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Field Trips and STEAM Workshops
Hands-on STEAM workshops and self-guided visits are designed to inspire curiosity and creativity. Whether your students are solving tricky engineering challenges for a cast of fairy tale characters or exploring discovery zones at their own pace, there are endless opportunities for play-based learning at the museum.

STEAM Workshops at the Museum

A day of learning and discovery under the Golden Gate Bridge

Our workshops offer hands-on, multi-sensory explorations of STEAM concepts, encouraging risk-taking, collaborative problem-solving, and creative thinking for school groups across the Bay Area. These experiences support and challenge students to practice foundational science skills while having a great time. Choose from two fun workshop themes, Fairy Tale Engineering or Bridge Builders! Learn more about each workshop in their accordion sections. The fun doesn’t stop there! All workshops include the opportunity to explore the museum’s many play-based learning spaces.

Program Details

Availability: Wednesday – Friday

Timing: Two time slots are offered each day, with groups arriving at 9:30 AM and 11:15 AM.

Length: 60-minute workshop plus open exploration of the museum. 

Grade levels: K-3

Group size: Up to 30 students per workshop; 1 adult required for every 5 students. Our Try It Studio classroom has limited capacity, so please consider this when recruiting additional chaperones.

Price: $500 per workshop, including museum admission for all students and adults.

Scholarships: The scholarship rate is $330/session. Scholarships are reserved for Title-1 and other schools and organizations that serve communities with large populations of low-income families (40% or higher).

Scholarship applications are embedded in the booking form and applied immediately upon booking. For all questions regarding financial support, please contact us at schoolvisits@badm.org.

Fairy Tale Engineering

Students engage directly with Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Think, Make, Try® engineering design process as they work collaboratively to solve problems for a set of beloved fairy tale characters.

Explore the Shore

Did we mention we are located in a stunning national park? Student biologists can investigate the animals and plants in the intertidal zone of nearby Horseshoe Cove in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a short walk from our main campus.

Science Theater

Dive ‘underwater’ to meet Lottie the Otter in this interactive shadow puppet experience! Student engineers will use the Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Think, Make, Try® engineering design process to help solve problems for Lottie and her river friends. This program was created in collaboration with The Train Theater.

Discover-it-Yourself Field Trips

You don’t have to do a workshop to immerse your students in a world of hands-on science, play-based learning, and open-ended exploration. Our Discover-it-Yourself (DIY) Field Trips are self-guided visits to the museum for school groups and child care providers. A great option for preschools and elementary classrooms looking for a shared educational outing that fits all types of learners, DIY Field Trips offer open exploration of museum discovery zones at a discounted rate.

Questions? Contact us at schoolvisits@badm.org 

Details

Availability: Wednesday – Friday

Timing: Five time slots are offered each day, with groups arriving at 15 minutes past the hour from 9:15 AM – 1:15 PM.

Length: 2.5 hour sessions

Grade levels: Preschool – 5th grade

Group size: 10 – 80 students; minimum of 1 adult for every 5 students required

Price: $12 per person.

Scholarships

The scholarship rate is $6/person. Scholarships are reserved for Title-1 and other schools and organizations that serve communities with large populations of low-income families (40% or higher). Scholarship applications are embedded in the booking form and applied immediately upon checkout. For all questions regarding financial support, please contact us at schoolvisits@badm.org.

Not a School or Childcare Provider

Please visit our Plan Your Visit page to learn more about purchasing general admission tickets.

Field Trip Checklist

Review our DIY School Field Trip Checklist before your visit.