, please notify Visitor Services by calling (402) 472-2637 as soon as you know you will be late. We reserve the right to cancel a program if a group is more than 10 minutes late, in which case a $85 cancellation fee will be charged.

How many adults should we bring?

For safety and the best experience, we strongly recommend one adult chaperone for every 10 students during a group visit. One adult chaperone for every 10 students will receive free admission to Morrill Hall. Any additional adults will be charged discounted group visit rates.

Do parent volunteers have to pay?

One adult chaperone (teacher or parent) for every 10 students will receive free admission to Morrill Hall. Any additional adults will be charged discounted group visit rates. Adult chaperones must check in with the group – any chaperones who arrive after the group has checked in will be charged regular Museum admission.

Some of my students have memberships. Can they be used for group admission?

No, we are not able to accept memberships or other discounted passes with group reservations. Adults or chaperones attending and needing to pay for their own entry may utilize membership for admission. 

Are there self-guide activities to do while in the museum?

We have a Morrill Hall Quest activity guide that showcases several galleries on our main floor.  The activity guide is available to download for free on this page.

When is the gift shop open?

The gift shop is open during Museum hours on Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 – 5 p.m.

Can we add a Field Trip Program or planetarium show to our visit?

Absolutely! Please note that programs must be booked a minimum of two weeks in advance and are based on availability. Complete this online form to start booking your program.

How long does a typical visit last?

We typically recommend 2 hours for a group visit to the Museum. However, you may want to allow more time to explore the Museum if you have reserved a Field Trip Program or Planetarium show, which are typically 45 minutes in length, depending on the program.

Where do we park?

Please refer to the policies tabs at the top for detailed information bus parking and chaperone parking. 

What if there is inclement weather?

Museum staff and UNL closely monitor weather conditions. In the event of severe weather, there are tornado shelters on the 1st floor of the Museum. In the event of inclement weather, the Museum follows the UNL inclement weather policy, which may result in the Museum closing early or not opening on a given day. Should this issue arise, Museum staff will contact your group directly to reschedule your visit.

Have a question that's not addressed in the policies or our FAQ's? Contact us at elephant@unl.edu.