Field Trips
Bring your classroom outdoors for an adventure filled with exploration, curiosity, and discovery! Our field trips help students apply classroom skills in the natural world, make meaningful STEM connections, and experience learning in a whole new way.
Guided Field Trip Information
Program Times: Tuesday – Thursday: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.Â
Group Size:Â
- A maximum of 120 students may participate per day
- Students will be divided into learning groups of 20 or fewer, each accompanied by at least one school teacher and one Arboretum staff member.
- Groups of 15 – 60 students may schedule up to two guided programs per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon
- Groups of 61 – 120 students may schedule one guided program per day. The group will be divided, with one portion participating in the guided program while the other participates in self-guided exploration. The groups will switch after lunch.
- Geocaching and Team Building programs are limited to 80 students per day due to material limitations. Groups of 80 will be divided into two guided groups in the morning and two in the afternoon
Seasonal Programs: Due to weather conditions, Freshwater Ecology and Wet and Wild programs are only offered during:Â
- Fall: September – October
- Spring:Â March – May
Fall 2026 Dates
Mid September – Mid December
Not Available:
- October 13th
- November 10th, 24th, 25th, & 26th
- December 8th
Spring 2027 Dates
Early January – Mid May
Not Available:Â
- January 12th
- February 9th & 18th
- March 9th, 23rd, 24th, & 25th
- April 13th & 15th
- May 6th
Programs at the Arboretum
| Program Title | Recommended Grade Level | ||||||||
| K | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | |
| Amazing Arthropods | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Down and Dirty with Soil | X | X | |||||||
| Freshwater Ecology* | X | ||||||||
| Geocaching and Team Building | X | X | X | ||||||
| Wet and Wild* | X | ||||||||
| Wildlife Adventures | X | X | X | ||||||
| Wonders of Weather* | X | ||||||||
*These programs are held on the other side of property. Buses / Vehicles must remain on property throughout the entire program to transport students to and from program locations.
Cost
| Students | Visit Fee | Lunch Location Fee | Program Fee | Total Cost | Total Cost/ Person |
| 10-20 | $65.00 | $20.00 | $105.00 | $190.00 | $19.00 – $9.50 |
| 21-40 | $65.00 | $20.00 | $210.00 | $295.00 | $14.05- $7.38 |
| 41-60 | $95.00 | $20.00 | $315.00 | $430.00 | $10.49- $7.17 |
| 61-80 | $95.00 | $20.00 | $420.00 | $535.00 | $8.77- $6.69 |
| 81-100 | $150.00 | $20.00 | $525.00 | $695.00 | $8.58- $6.95 |
| 101-120 | $150.00 | $20.00 | $630.00 | $800.00 | $7.92- $6.67 |
Chaperones:
We recommend 2 chaperones per group of 20 students. Any more than 5 chaperones per group of 20 will be charged an extra $10 each. We’ve found that when groups of 20 have over 5 chaperones, this detracts from the learning experience of the students.
Schools Using Teacher and Chaperone Vehicles for Transportation:Â
We recognize that many schools use Teachers and Chaperones to transport students to and from programs. Chaperones driving students to The Arboretum may enter for free and remain on property throughout the day. All Chaperones are welcome to join their group for lunch and the self-guided portion of the day.
To keep our students as engaged as possible, each group is allowed 5 free chaperones per group of 20 students during the guided portion of the day. Any additional chaperones wishing to join beyond the alloted 5 must pay $10 each.
Under certain circumstances, we may be able to visit your school for an outreach program. If your school is interested, please email youtheducation@ncarboretum.org
Self-Guided Visit Information
Schools and other youth groups are also invited to visit the Arboretum for self-guided exploration of its expansive grounds and rotating exhibits. For our group rates, please see the table below.
| Group Size | Group Rate | Picnicking Fee* | Total Cost |
| 10 – 50 | $75 | $20 | $95 |
| 51 – 100 | $150 | $20 | $170 |
| 101 – 150 | $220 | $20 | $240 |
| 151 – 200** | $280 | $20 | $300 |
* If your group will not be picnicking on the Arboretum’s property, this fee will not be included. The fee will be waived if your group is ordering from our Arbor Eatery. Hours and Menu can be found here!Â
** If your group consists of 201 or more visitors, larger group rates can be provided upon request.
In order to receive the group rate, self-guided visits must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. To schedule a self-guided visit, please fill out this form!
Health and Safety Protocols:Â
The Arboretum is committed to ensuring the safety of all participants by following the current health guidelines from the Center of Disease Control, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human services, the Buncombe County Department of Health, and the City of Asheville. We may update our policies on health screenings, face coverings, social distancing, and other safety measures as needed. Participants are required to adhere to all safety protocols currently in place, failure to comply could result in dismissal from programming.
Programming or Registration Questions?
Please contact youtheducation@ncarboretum.org or 828-412-8598. You can also call On-Site Education Coordinator Rich Preyer at 828-412-8558.