Book an NBG field trip!

Schedule your class, grade level, school, or summer camp to complete a self-guided or guided learning experience during your next visit to Norfolk Botanical Garden! All of our activities are Virginia SOL-aligned and are a great way to introduce students in grades Pre-K – 12 to concepts relating to nature, botany, ecology, and environmental science!

For field trip inquires, email the following information to youthed@nbgs.org:

  • Your name and the name of your organization/school.
  • Your organization/school information – address, phone number, email.
  • Reservation date and time preferences.
  • The name of the program you would like to complete (see programs below).
  • The number of students, teachers, and chaperones planning to attend (see pricing below).
  • Will you group arrive by bus or personal vehicle?

Field Trip Updates and Pricing:

  • All field trips must be scheduled with NBG at least three weeks before the intended visit date.
  • Field trips are not confirmed until the booking teacher/contact receives an NBG-issued invoice.
  • It is the responsibility of the booking teacher/contact to ensure all information relating to field trips is shared with the attending teachers and chaperones. This includes providing all attending chaperones the NBG chaperone “know before you go” document.
  • Prior to the field trip visit date, the booking teacher/contact or school is required to sign and submit our field trip service agreement.
  • Summer 2026 field trips require a non-refundable $50 deposit to be made at the time of booking.

Guided Field Trips:

  • $15/Student.
  • School/Organization staff and teachers are complimentary with a booked field trip.
  • A minimum of ten (10) students must attend to complete a guided field trip. Groups that do not meet this requirement will be required to complete a self-guided field trip.
  • Contact us for information on our Title I Student pricing and scholarship opportunities.

Self-Guided Field Trips:

  • $13/Student. This is a reduced group rate from regular Garden admission. 
  • School/Organization staff and teachers are complimentary with a booked field trip.

Parent/Guardian Chaperones:

  • $18/Adult Chaperone. This is a reduced rate from regular Garden admission. 
  • NBG Members may use their Garden membership to cover their chaperone fees. NBG Memberships cannot cover student fees for field trips.
  • Chaperones who drive separately from the students (arrive in a personal vehicle) are required to either pay the chaperone fee or show their NBG Membership upon arrival at the Tollbooth. Additional city taxes and a 3% processing fee will be incurred for all chaperone tickets purchased at the Tollbooth. 
  • Chaperones riding on the bus(es) with the students, are required to provide their chaperone fees to the school to be included in the school/student payment. Chaperones with NBG Memberships can show their cards to NBG staff when checking-in for the field trip.
  • All field trip groups are limited to five (5) chaperones per class.
  • Sibling tag-alongs are not permitted to attend NBG field trips. If siblings attend, the attending chaperone will not be permitted to join the field trip.

Additional Field Trip Opportunities

For the 25-26 school year, considering adding additional learning opportunities for your students! We offer specialized programs, walking tours, gardening experiences, and tram rides as part of our add-on packages. All add-on activities are subject to scheduling availability.

Specialized Guided Field Trip:

Interested in hosting a more “specialized” program with the Garden as your classroom? With topic approval, NBG Youth Educators will design a 1-hour guided tour to cover content outside of the regularly offered field trip topics.

  • $18/Student.
  • School/Organization staff and teachers are complimentary with a booked field trip.
  • A minimum of ten (10) students must attend to complete a specialized guided field trip.
  • Specialized tour must be booked at least four weeks before their intended completion date.
  • Specialized Programs require a non-refundable $50 deposit at the time of booking. 

Learn & Grow School Garden (Spring 2026):

  • Additional $1/Student. Available with guided and self-guided programs.
  • Instead of completing self-guided exploration on your own, book an additional 45-minute gardening opportunity in the WOW Children’s Garden to learn how to plant, weed, water, and harvest seasonal vegetables.
  • Limited to groups with a max of 100 students (4 classes).
  • Subject schedule availability. Groups will only have the opportunity to visit the Learn & Grow School Garden if their designated schedule allows for free time to explore the Garden.
  • Groups are not permitted to book a tram ride or guided walking tour if time is booked in the Learn & Grow School Garden.

Guided Walking Tours:

  • Additional $2/Student. Available with guided and self-guided programs.
  • Instead of completing self-guided exploration on your own, book an additional 45-minute walking tour with staff to explore the Garden’s collections! Groups booked as a self-guided field trip will still complete self-guided exploration beyond the walking tour.
  • Limited to groups with a max of 100 students (4 classes).
  • Subject schedule availability. Groups will only have the opportunity to complete a staff-guided walking tour if their designated schedule allows for free time to explore the Garden.
  • Groups are not permitted to book a tram ride or access to the Learn & Grow School Garden if time is booked for a guided walking tour.

Private Tram Rides:

  • Additional $2/Student. Only available with guided programs.
  • A minimum of 25 students is required to book a private tram. Groups with less than 25 students are required to pay a $50 flat rate for a private tram.
  • Private school trams pick students up from the WOW Children’s Garden after their guided tour and drop them off at the Picnic Shelter. The tram does not include a full tour of the campus. A tram ride is simply a 10-minute mode of transportation through a section of the Garden.

Guided Field Trip Program Descriptions

All guided field trips are SOL-aligned and allowing visiting students to engage with the Garden through hands-on application of the content learned at school.

WOW ABCs

Take a sensory tour of the WOW Children’s Garden, practice your map skills, and then plant sunflower seeds to take home. Recommended for Grades Pre-K-1.

Flowers & Friends

Review the lifecycles of frogs, flowers, and butterflies! Recommended for Grades 1-2.

Nature in Action

Review plant and animal adaptations, the anatomy of a flower, photosynthesis, and then play our interactive food web game. Recommended for Grades 3-4.

Botany 101

Review plant adaptations, the anatomy of a flower, photosynthesis, pollination, and then practice using a dichotomous key. Great review for the 5th grade science SOL!

WETLANDS & WATERSHEDS

Students will review the water cycle and learn about the importance of watersheds and coastal areas by using an Enviroscape. Alternative activities are offered in place of the Enviroscape for groups with more than two classes. Recommended for Grades 3-12. Program includes content relating to climate change and human impact on the environment for Grades 6-12.

SUSTAINABLE GARDENING

Students will utilize garden beds to explore plant, water, and soil science, and review the role of plants in filtering air, regulating the water cycle, and supporting food webs in ecosystems. Recommended for Grades 6-8. 

ADDITIONAL BOOKING INFORMATION

  • PAYMENT: Participants are asked to pay by check, credit card, or cash upon arrival at the Garden. Checks should be made payable to Norfolk Botanical Garden. If paying with cash, please have exact change. Schools are required to indicate to staff if credit card information is to be given over the phone, or if a check is planned to be mailed to the Garden. Refunds are not issued for field trips.
  • PARKING: All school program parking will take place at our Picnic Shelter parking lot. Upon arrival, a staff member will greet you in at the Tollbooth and assist the bus drivers with parking at this location.
  • LUNCH: Groups are encouraged to utilize the Picnic Shelter pavilion for lunch.
  • Norfolk Botanical Garden is a museum. Field trip guests are not permitted to pick or collect any items.
  • All activities are outdoors. It is highly recommended field trip guests wear appropriate clothing and footwear for walking and weather conditions. In extreme weather conditions, outdoor programs can be rescheduled.
  • We recommend all field trip guests bring refillable water bottles for their visit, sunscreen, and any other items that may be needed to be outside for an extended period of time.
  • All visits must be pre-scheduled before visiting the Garden. Please provide the Garden with 24-hour notice of cancellations.
  • Teachers and/or adult chaperones are responsible for students’ behavior, disciplinary actions, and/or first aid needs during their visit.
  • Field trips are rain or shine. It is at the discretion of the school whether or not a field trip needs to be cancelled or rescheduled due to the weather. In instances of extremely inclement weather, NBG will contact the school to determine how the school would like to proceed with their booking.