field trip amusement park

50+ Virtual Field Trip Amusement Park Links (+ Activity Ideas)

Looking for ways to make virtual field trips to amusement parks more fun for kids?

These amusement park project ideas, activities, and carnival games will make a theme park virtual tour more than just a virtual walk through the park. 

Plus, with links to 57 theme park and amusement park virtual tours, you’ll have everything you need to start planning a virtual field trip to Disney World parks, Six Flags parks, and more.

Planning an Interactive Virtual Field Trip Amusement Park Day

How do you take a virtual field trip to Six Flags?

Like many other amusement parks, several Six Flags locations have allowed Google to do a Street View tour of their park. Google Street View is easy to navigate, but if you aren’t familiar with it and want to learn about all of the features read this article .

Of course, if you were planning a real trip to Six Flags, you wouldn’t go to just walk through the park.

And there’s no reason that your virtual tour has to be just a walkthrough either.

All you need to do to make a virtual tour into a full virtual vacation day is add in some virtual rides, carnival games, and at-home activities, all of which you will find tips and suggestions for below.

As you’re doing your walkthrough of the park, stop and take a virtual ride when you reach each attraction.

If you’re touring a park that has carnival games, set some up in your backyard or living room and take a break from the screen when you reach the game area.

Another great way to take a break from the screen is to plan some other amusement park themed projects and activities for your kids.

Not only will these activities make the trip more interactive and fun for your kids, but it will help you stretch a short virtual tour into a full day of fun at home.

For tips on how to organize your virtual field trip amusement park day read How to Take a Virtual Vacation.

Want more virtual travel tips and ideas for kids?

Check out Making Virtual Tours for Kids Interactive .

Virtual Amusement Park Rides

If you’re planning a Busch Gardens virtual field trip, you’re going to want to check out the triple-launch roller coaster, Cheetah Hunt. 

Luckily, thanks to YouTube , you can take a virtual ride on it, and many other popular theme park rides, from home.

Finding virtual amusement park rides is easy. 

Just look through the ride section on the website for the park you plan to visit.  Then pick the rides you want to experience virtually and search for them on YouTube.  Use the term “POV” in your search to find first-person point of view videos of the rides.

Some videos are even done in 360° views.

Virtual Entertainment

Rides aren’t the only virtual resource you need to include to experience a theme park from home. 

What would a trip to Disney World be without watching a parade or seeing Mickey Mouse perform on stage?

Search on the entertainment section of the theme parks website to see what shows, parades, and more they have.

Then search for the name of each on YouTube to find videos of the live performances.

Video Tours of Resorts

If you’re taking a Hershey Park virtual field trip, you may want to take a quick tour of Hershey Lodge, Hershey Hotel, or the Hershey Camping Resort too.

While you’re on the theme parks website looking for rides and entertainment, make sure you check to see what accommodations they have too.   

Many theme parks have their own hotels and resorts that are worth checking out, and luckily there are a lot of YouTubers who have posted virtual tour videos of them too.  

Amusement Park Virtual Tour At-Home Activity Ideas

Sitting back and taking in the view of rides, shows, parades, and resorts is relaxing for us adults.  But most kids will start to get restless spending a day just watching videos between the virtual walking tour.

That’s why it’s great to take a short break once in a while to do an activity away from the screen too. Here are some ideas for theme park-related activities you can do at home.

• Face painting- many amusement parks have face painting booths, so why not pull out your own face paint when you see one on the virtual tour? You can go all out and learn how to make some fancy designs with these face painting tutorials, or just pick up a kit with some stencils.
• Theme park recipes- You can find recipes for some of your favorite Disney food and Universal studios food on their websites.  For other theme and amusement parks check Pinterest or Google for copy cat recipes.
• Family photos- look on the amusement parks website to see if they have any digital backdrops, like this one from Universal Studios .  Then use it as a background for your own photoshoot.
• Coloring/activity sheets- Universal Studios has coloring pages on their website, and Canada’s Wonderland has a few activity sheets too.  You can also find generic amusement park coloring sheets by doing a Google image search.
• Amusement park crafts – There are lots of amusement park craft ideas on Pinterest you can do too.

While these last two activity ideas won’t give your kids a break from the screen, they are a great way to keep kids engaged in the virtual tour.

• Scavenger hunt- make your own scavenger hunt sheet (like this one for Canada’s Wonderland ) by doing a virtual walkthrough and writing out some of the things you see.
• Bingo sheets- write out the names of some rides on bingo sheets, then have your kids bingo dab each ride as you reach it on your virtual tour.

DIY Carnival Games

Many amusement parks have carnival games spread throughout the park.  To see what kinds of games the park you will be virtually visiting has do a virtual walkthrough, or search on YouTube to get a better look at the games.

Once you know what games they have, search on Pinterest or Google to find DIY versions that you can make at home. 

You can have your kids play the games just for fun, or have prizes for them to win.  Make a simple prize bucket with some party favors and/or dollar store toys.

The games below were based on games at Canada’s Wonderland.  To get a better view of some of these games, watch this YouTube video .  To see pictures of how I set up some of these games, see this Facebook post .

• Ring Toss – set up your own ring toss game, like this , with some unopened pop bottles (or empty ones filled with water) and anything you can find to use as a tossing ring.
• Peach Basket – make your own version of the Peach Basket game, by leaning a laundry basket or similarly shaped container up against a wall.  Angle it so that it is difficult (but not impossible) to get the ball in without it bouncing back out.
• Rebound – find a board, kids’ easel, tv tray, or something similar and lean it against a wall at a slight angle.  Place a bucket or laundry basket below it (see this website for an example).
• Gunball – make this game at home with a few plastic cups and a nerf gun.
• Milk Cans – While you can buy a classic milk can online, you could also just use a non-breakable vase, large sand pail, or a large juice jug with a ball that is just a bit smaller than the top opening to throw into it.
• Foul Shot – to create your own version of the Foul Shot game pick up a door basketball hoop from the dollar store.  Set it up somewhere that you can throw the ball in at a distance.
• Water gun race – to do your own water gun race, draw targets on a fence outside with sidewalk chalk.  Have your kids race to see who can erase the target first with water guns.
• Duck Pond – write a prize amount on the bottom of some dollar store rubber ducks with a sharpie marker.  Then float them in a kiddie pool, large tote, or even the bathtub and have your kids chose one.  
• Ski Ball – If you want an easy to make DIY arcade game, follow this design from Frugal Fun 4 Boys for a ski ball game made with cardboard and laundry baskets.
• For more carnival game options check out Pinterest’s DIYs .

Follow Up Amusement Park Project Ideas

If you want to extend your virtual tour, or make it more educational, here are a few ideas for some follow up amusement park themed projects you can do after the trip.

• Design your own paper roller coaster or paper plate roller coaster .
• Create an original ride with drawings and a paragraph describing how it works.
• Design your own amusement park by making an amusement park map.
• Make a replicate of the amusement park you visited on Minecraft or a game like Roller Coaster Tycoon.
• Check on Roblox and see if anyone has made a game based on the amusement park you visited.  Compare their rides and layout to the real parks.   
• Make an ad, flyer, or brochure for the amusement park you visited.
• Write a review of the amusement park.
• Do a slide show of the amusement park rides to make your own virtual tour.

Virtual Field Trip Amusement Park Links

With Disney virtual tours, Legoland virtual field trips and so much more, planning a virtual field trip to Florida is easy. 

But there are a lot of other amusement parks around the USA and in Canada that have virtual tours too.

While many of the big theme parks have Google Street View tours, the list below also includes a few smaller amusement parks, including ones on boardwalks and piers.

VIRTUAL DISNEY TOURS

• Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
• Disneyland Park
• Disney California Adventure Park

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

• Universal Studios Florida
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure

VIRTUAL SEAWORLD PARKS TOURS

• Sea World Orlando
• Sea World San Diego
• Sea World San Antonio
• Busch Gardens Tampa
• Busch Gardens Williamsburg
• Sesame Place

LEGOLAND VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP

• Legoland Florida
• Legoland California

SIX FLAGS VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP

• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
• Six Flags Over Georgia
• Six Flags Over Texas
• Six Flags Great America
• Six Flags New England
• Six Flags St. Louis
• Six Flags Great Adventure
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
• Frontier City
• Great Escape

CEDAR FAIR PARKS VIRTUAL TOURS

• California’s Great America
• Knott’s Berry Farm
• Michigan’s Adventure
• Worlds of Fun
• Cedar Point
• Kings Island
• Dorney Park
• Kings Dominion
• Canada’s Wonderland

BEACH AND BOARDWALK AMUSEMENT PARKS VIRTUAL TOURS

• Coney Island ( Luna Park , Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park )
• Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
• Family Kingdom Amusement Park
• Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
• Kemah Boardwalk

OTHER AMUSEMENT PARK VIRTUAL TOURS

• Hershey Park
• Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari
• Knoebels Amusement Resort
• Lake Compounce
• Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
• Oaks Amusement Park
• Dutch Wonderland
• Centerville Amusement Park
• Tom Foolerys Adventure Park

Want to take a virtual field trip without all the work of planning it?

Check out the step by step virtual tour plans in these guides.

• Canada’s Wonderland Virtual Tour Guide
• Boston Children’s Museum Virtual Tour Guide
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Virtual Tour Guide

Now that you have a huge list of virtual field trip amusement park links, and some ideas for amusement park projects and activities you can do at home, I hope you have a fun virtual amusement park tour.

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook for more virtual travel tips, ideas, and step by step guides. 

Let me know in the comments where you went for your virtual field trip amusement park day and what at-home activities you planned for your kids.

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This is such a cool idea! I’m not even a student and I want to try some of these VR trips!

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55 Simple and Memorable Field Trip Ideas

We all know that field trips are fun- we have all been there. But when you are on the side that you have to plan them, it becomes a bit less fun, and a lot more stressful. It does not really need to be, though, because there are so many fun things out there that your middle schoolers will love to do.

In this article, we will give you 29 excellent field trip ideas. And remember, these are just ideas- there are tons more out there! Get creative!

I don’t know what it is about the zoo, but there is just something about the zoo that makes it one of the best places on earth. And this is true for most ages, not just preschoolers. Running around, finding favorite animals, discovering new ones, and learning more about animals that may be endangered is so fun.

Your middle schoolers will think so, too. Many zoos offer free (or at least discounted) admission for field trips, as long as they’re booked in advance. ( Source )

2. Water Park

Visiting a water park is a great way to either say goodbye to warmer weather or to celebrate the return of it. The best thing about many water parks is that they have arcades too, so those who do not like swimming can just try to win the giant plushies and lava lamps that we all envied as children.

3. Art Museum

An art museum is a great way to infuse culture into middle schoolers. Most are old enough to know museum etiquette, and the museum can introduce them to so many different art styles, types of people, and countries. They may come out thinking about art in a completely different way.

4. State and National Parks

If you live by a state or national park, consider yourself incredibly lucky, and then go get in there! This is a great way to expose middle schoolers to nature, and it helps them to love the outdoors if they do not already. State and national parks are beautiful, and they give the perfect opportunity to teach about the importance of taking care of the environment!

5. Movie Theater

You can never go wrong with a movie. All kids like movies. As long as it’s rated G or PG, and you have parental approval, the employees will be ready with popcorn and drinks in excess for your middle schoolers to enjoy.

6. Aquarium

Like the zoo, it is impossible to go wrong with a trip to the aquarium. Many aquariums have rehabilitated animals, which presents a great opportunity to teach about the importance of picking up after ourselves, and not throwing trash in the ocean. It is never too early to help kids become environmentally conscious.

7. Botanical Gardens

Botanical gardens give the wonderful chance to be outside, and it provides a controlled environment to do so. They are beautifully landscaped, and they usually have pretty fountains and waterfalls that provide a really calming atmosphere.

An added bonus: it is easy to reinforce what your middle schoolers have been learning about plants in science classes with what you see!

8. An Actual Theatre

Exposing middle schoolers to the arts should be considered an essential part of their education. And, what’s more, going to plays just makes kids feel mature and important. Maybe it is just because of the way the phrase “going to the theatre” sounds when someone says it with a British accent. If that wasn’t enough, then the fact that education in fine arts is proven to increase students’ self-confidence, self-understanding, communication skills, and cognitive abilities. ( Source )

9. Go on a Hike

This is a good field trip for many reasons. Exercising is an important thing to get in the habit of at a young age, and nature is something that everyone should appreciate. And, as if that was not enough, learning about rocks and rock formations is fascinating, too. This is a great way to combine what you’re teaching in class with what the kids are experiencing in real life.

10. Planetarium

The planetarium is another one of those places that are impossible for someone to not enjoy, even if they are starting to act more and more like a teenager. Besides, middle schoolers will understand the concepts and words used at the planetarium a lot better than elementary schoolers would.

11. Local High School

If there is one thing middle schoolers love, it is that they are going to be in high school soon. Take advantage of that! Take them to high school productions of plays, on tours of the high school they will be going to, and to other high school concerts and athletic events.

12. Local Colleges

While college is still far off for middle schoolers, it’s never too early to give them a good impression of college. Communicate how important a college education can be, and do not forget to mention how fun college life is, either. Get them excited about college before the application process rolls around. The best part about this trip: it’s free!

13. Library

Going to the local library is always a good idea. There is so much to learn (Dewey Decimal System, anybody?), and it is a great way to encourage kids to read. Making this trip coincide with a book report project or readathon might help them to check out books, too!

14. Government Buildings

A government building may be fun to tour. This includes things like the state Capitol building, or maybe even a local government office. There are often tours of the bigger buildings, and these are great opportunities to help students learn more about the government system in our country.

15. Local Festivals

Taking your middle schoolers to local festivals is another great field trip idea. Every town has some sort of interesting festival that they are known for. Take advantage of teaching the kids about the history of their town! Some examples are music festivals, farmers’ markets, local races, and holiday events.

16. Railroad

Local railroads may be hard to come by, but if you are lucky enough to have one in your area, they have tons of history. In addition to this, taking train rides is so much fun. Middle schoolers will love learning about the history of the railroad, taking a ride, and let’s be honest- the concessions on the train will help, too.

17. Local Factories

Going to local factories or businesses is another really great opportunity for middle schoolers. Exposing them to how things work is a great way to help them on the path toward finding out what they want to do in their life. When they see how many types of businesses work, they can better figure out what they like and what they don’t.

18. Amusement Park

Amusement parks are tons of fun. That said, they do require a bit more effort as a field trip. Especially if you are a public school teacher taking 20-30 kids with you, you will need chaperones, permission slips, and plenty of focus, because middle schoolers can wander off.

19. Just a Regular Park

This one is almost effortless, and it is still so much fun. Going to a park, sitting in nature, having a picnic, and then just playing exploring is so good for kids. Getting that time to just relieve stress is key to creating a balanced lifestyle for middle schoolers.

20. Historical Monuments

Historical monuments are there for a reason. They exist to teach us about the people and events that came before us. So why not introduce your middle schoolers to these amazing monuments? They are beautifully built, and being in a historical spot to learn about something that happened before is such a cool experience. What if there is not a monument in your town? There probably is, but if not, a neighboring town will definitely have one.

Caving is such a blast. If you live near a cave, taking middle school students caving would be a fantastic field trip. Before you go, make sure you check the difficulty level of the cave, so that everybody can participate. This is a great way to either introduce or just reinforce what students are learning about rocks, erosion, weathering, and more.

22. Historical Buildings, Homes, or other Sites

This is a great way to learn about specific people that may have had a huge influence on your town, organizations that shaped how your town functioned, or just other historical events that may have caused your town to be built in the first place.

Middle schoolers will love seeing places that appear in books they have read or movies they have seen, and if they are not familiar, they will just enjoy seeing the collection of old things.

23. Local Fire Station

Visiting the local fire station would be a very fun field trip for those who have dreams of being a fireman, but it will also be fun for those who don’t. Kids find it fascinating to learn about the process of it all: seeing the fire station, the fire trucks, and asking the firemen what their typical day looks like is a great way to get them engaged.

24. Local Police Station

It’s the same for the local police station. Not only will kids learn a lot about the government and what police do, but they’ll also learn that they don’t have to be afraid of all police officers. This is a great way to help middle schoolers become more comfortable around police and other emergency personnel. In addition to this, seeing the inside of a police officer’s car is sure to keep middle schoolers occupied: there’s a lot there!

25. Pottery Studio

There are several commercial pottery studios sprinkled around the country that anybody can use. So why not make a field trip out of it? Middle schoolers love working with their hands, and one thing that always makes field trips extra special is a souvenir that they can take home at the end of the day.

26. Fish Hatchery

If you live near a fish hatchery, this would be a really interesting field trip for middle schoolers. It does smell weird, but kids will love seeing the process that they go through in the hatchery. They will get to see a couple of different kinds of fish, and this field trip also gives the added benefit of some outdoor time.

27. Aviation Museum

An aviation museum is another excellent idea for a field trip for middle schoolers. Even if some students are not obsessed with planes and vehicles, the things that one can see at an aviation museum are undeniably fascinating.

Students will get to see several different types of planes, learn about famous pilots and wars, maybe see a rocket, and learn how aviation has changed since it first came into practice.

28. Local Power Plant, Dam, or Locks

This is another information-filled field trip. Though many dams and locks may not have tours, they usually have plenty of signs with blurbs to read that will provide for a lovely, self-guided tour. A lot of power plants will offer tours, though. In these places, middle schoolers will learn so much about modern technology, how things are powered, and more.

29. A Walking Tour of Your Town or City

Obviously, if you live in a big city, this may not be the safest idea, but if you feel you can conduct a safe walking tour of your town or city, do it! Even if they have lived in the town or city for a long time, many middle schoolers may still learn something about the town, and they may find something new to do. Pick a few destinations beforehand so that you can show your students the best-kept secrets of your city.

Remember that these ideas only scratch the surface of possibilities for fun field trips for middle schoolers. Students will appreciate any effort to add variety to their learning, so get creative!

30. Farmers Market

The Farmer’s Market is a great way for students to become involved in the community. Beforehand you can teach them about farming and how important it is to support your local farmers. Then you can take them to the market and let them pick something out or learn about all of the different produce. There are also sometimes animals there that they can pet.

Many communities host Farmer’s markets on Saturdays, so you might need to find out if your local farmer’s market takes place during the week!

31. Animal Shelter

The Animal Shelter is an awesome field trip not only for the kids but for the dogs and cats as well. The animals in animal shelters have often been neglected and abused. All they want is some love, which the kids will gladly give. It may inspire some families to adopt and give the animals a loving home.

32. Recycling Center

Learning about recycling is important. Visiting a Recycling Center might not be the most entertaining for the kids, but they will learn a valuable lesson about the importance of recycling and why we do it. They will also learn how to recycle and what can be reused, from plastic to paper to clothes.

33. A Hospital, Clinic, Dentist’s Office, etc

It is always a great idea to take the children to certain places where they can learn about different professions and what they could be when they grow up. Some kids may be scared of the hospital or doctor, but this way they can learn that doctors and nurses are here to help them.

If you can’t get the hospital to offer a tour, consider a tour of just any local clinic of a medical professional. Perhaps even a parent of a student in the class could offer a tour so that kids can learn about different professions.

Going to the bank may not sound the most fun to elementary school students, but they can learn important information that isn’t being fully taught in schools. Kids can go behind the scenes and possibly get a tour of the vault as well as learn how to write a check and what the purpose of a credit card is.

35. News, TV, or Radio Station

These field trips are fascinating because you can see the behind-the-scenes of the studio that the online viewers or listeners don’t get to see. The children will love to see the cameras and recording equipment, maybe even meet the people that their parents watch on TV every morning. Some kids could decide that this is the career path they want to move towards. The world always needs people to tell stories and report on what’s happening.

36. Local Business

It’s always important to highlight and remember local businesses. Local business owners would love to give back to the community by giving a tour to the students, inspiring them to chase their dreams. You never know which field trip is going to spark interest and help a kid decide what they want to be someday.

37. Restaurant or Bakery

Going to a restaurant or local bakery is something that children will love because they can get a behind-the-scenes tour, as well as some sampling of the food or treats. It will probably end up being one of their favorites since food is involved. Many local businesses will offer tours free of charge. ( Source )

38. Senior Care Facility

Taking the elementary school students to a retirement home is a great opportunity to teach them about the importance of service and learning from their elders. Children can oftentimes be egotistic because their brains aren’t fully developed. Volunteering is a great way to teach them compassion and kindness, and it will make the residents’ day as well.

39. Sporting Game

Sporting games are purely an entertaining field trip, and the students will be very excited. Most areas in the United States have a sports team, but even if you don’t live near a major city, you can find some minor league teams as well. Taking the students to a baseball or soccer game is probably the most common sport for a field trip. ( Source )

40. Theatre

Going to a theatre to see a play is also very exciting and entertaining. Communities almost always have a local theatre putting on a play for all ages to enjoy. You could even take the students to a play at the middle school or high school in the area. Make sure to pick an age-friendly play that they are willing to sit through for a few hours since young kids have a hard time sitting for long periods of time.

Going to the movies is a great indoor winter activity and very exciting for the children. It can get expensive, but there are also oftentimes group rate discounts, especially for schools. Maybe the movie field trip can be at the end of a big test as a reward. Don’t forget to get popcorn!

42. Orchestra

Going to the symphony or orchestra is a very special experience that not every child would normally experience. Classical music is very healthy for the brain. These days, everybody wants to listen to recorded music, but it’s important to instill a love of live music in the newer generations as well.

43. Pumpkin Patch

Fall is always a fun time of the year, and there are so many activities to do! This includes going to the pumpkin patch. Oftentimes, pumpkin patches not only have pumpkins to pick out and carve, but hayrides, mazes, and fun foods to try. My favorite pumpkin patch treats as a kid were apple cider donuts.

Picnics are easy and simple, probably costing zero dollars to the budget. All you have to do is make sure that every student brings a lunch from home and a blanket to sit on. Then all you have to do is take the class outside, set up the blankets, and they can sit with their friends and eat their lunch. Field Trips don’t always have to be big and extravagant.

45. Waterpark

The waterpark could be a great end-of-the-year activity since it needs to be warmer weather to go swimming. This field trip idea would probably need the most organizing, but it will be much worth it when it all comes together and you can celebrate the year together with students, parents, and teachers. This activity is recommended for older elementary school students that know how to swim.

There are endless opportunities for elementary school field trips! These young students are excited and curious about everything. Many of these places are free of charge and are happy to give a tour or experience to the students. Just make sure to plan everything out in advance and find enough chaperones to supervise the kids alongside the teachers. Good Luck! ( Source )

46. Explore a Local Recreation Center

Another great local resource that students can explore is a local recreation center. Finding and understanding available resources in the community is an important skill for kids as they transition to adulthood. A field trip to a recreation center can also emphasize the importance of health and lifelong physical activity to students as they begin to have more control over their lives.

47. Volunteer at a Food Pantry

Field trip education can be about more than just the sciences; giving high school students opportunities to serve in the community can be an important way for young adults to build character.

Many local food pantries would welcome the assistance of a large group of high school students. Taking a field trip day to volunteer at a local food pantry can help students understand more about supply chain management, while simultaneously helping them to build empathy.

48. Visit a Technology Company/Area

Technology is another area experiencing lots of growth. Helping to expose more students to areas like this can help give them direction when they may have none, and can also help fill a societal need.

If possible, arrange for students to take a field trip to a local software company where they can have opportunities to see the background processes of coding, system networks, and other tech phenomena. Showing students something like a server room, or cable management practices could be beneficial as well!

49. Visit the Capitol or Other Government Building

Whether it’s for History class, Political Science, or just to increase students’ social understanding, taking students to visit a capitol building or other government building can be both interesting and thought-provoking. This can be beneficial for all students as citizens, whether they are interested in pursuing education or careers in government or not.

50. Plan a College Visit

With students looking to the future, being able to get them on a university campus can be extremely helpful in guiding them in their decisions. Planning to visit a campus—or multiple campuses—could be a beneficial experience, especially for those on the fence about going.

Many colleges love to welcome high school students for campus visits and tours. Additionally, students may feel more comfortable being able to do a visit with friends and other peers with similar interests. Since Juniors will be thinking about which colleges to apply to, plan these trips preferably during students’ Junior year!

51. Plan a Photography Trip

With the invention of smartphones, and the popularity of Instagram, all students like to be both the photographer and the model. You can provide a field trip for them by taking them somewhere unique to take pictures and teaching them about principles of good photography, like lighting, balance, and the rule of thirds!

Alternatively, you could take them to a studio and allow them to take portraits or shoot other professional pieces, such as jewelry.

52. Plan a Painting Trip

For your more artsy individuals, you could consider planning a day trip to somewhere scenic where they could practice their painting skills. They could practice landscapes, nature scenes, or even portraits in nature.

53. Plan a Geological Trip

Another trip that could be fun is a trip to a location of geological significance. This could be something visual, such as being able to identify different strata on the side of a mountain, or something more tactile, like digging in an area for pieces of archeological or historical significance. It could even be something as simple as comparing rocks and their features depending on the area in which they’re found.

54. Do a Service Project Using Just Serve

We mentioned service in some of the above ideas (food pantry or homeless shelter), but you could also consider planning your own service project! Whether that’s planting trees locally, visiting an old folks’ home to visit with the residents there, or picking up trash.

There’s actually a great free website called Just Serve that allows you to quickly find service project needs for local non-profits. You could probably find something easy.

Allowing students to plan and prepare their own service activity can get them more engaged and help them feel like they can make a difference themselves.

55. Visit an Escape Room — or Any Activity Just for Fun!

Finally, we’d encourage you to be okay with some field trips being just for fun. Let your students go to an escape room, an amusement park, or a pool just for fun. Students need a break sometimes too!

The 50 best parks and gardens in Moscow

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1 Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

2 Kolomenskoye

3 Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

4 all-russian exhibition center, 5 sokolniki park.

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6 Zaryadye Park

7 moscow zoo, 8 izmailovsky park, 9 muzeon park of arts, 10 neskuchny garden, 11 bauman garden, 12 park krasnaya presnya, 13 moscow state university, 14 vorobyovy gory, 15 family park skazka..

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16 Nebo Trampoline park

17 happylon, 18 the rink, 19 fishpoint, 20 vorob'yevy gory, 21 moscow-850, park attraktsionov i razvlecheniy, 22 gulliver, 23 le parterre, 24 vorob'yevy gory, 25 apothecary garden.

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27 kuskovo estate museum, 28 patriarch's ponds, 29 hermitage garden, 30 main botanical garden of the russian academy of sciences, 31 nudistskiy plyazh v serebryanom boru, 32 yekaterininskiy park, 33 city farm, 34 pokrovskoye-streshnevo park, 35 park ostankino.

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46 Mitino landscape park

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Myrtle Beach is perfect for travelers who enjoy the outdoors. Whether walking down the beach, visiting an amusement park, or exploring the zoo, students are bound to have fun. Students visiting Myrtle Beach also enjoy spending a day at Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum.

Sample itineraries are coming. Until then, please feel free to contact us via submitting a request or calling one of our group coordinators at 877-397-5700. We can help you customize your travel experience!

Why amusement parks provide a valid science field trip

In 1923 Albert Einstein, known as the father of modern physics, gave his Nobel address at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg. 

A Hollywood-style star commemorates this moment, and Ann-Marie Pendrill , professor of science communication and physics education at Lund University, makes the bold claim that Einstein “would have loved the free fall drop towers, Uppskjutet (Space Shot) and AtmosFear, where you experience two to three seconds of weightlessness”.  If this were true, Einstein would certainly not be alone, as thrill seekers are drawn in great numbers to amusement parks worldwide. 

They offer a variety of opportunities for students to gather data and apply the concepts of measurement, estimation, gravity, motions, forces and systems to real life examples, even prompting  Nasa to write their own guide for teachers planning such visits. 

Many neuroscientists have identified the ability to make abstract concepts “concrete” as an important part of learning, and amusement parks offer a valuable opportunity for teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects. Abstract concepts such as the conservation of energy and centripetal force and acceleration can all be observed, measured and calculated in amusement parks, the challenge, is getting the students to remember the physics and science behind the rides at least as well as the experience of being on the rides themselves.

Technology as an aid

Modern mobile devices contain a wide variety of internal sensors, including accelerometers, that software apps can take advantage of. Using this technology to record and capture the rides is useful both on the day, and for follow up in the classroom. 

For example, the Vernier Video Physics app allows you to not only capture a video of the rides, but with built in object tracking and various graphing options - including velocity and time - it becomes possible to calculate acceleration and use the data back in the classroom for the important follow up learning activities that prevent the visit being seen as a one-off treat. 

Circular motion

The thrill associated with amusement park rides such as rollercoasters is not about speed but the rapid accelerations and decelerations they produce, especially centripetal accelerations around curved and looped sections of track. Rides such as the Smiler and Nemesis at Alton Towers utilise Clothoid loops to give larger centripetal accelerations but at lower speeds which enables the rider to have a more comfortable experience. 

These teardrop shaped loops are perfect for applying a variety of physics principles including energy conservation, as increases in height decrease speed and kinetic energy and increase potential energy. This means that riders will experience much greater speeds at the bottom of the loop as they enter and leave that section, and the lowest speeds at the top.  This also explains the feeling of ‘weightlessness’ at the top of the ride. 

A visit to Alton Towers or similar amusement parks gives the learner the opportunity to not only experience this but to prove it. If students can calculate or are given the acceleration up and down the loop, and can estimate or are given details of the mass, they can calculate the forces at the different sections and explain why that feeling of weightlessness exists. 

Other rides such as Wicker Man  can also be used to study circular motion as they rely on rapidly changing magnitudes and directions of acceleration through banked turns, dips and hills. In these rides, the safety bar and mechanisms apply downward force to pull the rider downward and supply the centripetal force needed for circular motion. In each of these rides there’s an opportunity for students to create force diagrams, substitute known or estimated values and use circular motion equations to calculate unknown values. 

This enables students to calculate the differing forces at different sections of the track or loops and compare the forces on different rides, by, for example, comparing the 14 dips of the Smiler or the forces on vertical drop rollercoasters such as Oblivion . 

Similarly, rides like Enterprise in Alton Towers rely on centripetal forces to hold riders in the seat. The ride builds speed before slowly lifting into a vertical position, where riders are upside down and held in their seat by nothing more than these natural forces. These types of rides also offer an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge of science and physics to explain this process. Using data or estimations, students can calculate the critical velocity (when the riders are held in their seat) and the frequency of rotations. 

While the big thrill rides rely on the principles of circular motion and Newton’s first law, there are many other areas in amusement parks where science learning can be applied to real life examples. Newton’s second law of acceleration being affected by forces and mass and his third law of action-reaction can be used to explain and predict what happens on rides such as dodgems or bumper cars. 

Students can predict what happens in a variety of situations in dodgem rides by analysing the velocity of the cars and the mass of the riders. For example, students could predict the outcome where a car with greater mass, travelling at higher velocity (say an adult rider) collides with a stationary car with a younger child. Having made predictions, students can test the assumptions by going on the rides. This real life application of these laws really helps make the concepts and laws of motion more concrete and therefore more likely to become embedded in long-term memory.

Any visit to an amusement park is going to be a memorable experience and a worthwhile reward for students at any time of the year. However, given the vast array of exciting learning opportunities that can be gleaned from such trips, they are an ideal way to combine recreation with inspirational learning; it just requires some careful planning to weave in the learning behind the experiences. That way the activities on the day and in the classroom afterwards will ensure that students can not only tell you how much fun they had, but also explain why, scientifically, they had so much fun. 

Nic Ford is academic deputy head at Bolton School (Boys’ Division)

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City Park is paradise for kids, plain and simple. From wide-open outdoor spaces and playgrounds where kids can wander, to thrill rides in the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, to exploring nature’s mysteries in the Botanical Garden or Couturie Forest, the Park is a wonderland of fun and adventure for kids of all ages.

Educational tours and field trips are an excellent way to start exploring the Park.

Carousel Gardens Amusement Park & Storyland

I doesn’t get any more fun than a field trip to Storyland or Carousel Gardens Amusement Park!

Storyland admission: $6/person Flat rate for groups: $500 per ride

Discounted rate is available for groups of 30 or more people. Group packages include unlimited ride wristbands.

30-50 people: $22/person 51-100 people: $20/person Over 100 people: $18/person

To register, call 504-483-9478.

Reward your class or summer camp group with 18 or 36 holes of mini golf! Learn as you go on two courses featuring the flavor of New Orleans and the beauty of Louisiana. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for children with a group of at least 30.

To schedule, call 504-483-9478.

Grow Dat Youth Farm

Field trips at Grow Dat provide hands-on or virtual experiential learning opportunities to students in grades Pre-K through 12. Our seven-acre site in New Orleans City Park hosts a 2.5-acre farm, produce handling and storage facilities, and a lush, dynamic wild space along our Birding Corridor. Field trips for students, youth organizations, and families: 

• Birds and Bugs on the Bayou
• Seed to Plate
• History of the Land
• Living Soil
• General Farm Tour

In the heart of City Park, adjacent to Couturie Arboretum, LOOP NOLA is the ideal outdoor field-trip destination. Activities don’t require any previous experience – knowledgeable staff members provide participants with everything they need to have a fun, safe time in City Park.

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No long lines for the rides, a friendly staff and fairly priced amusement park. Good variety of rides and water play for all ages and different types of thrill seekers. Today was my first time visiting the park and I quickly fell in love with the place. We'll be getting season passes next year for sure! Ramon Hamilton

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Ten tips for a successful field trip.

Planning a field trip to a national park near you? Here a 10 quick tips to help you and your students get the most out of your trip:

• Plan everything well in advance. Call to schedule the field trip or request an educational fee waiver, get a confirmation, and make necessary arrangements for school and parental permission and transportation. Plan the educational experiences and activities for the field trip. Know how to get to the field trip site, how long it will take, and where you will have lunch. Bring along any supplies and materials needed for activities that you have planned. Share this with all the teachers and chaperones involved.
• Use pre-visit activities to help prepare the students for the field trip. Make field trip planning a part of in-class learning.
• Develop clear learning objectives and share them! Make sure that the students and other teachers know these objectives.
• Chaperoning is not a spectator sport. Chaperones can be a big help if they understand their role.
• Give everyone nametags. Make sure that even the teachers and chaperones are wearing readable nametags. It also helps to divide large groups into smaller sub-groups before the trip and color code their name tags.
• Keep the students engaged. Encourage the students to participate in the activities but remember you are responsible for their behavior.
• Keep students accountable for learning. A field trip is not a day off from school! Did you accomplish the planned learning objectives?
• Encourage independent observation time. Constructive free time can help make the trip more memorable.
• Bring the experience back home. Use post-visit activities back in the classroom to make the field trip relevant and reinforce concepts.
• Use evaluations and sharing. Improvements can only be made through honest feedback and evaluation.

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Last updated: August 30, 2023

Open 1pm - 10pm for Mini Golf, Roller Skating, Batting Cages, Carnival Rides, Go Karts, Arcade, Laser Tag, Mini Golf, Roller Skating, Batting Cages, Carnival Rides, Go Karts and Dairy Queen fun!

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THE 10 BEST Moscow Water & Amusement Parks

Moscow water & amusement parks.

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1. Park Kinopriklyucheniy Master Panin

2. Sky Town

3. Moreon Aquapark

4. Aquapark Karibiya

5. Park Skazka

6. Ostrov Mechty

7. Lukomorye Park

8. Tsirk Chudes

10. ChiLand Amusement Park

11. Nature and Culture Center in Elk Island National Park

12. Water Sports Palace

13. Park Fili

14. Skate Park Goparks

15. Shkiper

16. MosZorb

17. Aquapark Fantasy

18. Zamania

19. Strana Veselya

20. Strana Veselya

21. Strana Veselya

22. Strana Veselya

23. Strana Veselya

24. Party Hard

25. fungrad, 26. skazka amusement park, 27. vanana park.

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Planning a Field Trip to an Amusement Park Using Group Transportation Services

Taking a trip to an amusement park is usually thought of as a family affair, but amusement parks can be excellent trip for school children, and other groups. To have a successful trip, you must plan in detail especially the transportation of the group. Instead of having several vehicles, consider renting a bus to transport the entire group , and take the stress of driving out of your hands and leave it to the professionals. Renting a charter bus offers many benefits:

Someone Else Handles the Logistical Planning:

One benefit to using  group transportation services to get your group to the amusement park  and back again is that you don’t have to plan the travel route. You don’t have to worry about which roads to take or which to avoid. You don’t have to worry about where to stop for fuel.

When you call to make a reservation for group transportation services for your trip, you can give the transportation company your desired arrival time at the amusement park and the location where the group would meet for the trip. From there, the professionals can calculate a departure time.

 Take Advantage of the Travel Time:

If the trip to the amusement park is an educational trip, you can use the time on the road to present a lesson. Amusement park rides are common subjects of  physics lessons , so you could review the physics of roller coasters and other rides on the way there. On the trip back, the low-key travel time is a great opportunity for closure on the day’s lesson. Discussing the lesson content while the trip is fresh in students’ minds can help them remember and truly understand the concepts.

Depending on what vehicle you reserve to get you to the amusement park, you might even have the use of a TV and DVD player to help you make your points. Flashcards, posters, think-pair-share with seatmates and similar strategies can be helpful on the ride, regardless of the vehicle that you are riding in for the trip.

Escape the Elements:

The Texas heat is a serious concern for a lot of people who opt to take trips during the summer. In the winter, the cooler air can become an issue. By using group transportation services for your trip, you have a climate-controlled ride. Most school buses cannot offer the luxury of air conditioning provided by motor transportation from companies specializing in group transportation services.

Using group transportation services, your whole class or group can get out of a sudden rainstorm. Since the buses are climate-controlled, you don’t have to put down the windows to be able to get fresh air. Windows stay shut and everyone stays dry.

Rather than face the crowds, have your lunch outside of the amusement park. Come back to the vehicle to enjoy your food in the air conditioning or warmth. That will provide you with a break from the elements until it is time to go back to the fun of the park.

Participants Can Enjoy a Safe and Comfortable Ride:

Climate control isn’t the only comfort measure that vehicles from group transportation services have. You and the participants of the trip will enjoy cushioned seats and a comfortable ride the whole way there and back.

Group transportation services also add a measure of security to your trip. Drivers, trained and licensed to operate commercial vehicles, will safely and professionally drive your group to the amusement park . These drivers, along with the large vehicles, can help to keep you safer on the roadway that what might be possible in smaller, personal vehicles.

Another benefit would be one that you likely won’t have to use. That is the ability to quickly get another vehicle to you in the event of a breakdown. Group transportation services enable you to focus on the participants of the trip while the drivers of the vehicles makes arrangements for another vehicle to come get your group.

Plenty of Space for Belongings: Taking a group to an amusement park is a logistical challenge. People bring purses, backpacks or even ice chests with them. Some students might need a change of clothing for some of the water features and rides. While they are in the amusement park, group members might want to purchase souvenirs. Some people might play games and win prizes, including those enormous stuffed animals that get so much attention in amusement parks.

Using group transportation services means that you will have ample space for personal belongings. A word of advice—remind people to label their belongings so they don’t get mixed up. If people win larger prizes, they might opt to put their name on the tags of the items to identify them. You do not want arguments over whose four-foot tall stuffed bear is whose! As group leader, bring a permanent marker with you. You can label purchases and prizes won on the trip, as well as anything that wasn’t labeled at the start of the trip.

Peace of Mind: As a class or group leader, you have enough on your mind. Turn the transportation challenge over to a professional company familiar with the logistics of group transportation services. Then you can concentrate on keeping tabs on all the students, providing solid instruction, and still enjoying peace of mind.

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Indoor Amusement Lesson Plan

Please note, this lesson plan was created by FieldTripDirectory.com as a general guide and is not specific to any particular venue listed on our site.

Indoor recreation centers feature a variety of fun activities for your group to enjoy. Also known as family entertainment centers, indoor recreation centers are known for attractions such as ball pits, batting cages, bowling alleys, go kart racing, laser tag, arcade games, mini golf, and much more.

BEFORE YOU GO – Call ahead to ask about age, height or fitness requirements, as well as necessary or recommended equipment. – Download a map and list of activities from the website. Check if the website offers printable lessons or worksheets. – Discuss with students the importance of teambuilding and game playing.

WHAT TO WONDER Ask:  How do these games and activities function? How does the laser “tag” the player, why is the bowling lane so slick?

Observe  how your teammates react and interact. Remember to stay positive – everyone is different and brings a unique advantage to the team. Also, how is the venue designed and laid out? What games and features (batting cages, arcade games, redemption games) go where, and why? Have students take a look around at how many people are there enjoying themselves; what is the maximum number of occupants, and why? How does the management go about heating and cooling the venue at different times of the year? Speak to the staff about these questions; learn the “why” behind how things are arranged, and consider the role of safety.

Describe  how each team member contributes to the activity. Describe the rules and procedures of the games.

Opinion:  What type of player are you – competitive, all about fun, spirit of the team? What do think about cheating during sports or games?

Compare  several activities you completed today. Which were hardest and why? Which were most fun? Which required the most teamwork?

Challenge  students to predict scores or game outcomes, to improve their skills by using basic math or physics concepts.

FOLLOW UP  Discuss  the importance of teamwork or “playing the game.” In what other situations might you need these skills? Is it important to play by the rules? Why or why not?

Research  the history of the sport or game of your choice. Research tips on how to play and improve. Find videos or photos of the activities.

Project:  Design and play a mini version of the sport or game at your school, and challenge students to use basic math or physics to help.

PRINTOUTS/RESOURCES  History of Laser Tag Physics of Bowling Bowling Lessons from the Pros Create Your Own Golf Course (Angles Lesson Plan)

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Home » Europe » Moscow

EPIC MOSCOW Itinerary! (2024)

Moscow is the heart of Mother Russia. Just the mention of this city conjures images of colorful bulbous pointed domes, crisp temperatures, and a uniquely original spirit!

Moscow has an incredibly turbulent history, a seemingly resilient culture, and a unique enchantment that pulls countless tourists to the city each year! Although the warmer months make exploring Moscow’s attractions more favorable, there’s just something about a fresh snowfall that only enhances the appearance of the city’s iconic sites!

If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or simply wanting to see as much of the city as possible, this Moscow itinerary will help you do just that!

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Best Time To Visit Moscow

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Here is a quick look at the seasons so you can decide when to visit Moscow!

The summer months (June-August) are a great time to travel to Moscow to take advantage of the enjoyable mild temperatures. This is considered peak travel season. Bear in mind that hotel prices rise along with the temperatures!

If you’re planning a trip to Moscow during fall (September-November) try to plan for early fall. This way the temperatures will still be pleasant and winter won’t be threatening.

Russian winters (December-February) are not for the faint of heart as Napoleon learned to his peril. Some days the sun will be out for less than an hour, and snow is guaranteed. Although winters are exceptionally cold, this is when you’ll get a true glimpse of the Moscow experience!

The best time to visit Moscow is during spring  (March-May). The temperatures will begin to creep up and the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day. Hotel rates will also have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges!

With a Moscow City Pass , you can experience the best of Moscow at the CHEAPEST prices. Discounts, attractions, tickets, and even public transport are all standards in any good city pass – be sure invest now and save them $$$ when you arrive!

Moscow is a large city with many accommodation options to choose from. Staying in a location that fits with your travel plans will only enhance your Moscow itinerary. Here is a brief introduction to a few great areas of the city we recommend checking out!

The best place to stay in Moscow to be close to all the action is Kitay-Gorod. This charming neighborhood will put you within walking distance to Moscow’s famous Red Square, thus cutting down on travel time. This will allow you to see more of the city in a shorter amount of time!

It’s surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or just planning a quick weekend in Moscow, then this area is perfect for you!

Another great area to consider is the Zamoskvorechye district. This area of the city offers a blend of new and old Moscow. It has an artsy vibe and there are plenty of fun sites you can explore outside of the main touristy areas of Moscow.

Of course, as in all areas of Moscow, it’s close to public transportation that will quickly connect you with the rest of the city and make your Moscow itinerary super accessible!

Best Airbnb in Moscow – Exclusive Apartment in Old Moscow

Modern and cozy, this apartment is in the heart of Old Moscow. Bordering the Basmanny and Kitay-Gorod districts, this two-bedroom flat is walking distance to the Kremlin and Red Square. Safe, quiet, and comfortable, this is the best Airbnb in Moscow, no question!

Best Budget Hotel in Moscow – Izmailovo Alfa Hotel

The Izmailovo Alfa Hotel is a very highly rated accommodation that provides all the components necessary for a comfortable trip to Moscow. There is an on-site restaurant, bar, fitness center, and an airport shuttle service. The rooms are modern and spacious and are equipped with a TV, heating/air conditioning, minibar, and more!

Best Luxury Hotel in Moscow – Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre

If you’re touring Moscow in luxury, the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre is the hotel for you! Elegantly furnished rooms are equipped with a minibar, flat-screen TV,  in-room safes, as well as tea and coffee making facilities! Bathrooms come with bathrobes, slippers, and free toiletries. There is also an onsite restaurant, bar, and fitness center.

Best Hostel in Moscow – Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station. Guests will enjoy all the usual hostel perks such as self-catering facilities, 24-hour reception, Free Wi-Fi, and security lockers. This is one of the best hostels in Moscow and its wonderful social atmosphere and will make your vacation in Moscow extra special!

Godzillas Hostel is one of our favourites in Moscow but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

An important aspect of planning any trip is figuring out the transportation situation. You’re probably wondering how you’re going to get to all of your Moscow points of interest right? Luckily, this sprawling city has an excellent network of public transportation that will make traveling a breeze!

The underground metro system is the quickest and most efficient way to travel around Moscow. Most visitors rely exclusively on this super-efficient transportation system, which allows you to get to pretty much anywhere in the city! It’s also a great option if you’re planning a Moscow itinerary during the colder months, as you’ll be sheltered from the snow and freezing temperatures!

If you prefer above-ground transportation, buses, trams, and trolleybuses, run throughout the city and provide a rather comfortable alternative to the metro.

Moscow’s metro, buses, trams, and trolleybuses are all accessible with a ‘Troika’ card. This card can be topped up with any sum of money at a metro cash desk. The ticket is simple, convenient, and even refundable upon return to a cashier!

No matter which method you choose, you’ll never find yourself without an easy means of getting from point A to point B!

Red Square | Moscow Kremlin | Lenin’s Mausoleum | St. Basil’s Cathedral  | GUM Department Store

Spend the first day of your itinerary taking your own self guided Moscow walking tour around the historic Red Square! This is Moscow’s compact city center and every stop on this list is within easy walking distance to the next! Get ready to see all of the top Moscow landmarks!

Day 1 / Stop 1 – The Red Square

• Why it’s awesome: The Red Square is the most recognizable area in Moscow, it has mesmerizing architecture and centuries worth of history attached to its name.
• Cost: Free to walk around, individual attractions in the square have separate fees. 
• Food nearby: Check out Bar BQ Cafe for friendly service and good food in a great location! The atmosphere is upbeat and they’re open 24/7!

The Red Square is Moscow’s historic fortress and the center of the Russian government. The origins of the square date back to the late 15th century, when Ivan the Great decided to expand the Kremlin to reflect Moscow’s growing power and prestige!

During the 20th century, the square became famous as the site for demonstrations designed to showcase Soviet strength. Visiting the Red Square today, you’ll find it teeming with tourists, who come to witness its magical architecture up close!

The square is the picture postcard of Russian tourism, so make sure to bring your camera when you visit! No matter the season, or the time of day, it’s delightfully photogenic! 

It’s also home to some of Russia’s most distinguishing and important landmarks, which we’ve made sure to include further down in this itinerary. It’s an important center of Russia’s cultural life and one of the top places to visit in Moscow!

In 1990, UNESCO designated Russia’s Red Square as a World Heritage site. Visiting this historic site is a true bucket-list event and essential addition to your itinerary for Moscow!

Day 1 / Stop 2 – The Moscow Kremlin

• Why it’s awesome: The Moscow Kremlin complex includes several palaces and cathedrals and is surrounded by the Kremlin wall. It also houses the principal museum of Russia (the Kremlin Armory).
• Cost: USD $15.00
• Food nearby: Bosco Cafe is a charming place to grat a casual bite to eat. They have excellent coffee and wonderful views of the Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin!

The iconic Moscow Kremlin , also known as the Kremlin museum complex, sits on Borovitsky Hill, rising above the Moscow River. It is a fortified complex in the center of the city, overlooking several iconic buildings in the Red Square!

It’s the best known of the Russian Kremlins – citadels or fortress’ protecting and dominating a city. During the early decades of the Soviet era, the Kremlin was a private enclave where the state’s governing elite lived and worked.

The Kremlin is outlined by an irregularly shaped triangular wall that encloses an area of 68 acres! The existing walls and towers were built from 1485 to 1495. Inside the Kremlin museum complex, there are five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.

The Armoury Chamber is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace’s complex and is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1851. It showcases Russian history and displays many cherished relics. Definitely make sure to check out this museum while you’re here!

The churches inside the Moscow Kremlin are the Cathedral of the Dormition, Church of the Archangel, Church of the Annunciation, and the bell tower of Ivan Veliki (a church tower).

The five-domed Cathedral of the Dormition is considered the most famous. It was built from 1475–1479 by an Italian architect and has served as a wedding and coronation place for great princes, tsars, and emperors of Russia. Church services are given in the Kremlin’s numerous cathedrals on a regular basis.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was the former Tsar’s Moscow residence and today it serves as the official workplace of the President of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin seems to have bagged that title for life) .

Insider Tip: The Kremlin is closed every Thursday! Make sure to plan this stop on your Moscow itinerary for any other day of the week!

Day 1 / Stop 3 – Lenin’s Mausoleum

• Why it’s awesome: The mausoleum displays the preserved body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin .
• Cost: Free!
• Food nearby: Khinkal’naya is a charming Georgian restaurant with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. It’s a popular place with locals and right next to the Red Square!

Lenin’s Mausoleum, also known as Lenin’s Tomb, is the modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin. It’s located within the Red Square and serves as the resting place for the Soviet leader! His preserved body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924.

It’s located just a few steps away from the Kremlin Wall and is one of the most controversial yet popular Moscow attractions!

Admission is free for everyone, you’ll only need to pay if you need to check a bag. Before visitors are allowed to enter the mausoleum, they have to go through a metal detector first. No metal objects, liquids, or large bags are allowed in the mausoleum!

Expect a line to enter the building, and while you’re inside the building, you’ll be constantly moving in line with other visitors. This means you won’t be able to spend as long as you’d like viewing the mausoleum, but you’ll still be able to get a good look. Pictures and filming while inside the building are strictly prohibited, and security guards will stop you if they see you breaking this rule.

The mausoleum is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday – unless it’s a public holiday or a day scheduled for maintenance. The hours it’s open for each day are limited, make sure to check online before you visit to make sure you can fit this into your Moscow itinerary for that day!

Insider Tip: The Lenin’s Museum is there for people to pay their respect; remember to keep silent and move along quickly, it’s not intended for people to congregate around. Also, men are not allowed to wear hats and everyone must take their hands out of their pockets when inside the building.

Day 1 / Stop 4 – St. Basil’s Cathedral

• Why it’s awesome: A dazzling designed cathedral that showcases Russia’s unique architecture. This cathedral is one of the most recognizable symbols of the country!
• Cost: USD $8.00
• Food nearby: Moskovskiy Chaynyy Klub is a cozy cafe serving food items and pipping hot tea; it’s the perfect place to go if you’re visiting Moscow during the winter months!

Located in the Red Square, the ornate 16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral is probably the building you picture when you think of Moscow’s unique architecture. Its colorful onion-shaped domes tower over the Moscow skyline!

The cathedral was built from 1555-1561 by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was designed with an iconic onion dome facade and enchanting colors that captivate all who see it. Fun fact: If you’re wondering why Russian churches have onion domes, they are popularly believed to symbolize burning candles!

This iconic cathedral has become a symbol of Russia due to its distinguishing architecture and prominent position inside the Red Square. It’s one of the most beautiful, wonderful, and mesmerizing historical cathedrals in the world!

The interior of the church surprises most people when they visit. In contrast to the large exterior, the inside is not so much one large area, but rather a collection of smaller areas, with many corridors and small rooms. There are 9 small chapels and one mausoleum grouped around a central tower.

Visiting the inside is like walking through a maze, there are even small signs all around the cathedral tracing where to walk, and pointing you in the right direction! The walls are meticulously decorated and painted with intricate floral designs and religious themes.

The church rarely holds service and is instead a museum open for the public to visit.

Insider Tip: During the summer months the line to go inside the cathedral can get quite long! Make sure to arrive early or reserve your tickets online to guarantee quick access into the cathedral!

Day 1 / Stop 5 – GUM Department Store

• Why it’s awesome: This is Russia’s most famous shopping mall! It’s designed with elegant and opulent architecture and provides a real sense of nostalgia!
• Cost: Free to enter
• Food nearby: Stolovaya 57 is a cafeteria-style restaurant with a variety of inexpensive Russian cuisine menu items including soups, salads, meat dishes, and desserts. It’s also located inside the GUM department store, making it very easily accessible when you’re shopping!

The enormous GUM Department Store is located within the historic Red Square. It has a whimsical enchantment to it that sets it apart from your typical department store.

A massive domed glass ceiling lines the top of the building and fills the interior with natural sunlight. There are live plants and flowers placed throughout the mall that give the shopping complex a lively and cheerful feel! A playful fountain sits in the center, further adding to the malls inviting a sense of wonder and amusement!

The GUM department store opened on December 2, 1893. Today, it includes local and luxury stores, including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and many more! There are numerous cafes, restaurants, and even a movie theater inside!

For a special treat, head into Gastronom 1. This 1950s-style shop sells gourmet food items, like wine, freshly-baked pastries, cheese, Russian chocolate, and of course, vodka! Also, be on the lookout for a bicycle pedaling ice cream truck with an employing selling ice cream!

The ambiance is simply amazing, a trip to this idyllic shopping mall is an absolute must on any Moscow itinerary!

Insider Tip: Make sure to carry some small change on you in case you need to use the restroom, you’ll need to pay 50 rubles – or about USD $0.80 to use the bathroom in GUM.

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These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

Novodevichy Convent | Gorky Park | State Tretyakov Gallery | All-Russian Exhibition Center | Bolshoi Theater

On your 2 day itinerary in Moscow, you’ll have a chance to use the city’s excellent public transportation service! You’ll explore a few more of Moscow’s historic highlight as well as some modern attractions. These sites are a little more spread out, but still very easily accessible thanks to the metro!

Day 2 / Stop 1 – Novodevichy Convent

• Why it’s awesome: The Novodevichy Convent is rich in imperial Russian history and contains some of Russia’s best examples of classical architecture!
• Cost: USD $5.00
• Food nearby: Culinary Shop Karavaevs Brothers is a cozy and simple place to have a quick bite, they also have vegetarian options!

The Novodevichy Convent is the best-known and most popular cloister of Moscow. The convent complex is contained within high walls, and there are many attractions this site is known for! 

The six-pillared five-domed Smolensk Cathedral is the main attraction. It was built to resemble the Kremlin’s Assumption Cathedral and its facade boasts beautiful snowy white walls and a pristine golden onion dome as its centerpiece. It’s the oldest structure in the convent, built from 1524 -1525, and is situated in the center of the complex between the two entrance gates.

There are other churches inside the convent as well, all dating back from many centuries past. The convent is filled with an abundance of 16th and 17th-century religious artworks, including numerous large and extravagant frescos!

Just outside the convent’s grounds lies the Novodevichy Cemetery. Here, you can visit the graves of famous Russians, including esteemed authors, composers, and politicians. Probably the most intriguing gravestone belongs to Russian politician Nikita Khruschev!

The Novodevichy Convent is located near the Moscow River and offers a peaceful retreat from the busy city. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The convent remains remarkably well-preserved and is an outstanding example of Moscow Baroque architecture! 

Insider Tip: To enter the cathedrals inside the complex, women are advised to cover their heads and shoulders, while men should wear long pants.

Day 2 / Stop 2 – Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

• Why it’s awesome: A large amusement area in the heart of the city offering many attractions!
• Cost: Free! 
• Food nearby: Check out Mepkato, located inside Gorky Central Park for a casual meal in a cozy setting. There are indoor and outdoor seating options and the restaurant is child-friendly!

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is a large green space in the heart of Moscow. The park opened in 1928, and it stretches along the scenic embankment of the Moskva River. It covers an area of 300-acres and offers a lovely contrast from the compact city center.

You’ll find all sorts of wonderful attractions, from boat rides to bike rentals to tennis courts and ping-pong tables, and much more! there are an open-air cinema and festive events and concerts scheduled in the summer months.  A wide selection of free fitness classes is also offered on a regular basis, including jogging, roller skating, and dancing!

Although many of the options you’ll find here are more suited for outdoor leisure during the summer, you’ll also a selection of winter attractions, including one of Europe’s largest ice rinks for ice-skating!

If you’re trying to decide what to do in Moscow with kids, the park also offers several venues designed specifically for kids. Check out the year-round Green School which offers hands-on classes in gardening and art! You can also feed the squirrels and birds at the Golitsinsky Ponds!

The park is very well maintained and kept clean and the entrance is free of charge, although most individual attractions cost money. There is also Wi-Fi available throughout the park.

With so many attractions, you could easily spend all day here! If you’re only planning a 2 day itinerary in Moscow, make sure to plan your time accordingly and map out all the areas you want to see beforehand!

Day 2 / Stop 3 – The State Tretyakov Gallery

• Why it’s awesome: The gallery’s collection consists entirely of Russian art made by Russian artists!
• Food nearby : Brothers Tretyakovs is located right across the street from the gallery. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant serving top quality food and drinks!

The State Tretyakov Gallery was founded in 1856 by influential merchant and collector Pavel Tretyakov.  The gallery is a national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the most important museums in Russia!

It houses the world’s best collection of Russian art and contains more than 130, 000 paintings, sculptures, and graphics! These works have been created throughout the centuries by generations of Russia’s most talented artists!

The exhibits range from mysterious 12th-century images to politically charged canvases. The collection is rich and revealing and offers great insight into the history and attitudes of this long-suffering yet inspired people!

All pictures are also labeled in English. If you plan to take your time and see everything inside the museum it will take a good 3-4 hours, so make sure to plan your Moscow trip itinerary accordingly! This gallery is a must-see stop for art lovers, or anyone wanting to explore the local culture and history of Russia in a creative and insightful manner! 

Insider Tip: When planning your 2 days in Moscow itinerary, keep in mind that most museums in Moscow are closed on Mondays, this includes The State Tretyakov Gallery!

Day 2 / Stop 4 – All-Russian Exhibition Center

• Why it’s awesome: This large exhibition center showcases the achievements of the Soviet Union in several different spheres. 
• Food nearby: Varenichnaya No. 1 serves authentic and homestyle Russian cuisine in an intimate and casual setting.

The All-Russian Exhibition Center is a massive park that presents the glory of the Soviet era! It pays homage to the achievements of Soviet Russia with its many different sites found on the property.

The center was officially opened in 1939 to exhibit the achievements of the Soviet Union. It’s a huge complex of buildings and the largest exhibition center in Moscow. There are several exhibition halls dedicated to different achievements and every year there are more than one hundred and fifty specialized exhibitions!

The Peoples Friendship Fountain was constructed in 1954 and is a highlight of the park. The stunning gold fountain features 16 gilded statues of girls, each representing the former Soviet Union republics. 

The Stone Flower Fountain was also built in 1954 and is worth checking out. The centerpiece of this large fountain is a flower carved from stones from the Ural Mountains! Along the side of the fountain are various bronze sculptures.

You will find many people zipping around on rollerblades and bicycles across the large area that the venue covers. It’s also home to amusement rides and carousels, making it the perfect place to stop with kids on your Moscow itinerary! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and allow a few hours to explore all the areas that interest you!

Day 2 / Stop 5 – Bolshoi Theater

• Why it’s awesome: The Bolshoi Theater is a historic venue that hosts world-class ballet and opera performances!
• Cost: Prices vary largely between USD $2.00 –  USD $228.00 based on seat location.
• Food nearby: Head to the Russian restaurant, Bolshoi for high-quality food and drinks and excellent service!

The Bolshoi Theater is among the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world! It also boasts the world’s biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers!

The theater has been rebuilt and renovated several times during its long history. In 2011 it finished its most recent renovation after an extensive six-year restoration that started in 2005. The renovation included an improvement in acoustics and the restoration of the original Imperial decor.

The Bolshoi Theater has put on many of the world’s most famous ballet acts! Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theater in 1877 and other notable performances of the Bolshoi repertoire include Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker!

Today, when you visit the theater, you can expect a magical performance from skilled singers, dancers, and musicians with the highest level of technique!

If you don’t have time to see a show, the theater also provides guided tours on select days of the week. Tours are given in both Russian and English and will provide visitors with a more intimate look at the different areas of the theater!

The stage of this iconic Russian theater has seen many outstanding performances. If you’re a fan of the performing arts, the Bolshoi Theater is one of the greatest and oldest ballet and opera companies in the world, making it a must-see attraction on your Moscow itinerary!

Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station.

• Towels Included

Cosmonautics Museum | Alexander Garden | Ostankino Tower | Izmaylovo District | Soviet Arcade Museum

Now that we’ve covered what to do in Moscow in 2 days, if you’re able to spend more time in the city you’re going to need more attractions to fill your time. Here are a few more really cool things to do in Moscow we recommend!

Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

• Hear the timeline of the ‘space race’ from the Russian perspective
• This museum is fun for both adults and children!
• Admission is USD $4.00

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a museum dedicated to space exploration! The museum explores the history of flight, astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and space in the arts. It houses a large assortment of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits, and the museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items!

The museum does an excellent job of telling the full story of the exciting space race between the USSR and the US! It highlights the brightest moments in Russian history and humanity and is very interesting and fun for all ages!

If you’re a fan of space or just curious about gaining insight into Russia’s fascinating history of space exploration, make sure to add this to your 3 day itinerary in Moscow!

The Alexander Garden

• A tranquil place to relax near the Red Square
• Green lawns dotted with sculptures and lovely water features
• The park is open every day and has no entrance fee

The Alexander Garden was one of the first urban public parks in Moscow! The garden premiered in 1821 and was built to celebrate Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s forces in 1812!

The park is beautiful and well maintained with paths to walk on and benches to rest on. The park contains three separate gardens: the upper garden, middle garden, and lower garden.

Located in the upper garden, towards the main entrance to the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame. This monument was created in 1967 and contains the body of a soldier who fell during the Great Patriotic War!

The park stretches along all the length of the western Kremlin wall for about half a mile. Due to its central location in the city, it’ll be easily accessible when you’re out exploring The Red Square.

It provides a bit of relief from the city’s high-energy city streets. Bring a picnic lunch, go for a walk, or just sit and people watch, this is one of the best Moscow sites to wind-down and relax!

Ostankino Television Tower

• Television and radio tower in Moscow
• Currently the tallest free-standing structure in Europe
• Make sure you bring your passport when you visit, you can’t go up without it!

For spectacular views of the city, make sure to add the Ostankino Television Tower to your itinerary for Moscow! This impressive free-standing structure provides stunning views of the city in every direction. The glass floor at the top also provides great alternative views of the city!

It takes just 58 seconds for visitors to reach the Tower’s observation deck by super fast elevator. The tower is open every day for long hours and is a great site in Moscow to check out! There is even a restaurant at the top where you can enjoy rotating views of the city while you dine on traditional Russian cuisine or European cuisine!

The tower is somewhat of an architectural surprise in a city that is not known for skyscrapers! To see the city from a new perspective, make sure to add this stop to your Moscow itinerary!

Izmaylovo District

• The most popular attractions in this district are the kremlin and the flea market
• Outside of the city center and easy to reach via metro
• Most popular during the summer and on weekends

Travel outside the city center and discover a unique area of the city! The Izmaylovo District is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and one of the coolest places to see in Moscow! The two main attractions we recommend checking out are the Kremlin and the flea market.

The Izmailovo Kremlin was established as a cultural center and molded after traditional Russian architecture. This colorful complex is home to several single-subject museums, including a Russian folk art museum and a vodka museum!

Next to the Kremlin is the Izmailovo open-air market, which dates back to the 17th century! The market is connected to the Izmailovo Kremlin by a wooden bridge. Pick up all your Russian souvenirs here, including traditional handicrafts, paintings, books, retro toys, and Soviet memorabilia!

You will find many hand-made and hand-painted options available at higher prices, as well as mass-produced souvenir options at lower prices!

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

• Closed on Mondays
• Filled with old arcade games that visitors get to try out!
• The museum also includes a small cafe and burger shop

For something a little different, check out the Museum of Soviet Arcade Games! The museum features roughly 60 machines from the Soviet era, including video games, pinball machines, and collaborative hockey foosball! The machines inside the museum were produced in the USSR in the mid-1970s.

The best part is, most of the games are still playable! Purchase tickets and try the games out for yourself! The museum also has a neat little screening room that plays old Soviet cartoons and an area with Soviet magazines! This unique attraction is a fun addition to a 3 day itinerary in Moscow, and an attraction that all ages will enjoy! 

Whether you’re spending one day in Moscow, or more, safety is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to a big city! Overall, Moscow is a very safe place to visit. However, it is always recommended that tourists take certain precautions when traveling to a new destination!

The police in Moscow is extremely effective at making the city a safe place to visit and do their best to patrol all of the top Moscow, Russia tourist attractions. However, tourists can still be a target for pickpockets and scammers.

Moscow has a huge flow of tourists, therefore there is a risk for pickpocketing. Simple precautions will help eliminate your chances of being robbed. Stay vigilant, keep your items close to you at all times, and don’t flash your valuables!

If you’re planning a solo Moscow itinerary, you should have no need to worry, as the city is also considered safe for solo travelers, even women. Stay in the populated areas, try and not travel alone late at night, and never accept rides from strangers or taxis without a meter and correct signage.

The threat of natural disasters in Moscow is low, with the exception of severe winters when the temperature can dip below freezing! Bring a good, warm jacket if you visit in Winter.

However, please note that Russian views on homsexuality are far less accepting than those in Western Europe. Likewise, Non-Caucasian travellers may sadly encounter racism in Russia .

Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance for Moscow

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Now that we’ve covered all the top things to see in Moscow, we thought we’d include some exciting day trips to other areas of the country!

Sergiev Posad (Golden Ring)

On this 7-hour guided tour, you’ll visit several scenic and historic areas of Russia. Start your day with hotel pick-up as you’re transferred by a comfortable car or minivan to Sergiev Posad. Admire the charming Russian countryside on your drive and enjoy a quick stop to visit the Russian village, Rudonezh!

You’ll see the majestic Saint Spring and the Church of Sergiev Radonezh. You’ll also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, one of the most famous Orthodox sites in Russia!

Lastly, you’ll swing by the local Matreshka market and enjoy a break in a nice Russian restaurant before returning to Moscow!

Day Trip to Vladimir and Suzdal

On this 13-hour trip, you’ll discover old Russia, with its picturesque landscapes and white-stoned beautiful churches! You’ll visit the main towns of the famous Golden Ring of Russia – the name for several cities and smaller towns north-east of Moscow.

Your first stop will be in the town of Vladimir, the ancient capital of all Russian principalities. The city dates back to the 11th century and is one of the oldest and the most important towns along the Ring! Next, you’ll visit Suzdal, a calm ancient Russian town north of Vladimir with only 13,000 inhabitants!

The old-style architecture and buildings of Suzdal are kept wonderfully intact. If you’re spending three days in Moscow, or more, this is a great option for exploring the charming areas outside the city!

Zvenigorod Day Trip and Russian Countryside

On this 9-hour private tour, you’ll explore the ancient town of Zvenigorod, one of the oldest towns in the Moscow region! As you leave Moscow you’ll enjoy the stunning scenery along the Moscow River, and make a few stops at old churches along the way to Zvenigorod.

Upon arrival, you’ll explore the medieval center, including the 14th-century Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Next, you’ll take a break for lunch (own expense) where you’ll have the chance to try out the Russian cuisine! Next, you’ll visit the Museum of Russian Dessert and sip on tea at a Russian tea ceremony.

The final stop of the day is at the Ershovo Estate, a gorgeous place to walk around and enjoy nature!

Day Trip to St Petersburg by Train visiting Hermitage & Faberge

On this full-day tour, you’ll enjoy a a full round trip to St Petersburg where you’ll spend an exciting day exploring another popular Russian city! You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Moscow and be transferred to the train station where you’ll ride the high-speed train ‘Sapsan’ to St Petersburg.

Upon arrival, you’ll start the day by touring the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. Next, you’ll visit the Faberge Museum, where you’ll explore the impressive collection of rare Faberge Eggs! In the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing boat ride and a traditional 3-course Russian lunch.

If you’re spending 3 days in Moscow, or more, this is an excellent trip to take!

Trip to Kolomna – Authentic Cultural Experience from Moscow

On this 10-hour tour, you’ll escape the city and travel to the historic town of Kolomna! First, you’ll visit the 14th-century Kolomna Kremlin, home to the Assumption Cathedral and an abundance of museums!

Next, enjoy lunch at a local cafe (own expense) before embarking on a tour of the Marshmallow Museum – of course, a marshmallow tasting is provided!  Your final stop is the Museum of Forging Settlements, where displays include armor and accessories for fishing and hunting.

Discover this beautiful Russian fairytale city on a private trip, where all of the planning is taken care of for you!

Stash your cash safely with this money belt. It will keep your valuables safely concealed, no matter where you go.

It looks exactly like a normal belt  except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Find out what people want to know when planning their Moscow itinerary.

How many days you need in Moscow?

We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Moscow to take it all in.

What’s the best month to visit Moscow?

The best time to visit Moscow is over the spring, from March to May as temperatures are mild, crowds are thin and prices are reasonable.

What are some unusual things to do in Moscow?

I mean, queuing up to see an almost 100 year old corpse is pretty unsual! Check out Lenin’s Mausoleum if you fancy it!

What are some fun things to do in Moscow?

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a fun place to explore the famous space race from the perspective of the ‘other side’!

We hope you enjoyed our Moscow itinerary! We’ve made sure to cover all the Moscow must-sees as well as some unique attractions in the city! Our addition of insider tips, favorite food stops, and day trips from Moscow is an added bonus and will guarantee you make the most out of your exciting Russian vacation!

Immerse yourself in the modern and traditional Russian lifestyle! Get lost in museums, witness awe-inspiring architecture, and indulge in Russian cuisine! Spend the day strolling through all of the charming sites of Moscow, admiring the beautiful scenery and discovering the city’s fairytale-like enchantment!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Alya and Campbell

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Welcome To Field Trip Friends!

Since 2007, over 5,000 O’ahu families have been educated through our experiential, thematic excursions! Join us, together with your child, to experience our beautiful island like you never knew! We’ll take you off the beaten path for unique educational adventures….together!

It’s time to get out of the house and into the sunshine for the 4 E’s …

JOIN US! Parents – we invite you and your little ones to come and have some fun with us! Explore Oahu, make memorable experiences and learn too! Check out our upcoming classes.

getting families outdoors!

The goal of the program is to get families outdoors, learning about our rich environment, including animals, the ocean & land, and the precious Hawaiian culture and history. Let’s get unplugged, get some exercise & sunshine, and be enriched by what nature has to offer. The more we learn about this special environment, the more we can appreciate and care for it.

try new things & visit new places!

Join Field Trip Friends as parents and children together experience unique outings to different places such as gardens, farms, taro patches, historical sites, cultural landmarks, private horse ranches, fish ponds, beaches, & parks. Teach your children to appreciate the wonders of nature and our beautiful surroundings & guide them in growing up with a sense of pride and ownership for our Aina (land).

learn about our island & culture!

Let’s feel the smooth moss on the rocks and the squishy stalk of a banana tree! Let’s learn what sand is made from, how Hawaiians built their own fishponds, & how an Ahupua’a can be self-sustaining. Let’s make & taste poi from the taro patch and drink noni that’s so good for us! Let’s ride horses, interact with dolphins, and watch a’ama crabs slide around! Let’s sing songs, explore, feed animals, pick vegetables, ride boats, & have fun in nature.

School Trips

A school trip to The Castle Fun Center is a great experience that students will appreciate forever!

The Castle Fun Center Is The Tri-States Areas favorite amusement park and number one destination for School Field Trips!

Whether you are planning an End of the School Year Celebration,  Senior Class Trip, Reward Trip for your students or just a fun Field Trip to get out of the classroom for a day, we have several different group options to fit your budget.  Elementary, Middle Schools and High Schools visit us from all around New York, New Jersey, the Tri-State Area and the Hudson Valley, our attractions are perfect for all ages!

Activities at The Castle Fun Center aren’t just fun but many also naturally promote physical fitness, team building and logic as well!  Add-on our lunch package or arcade card and you’ve got the perfect school trip!

* Advanced booking required.

Our group pricing is offered only to non-profit organizations, schools, and camps with a minimum of 30 people.  These trips must be booked in advance with a $100 non-refundable deposit and are only accommodated on non-holiday weekdays, during our regular hours of operation (group trips are not exclusive to your group). We are unable to offer group rates during Holidays or on Saturdays & Sundays.

• Fall/Winter:   Group trips are booked Thursdays and Fridays with arrivals starting at 3 pm.
• Spring:   Group trips are booked weekdays during our normal hours of operation with arrivals starting 3 pm.
• Summer:   Camp trips are only booked weekdays during our normal hours of operation with arrivals starting 1 pm.

CHOOSE FROM 2 OR 3 HOURS OF ACTIVITIES 

Add arcade points:.

• 500 Arcade Points: $4 per person
• 1,000 Arcade Points: $8 per person

Arcade games range from 65-225 points per game.

Food Options

• Pizza Slice, Soft Drink & Ice Cream Cup: $7.00 per person
• 2 Slices Pizza, Soft Drink & Ice Cream Cup: $10.50 per person
• Chicken Nuggets, Fries, Soft Drink & Ice Cream Cup: $11.25 per person
• Pizza Slice, Chicken Nuggets, Fries, Soft Drink & Ice Cream Cup: $12.00 per person
• Bring your own bagged lunch:  $2 per person (only available for pre-booked groups; 30 minutes in area)

Food options must be booked in advance and include all participants in your group doing the same food package.  If your trip is scheduled outside of our normal hours of operation, please note that beyond adding the food package, unless prior arrangements have been made, other food service options at The Castle may not be available.  

Additional Group Rates Information

Additional group rates information.

• Minimum 30 people required for group rates; group rates are reserved strictly for non-profit organizations, schools and camps.
• Spring:   Group trips are booked Monday thru Friday with arrivals starting 3 pm
• Summer:  Camp trips are booked weekdays with arrivals at 10 am.
• Some restrictions and weather permitting apply for some activities.
• Group rates and packages are subject to change.
• Advanced booking with a non-refundable $100 deposit is required.  Unless prior arrangements are made, final payment (due day of trip) is payable via Cash or Credit Card only.  If paying with a credit card a 3.5% fee will be added to the final bill. We do not accept checks.
• Confirmed head count is required 48 hours in advance.
• Tax on food portion only, not included.  There is no tax on activities.  If adding the food package, your tax exempt ID number will be required at time of booking.
• There is a $2 per person fee if your group is bringing bagged lunch.  We MUST know in advance if you will be bringing lunch so we can schedule a time and area for your group.
• Please note any damages or excessive clean up incurred due to the members of your group will result in applicable charges.
• Ballocity access and InflataPark requires socks; if needed, socks can be purchased for $2/pair.
• Please check individual attraction pages for certain height/age restrictions.  All activities are based on availability; no refund for unavailable activities at time of visit. Go Karts, Swing Ride, Dragon Coaster, Free Fall, Zip Line, Banana Squadron, Bumper Cars and Mini Golf are seasonal activities (available approx. Spring thru Fall, weather permitting).  Go Karts are Mini Indy and Road Course Track only.  The Slick Track, Zip Line, Axe Throwing and Arcade are not included in any group packages.
• LATE POLICY:  Please understand that in order for us to be able to offer such discounted group rates, it is imperative that your group arrives on schedule.  We carefully time our group arrivals so that everyone, including our walk-in guests and our other booked groups, can enjoy their experience here at The Castle.  For any groups arriving late, there will be your choice of a 10% surcharge added to your bill or the same amount of time deducted from your activity cards so that your original departure time will remain as if you arrived on time.  Thanks for your understanding.
• Since we are always updating and adding new attractions, current attractions may change without notice and any new attractions added after the time of your booking may not be included or may be available for an additional charge.
• In the summer months we are open rain or shine; heavy rain and/or lightning/thunder may close outdoor attractions until the storm has passed however you will still have the included indoor activities to enjoy for the duration of your time play.  No discounts or refunds will be given.

Call Group Sales at 845-469-2116 ext. 0 to book your School Field Trip today!

Group feedback.

• “I received great reviews about the trip, thanks for the great memories!”
• “Everyone had a great time, your staff was awesome, very responsive and helpful. A great experience for our students and chaperones alike!”
• “The kids had a blast, you have an amazing crew!”
• “I just wanted to thank you and the staff at The Castle for a wonderful trip. The students truly enjoyed themselves, we look forward to returning again next year!”
• “Our trip went very smoothly and everyone had fun and was engaged the entire time!”

* Please review our GROUP RULES prior to your visit.

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The best field trip in Erie, PA anyone could ask for!

Enjoy a Field Trip at Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort!

Reward your students for a job well done with a class trip or school field trip to Splash Lagoon. It’s a great place for science field trips. Your students will get a behind the scenes look at the chemistry and mechanics of running a water park. Outings can be tailored to fit almost every need and budget!

• Back of House Tour: Explore the inner workings of how Splash Lagoon operates
• Classroom Style Field Trip: includes history or science based lessons for specific age groups

Splash Lagoon is great for:

• End of the year parties
• Graduation Parties
• Reward, Incentive, and Recognition parties (perfect attendance, honor roll)
• Educational based field trips are the perfect opportunity for students to experience curriculum in action

To book your field trip, please call 814-217-1132 .

The trip will cost $50 for transportation and admission and doesn't include the cost of food. It is on a regularly scheduled school day, June 17, from 7:50 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

I think this is a total waste of school time. Some parents from the PTA are questioning the educational value of this trip with the school's principal. However, I'd hoped you would know if a field trip policy at the county level exists.

Not only is there a policy but, even stronger, a regulation that defines a field trip as "a school-sponsored activity, which does not include an overnight stay, with emphasis on educational objectives providing pupils with opportunities for educational enrichment beyond classroom environment."

Note that the word educational is used twice. It seems a stretch to call "class unity" and "positive closure" educational, but middle school trips to amusement parks are an entrenched tradition in this area.

Prince George's County Superintendent Iris T. Metts found out how beloved they are when she declared an end to field trips to amusement parks. After a firestorm, she backed down a bit and said she would permit such trips if students completed an approved curriculum while there.

I am torn on this issue. Inertia, momentum, gravity -- all the things that make me avoid roller coasters like the plague -- are integral to physics and can be profitably studied at an amusement park. Water-quality studies of pools and water slides, with calculations on how much chlorine is needed to keep bacterial levels manageable at different temperatures, could be a wonderful part of biology classes.

And math classes could correlate data on hot dog sales with data on how many people enter at what times of day. But somehow I doubt that most school field trips to amusement parks have such scientific enterprises in mind.

Rather, such trips are generally used as what are called "team-building" activities or rewards to students who presumably have worked hard all year. Again, I'm torn. Community feeling is built around shared experiences, and if students have worked hard and achieved a great deal, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun.

But can't kids learn something while they're having fun?

Linda Perie, Takoma Park Middle School's principal, is asking the same question and is planning to discuss amusement park field trips with the school's leadership. "We have put it on as an agenda item for this summer to see what other options we can develop for students as a celebratory, end-of-the year event, but one that's meaningful," she said.

But, without something to take its place, Perie was not about to simply eliminate the trip that many kids have been anticipating for years. "It's a very emotional issue," she said, somewhat understating the case.

I'd be interested in what readers have to say. Should field trips be explicitly only educational? Could amusement parks fill that bill? If you tell me your most memorable field trip experience, I'll tell you mine.

Move the Administrators

How about this idea for keeping all those high school renovations and reopenings on schedule? Instead of waiting for Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School to move out of Northwood, Rockville High School moves into the Carver Building. The central office staff could be placed in portables, a few at each school. The administration could get in touch with what was really going on inside the schools, and relocatables, throughout the county.

Beth Forbes

East Bethesda

I love the idea, but you don't need me to tell you that it's going nowhere.

Here's some background: Northwood, closed as a regular high school years ago, is a "holding school" for other schools being renovated. Right now, B-CC is there. Rockville is scheduled to use Northwood next, and then Northwood is scheduled to be renovated and reopened as a high school to relieve crowding in Silver Spring.

When the school system announced a few weeks ago that B-CC is way behind schedule, it became clear that the domino effect would be felt by thousands of students all through the southern part of the county. Ever since, people have been trying to devise a way to keep the building schedule on time.

The idea of Rockville bypassing Northwood altogether and taking over the Carver Center gets points for being creative. The George Washington Carver Educational Center, at 850 Hungerford Dr., is the old high school building housing school administrative offices. It was built as the "colored" high school when Montgomery County ran a segregated school system and was no longer used as a school when county schools were integrated in the late 1950s.

When I asked Brian Porter, the school system spokesman, about using the Carver Center as a holding school for Rockville High, he said it would need to be completely gutted and rebuilt for use as a school. It has no classrooms, he said, only offices, and the computer services department took over the gym. It would take more money to refit the Carver Center and bring it up to code than is worthwhile, he said.

Evaluating MSPAP Tests

The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) cannot be redeemed by fixing a few questions on tests given in the past. The circle of people who preview the MSPAP test must be widened beyond school administrators and state employees, all of whom are beholden to the Maryland State Department of Education. The test should be fully, critically reviewed each year before it is given to children.

Reviewers should include a wide range of psychometric professionals, subject-area experts such as historians and mathematicians and concerned citizens, including parents and classroom teachers. Independent peer review is the heart of scientific progress and wise public policy. It cannot be short-cut without loss of quality and credibility.

Steven S. Lapham

Gaithersburg

I asked Gary L. Heath, chief of arts and sciences for the state Department of Education and a MSPAP official, about your letter.

He responded by explaining the test development process. MSPAP tasks -- not called questions because each task involves several parts, including reading, sometimes performing an experiment and answering lengthy questions -- are written by a group of public school teachers supervised by state education department people.

The tasks are then reviewed by a "content team" of principals and educators with expertise in particular subject areas. For example, Martin Creel and William McDonald, supervisors of social studies and science for Montgomery County, are on the state's content team.

"They have many years of experience in their field and are consultants on national projects," Heath said of those on the content team, which reviews the questions once before they are field-tested outside of Maryland and again before they are printed for statewide use.

"If they catch any errors," Heath said, "they note them, and we fix them."

Two other groups also review the test questions. One, with teachers, educational psychologists and university professors, looks at how "developmentally appropriate" the tasks are, meaning whether 8-year-olds can realistically be expected to do what the MSPAP asks. Another group specifically looks at the tasks for any signs of bias or insensitivity.

Heath said, "The whole test is guided by the national psychometric council," a group of consulting psychometricians nationwide, "folks from universities who meet throughout the year to confirm validity and reliability" of the tasks, and in-house psychometricians who look at such questions as whether the MSPAP really tests what it is supposed to test. For more information, visit www.k12.org.

Homeroom is a forum for you that appears every week in Montgomery Extra. Send questions, opinions and issues that you would like to see discussed to Homeroom, The Washington Post, 51 Monroe St., Suite 500, Rockville, Md. 20850. The fax number is 301-279-5665. Or e-mail [email protected]. To see previous columns, go to www.washingtonpost.com, click on the Education page and look for Homeroom under Education Columnists.

Physics involves inertia, momentum and gravity, so roller coasters could provide a field-trip learning experience.

The AFT Guide to Olympic National Park

Olympic is one of the most ecologically varied parks in the entire NPS system! The park protects the largest old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest, contains over 70 miles of undeveloped wilderness coastline, and everywhere you look, the mountains of the Olympic range tower above. You could spend weeks here and still hardly scratch the surface.

The park was originally established by Teddy Roosevelt to protect a species of elk found primarily on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. Before the area was established as a national monument and, later, a national park, the elk population had been hunted down to 150 animals. Now the Roosevelt elk are thriving and are the largest species of elk in North America. Gotta love a good comeback story!

Read about our first visit to Olympic right here !

Where Olympic National Park is located:

Olympic lies along the mountains and coastline of northwestern Washington.

Getting to Olympic National Park:

The nearest airport is Sea-Tac International. You can access the park via the Bainbridge Island Ferry from Seattle, or across the bridge from Tacoma.

How Long to Stay in Olympic National Park:

Olympic is a large and varied park, and travel times between the sections can be long. If you want to see the whole park, or at least experience each region, we recommend at least five days. A week or more is better.

When to Go to Olympic National Park:

Olympic is beautiful year-round and there are activities in every season. Roads are closed in high elevation areas during the winter. The coastal areas and low-lying rain forests see lots of rain. The highest average rainfall is in December and January, but be prepared for rainy days at any time of year.

• Native history
• Hot Springs
• Tidepooling
• Whale Watching
• Backcountry Camping
• Winter Sports

Extend your Puget Sound explorations by visiting the San Juan Islands or Whidbey, Bainbridge or Orcas Island. Go on a whale-watching tour, explore the beaches, or go urban with a visit to Seattle.

Where to Stay in Olympic National Park:

Olympic is a large park and getting around on the narrow roads can mean long travel times between sites.

If you want to experience the full range of the park, we’d recommend choosing at least two areas to base yourself for a few days each.

There are five options for lodging within Olympic: Kalaloch Lodge , Lake Crescent Lodge , Lake Quinault Lodge , Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort , or the Log Cabin Resort . Click through the link on each lodge to get more info and make reservations.

Camping in Olympic National Park:

Olympic operates 16 developed campgrounds. Kalaloch, Sol Duc and Mora accept reservations in the summer; otherwise, everything is first-come, first-served.

Dosewallips (walk-in only), Graves Creek, Heart O’ the Hills, Hoh, Kalaloch, Mora, North Fork, Ozette, Queets and Staircase are open year-round.

For up-to-date information on openings and regulations, check the park’s website .

Backcountry Camping:

Olympic is 95% wilderness area and backcountry camping is a popular way to explore the park.

You can make reservations for backcountry permits up to 6 months in advance. Bear canisters are required at most wilderness campsites. Check out the park’s trip planner here and find more info on reservations here .

Activities:

Scenic driving:, hurricane ridge road:.

The 17-mile Hurricane Ridge Road climbs steeply from Port Angeles (near sea level) up to Hurricane Ridge (more than 5,000 feet above sea level.) When the skies are clear, the road offers sweeping views of the Olympic Range and Strait of Juan de Fuca below. Even if the road is fogged in, keep going to the top—Hurricane Ridge might be sunny above the clouds (this is what happened for us!)

Hoh River Road

This road winds through the rainforest to the Hoh River Trail.

One of America’s most beautiful highways, the 101 runs along and through Olympic, taking in Quinault, Kalaloch, the Sol Duc Valley and to Port Angeles.

Beach 4 in the Kalaloch area and Hole in the Wall near Mora are the most popular places to view tidepools. There are ranger programs in both spots during the summer.

You can also view tidepools at low tide on many of the park’s other beaches, especially Ruby Beach, Beach 2 and Beach 3. Check tide times before you go, wear sturdy shoes (coastal rocks are slippery!) and watch kids closely.

The PNW is also known for “sneaker waves”, huge swells that come without warning and sweep much farther onto the beach than expected. The waves are very strong and can be dangerous, so keep an eye on the ocean and stay near your kids and pups.

There are tons of places to paddle in Olympic! River areas range in difficulty, from Class II to Class V; low water and log jams can create tricky conditions.

For a more straightforward paddle, set out on Lake Crescent, Lake Ozette or Lake Quinault. Each has at least two launch sites.

Paddling in the ocean along the Olympic Peninsula is recommended for expert sea kayakers only.

Olympic was established in order to protect the elk population in the area. Now called Roosevelt Elk after their benefactor, you can spot these largest of the elk species in Olympic’s valleys and rainforests, most often at dawn or dusk.

Olympic marmots are found only on the Olympic peninsula. Spot them at high elevations, such as Hurricane Ridge.

Check out the park’s official birdwatching page here .

Whale Watching:

Watch whales migrate along the Olympic coast from April to May and October to November. Some popular spots to watch from the shore are Shi Shi Beach, Rialto Beach and Neah Bay.

The Whale Trail is a series of sites, running from British Columbia to Southern California, that provide information and resources for whale watching. Check out their site here to find the best spots and times for whale spotting.

May is official Whale Watching Month at Kalaloch Lodge, and the lodge offers special interpretive programs throughout the month.

Or join a boat tour to spot these giants from the water. Tours operate out of Port Angeles and Port Townsend .

Winter Activities:

Hurricane Ridge is typically covered in snow from December through March, and is the center for snowy activities in Olympic.

Hurricane Ridge Road stays plowed throughout the winter and is open most weekends, Friday to Sunday, and many holidays. Vehicles must carry tire chains from November 1 to April 1.

You can join a ranger-guided snowshoe walk on winter weekends, or cross-country ski in the meadows around the visitor’s center. The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club runs a small ski area with two rope tows, a poma lift and a tubing area. You can rent gear at the rental shop there.

The visitor’s center is generally open whenever the road is open in winter. Bathrooms and a warming area are always open.

Makah Museum:

Learn more about the Makah people at this cultural and research center, which holds hundreds of artifacts from an ancient Makah village that was buried by a landslide around 1750.

Join a guided tour or watch a weaving or wood-carving demonstration by Makah tribal members. Find more info about visiting here .

Hot Springs:

Have a soak in the mineral pools at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort . Day passes are $15. Each pool closes for an hour twice a day to have a “resting period” and water testing. Two of the four pools are only for guests age four and older.

There are entire books about hiking in Olympic National Park! Day hikes are a fantastic way to explore the diversity of this park. There are trails in the temperate rain forest, the mountains of the Olympic range and along the coast.

On all hikes, be prepared for quick-changing weather, especially rain, and follow Leave No Trace guidelines.

The best resources for finding day hikes that meet your needs are the park’s website and the park rangers themselves. AllTrails is another great resource.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Hall of Mosses Trail

An easy 0.8-mile loop gives you a good look at the Hoh Rainforest.

Maple Glade Trail

A family-friendly half-mile loop near Quinault Lake.

Hurricane Hill

A moderate 3.2-mile out-and-back trail will get you high up into the alpine landscape of Hurricane Ridge. Look out for herds of deer, screeching marmots and black bears.

Take the stairs down onto the beach and have a stroll to look at seastacks, driftwood and tidepools.

Marymere Falls

An easy 2-mile out-and-back trail to a gorgeous waterfall, with lovely greenery all along the way.

Sand Point Trail

From the Ozette Lake Visitor’s Center, follow a 3-mile boardwalk trail to the coast at Cape Alava.

Bringing Kids:

Olympic’s variety means there’s something for everyone, including the littlest park explorers! Kids may especially enjoy checking out tidepools at the beach, looking for animals around Hurricane Ridge, and exploring the incredible temperate rainforest regions of the park.

Joshua Tree National Park

Be prepared for lots of rain! We ended up hiking in swimsuits so the kids could run around in the pouring rain and dry off quickly ;). If you’re going out for the day, dress kids in quick-drying layers—nothing is more miserable than soggy jeans!

Many of the park’s most popular hikes are short and easy loops. Pick up Jr. Ranger books to give you activities to do while hiking and in the car going from place to place.

If you go to the pools at Sol Duc, kids under four are free, but can only use two of the pools. Because each pool closes for two one-hour periods each day, there will be times when both kid-friendly pools are closed and you’ll just have to sit around and wait.

During winter, there’s a Small Children’s Snowplay Area near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center where children eight and under can sled for free. BYO tubes or sleds; nothing with runners is allowed.

FAQ’s:

The following are questions we received from our readers about visiting Olympic National Park.

If you only had one day, what would you do?

Start at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles to learn more about the park. Then drive the 17-mile road up to Hurricane Ridge. Take in the views and go for a hike up Hurricane Hill. If you’ve still got time, drive west to Lake Crescent and a quick and rewarding hike to Marymere Falls.

Where can you see whales?

Whales migrate along the Olympic coast from April to May and October to November. Check out The Whale Trail for loads more info about where and when to see whales!

When can we go that will have dry weather?

There’s no way to guarantee a rain-free visit in this area, but July and August will raise your odds!

What are some good ranger programs?

Ranger-led programs and hikes are fantastic ways to learn more about the park. Most programs happen in the summer at campgrounds and near visitor’s centers. Tidepool programs happen at Kalaloch’s Beach 4 and Mora’s Hole in the Wall.

On winter weekends, rangers guide short snowshoe walks at Hurricane Ridge. In the summer, there are astronomy programs at Hurricane Ridge with telescopes open for public use.

Check the park’s calendar for a list of programs, or check out the seasonal newspaper here . The park newspapers are often more up-to-date than the online calendar.

What are the best hikes?

There are so many hikes in Olympic and the regions are so varied that this is just an impossible question to answer definitively!

We always recommend choosing one longer hike rather than several short ones if you’re limited on time. That way you’ll spend more time on the trail and less time in the car!

Where can we go to escape the crowds?

Olympic is a well-visited park, especially when the weather is sunniest during summer. Be prepared for traffic and slow travel times any time of year.

The best way to find solitude in any national park is to go for a long hike! The crowds usually thin way out a mile or two down any trail.

Tips from Our Readers:

“Don’t miss the petroglyphs on the Capa Lava triangle.”

“Give yourself multiple days! Fog might obscure views and waiting may help.”

“Olympic is one of the best parks! I recommend rubber boots and rain pants for kids, for tide pooling.”

“Schedule a lot more time than you expect to need!”

“Read the park information about wildlife and streams before you leave! Good info.”

“Bring a rain coat, no matter what the forecast says.”

“Plan plenty of time! So much to see and do!”

“Ruby Beach is a must do.”

“Watch out for slick rocks on North Beach!”

“If you can, stop by and enjoy Crescent Lake on the way there.”

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