CDM Field Trips

The CDM Field Trips page is broken down into three sections to better inform teachers and make successful field trips easier.

At Discovery Program Topics, you will read about some of the curriculum topics available at the CDM.

At Planning Your Visit, you will learn basic information about the CDM school program, including costs, assistance information, and requirements.

At Registering Your Group, you can find out how to arrange your CDM field trip. (It's easy!)

The CDM School Program, Admission Assistance and Transportation Assistance are made possible in part by a grant from the Blandin Foundation as well as a 2012 Minnesota Humanities Grant. Monies from the Humanities Grant allows us to offer FREE admission to students and teachers as well as bus transportation up to $350 per field trip. Call the Museum for details 218-326-1900.

Teachers can enhance their children's learning by bringing the curriculum alive at the Children's Discovery Museum. Bring your class and we will lead them on a discovery experience with a curriculum we provide, or use a lesson plan of your own. All of our exhibits are at your disposal when you arrive.

"All I Need to Know, I Learned from the "Wizard of Oz""
A guided Tour of the 1892 Judy Garland Historic House with discussion and Q&A time surrounding President Abraham Lincoln's carriage showcased in our Gallery. You may also select an artistic, literary or scientific project derived from the Wizard of Oz.

"Dino-Dig"
We will have your class excavate the bones of a large beast from the "Dino-Dig" and create fossils of their own while learning about dinosaurs. We will provide all of the materials for the fossil activity and have the bones buried in the "Dig" prior to your arrival.

"Water Table"
A Mississippi River water curriculum is now offered with our hands-on water table. You may want to mix and match this with open discovery time or a dinosaur program. Wing dams, lock systems and turbines are explained and demonstrated in this program.

"River Town"
A miniature town complete with a hospital and clinic! Rivertown Clinic and Hospital is a hands-on learning exhibit for children ages 0 to 10. Created entirely by volunteers from the Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital, this addition to River Town includes X-rays on wall mounted light screens, a patient examination table, stethoscopes, eye charts, a weight scale, and much more. Other kid-size shops in River Town are Molly's Dolly Day Care, the Music Room, Grandma's Attic, and a Cafe/Grocery Store. Coming attractions include River Town Bank. River Town awaits your class for lessons in civics, business, community relations, cultural understanding or whatever program you wish to develop and use.

"River Forest"
"Treesa" the talking tree, a Mississippi River water table, leaf and track rubbing table, a "Smells and Sounds of the Forest" exhibit and a campsite invite any number of possibilities in environmental education. You can even speak or tell stories to your class "through" Treesa! It is equipped with hidden cameras, mikes and speakers allowing you or another teacher to view the children and control the tree from another room.

"Tot Park"
A large walk through maze for the very young (PK-K) that contains the alphabet. Use your imagination and create a fun learning exercise.

Counties Served
The Blandin Foundation grant allows the Children's Discovery Museum to offer its programs to schools in the following counties:
Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnoman, Morrison, St. Louis, Todd and Wadena.

Schedule
All of the CDM Self-Guided Discovery Program Topics are an hour and a half long. This includes an introduction, time spent at three learning stations, and free exhibit exploration time. 
If your group has special circumstances, we will happily adjust our schedule to fit you.

Click here to see if your prefered date is available.

COSTS
Admission
FREE admission for students, teachers and paras in 2012. Admission price for chaperones is $6 per person.

Transportation Assistance
Transportation money is available for school groups attending the Children's Discovery Museum school programs. Buses will be coordinated by teachers, and the Museum will reimburse schools.

Picnic at the CDM
Students and chaperones are welcome to bring a sack lunch to eat at the beginning or end of the school program. We have an indoor picnic room separate from the exhibits. If you want your group to eat lunch here, please let us know when you call to register your group and we will book the room for you.

Chaperones
We require at least three adults accompany each group. (When a group arrives at CDM, they split into three smaller groups and rotate among three learning stations. For behavior management reasons, we require a minimum of one adult to chaperone each group.) These adults can be teachers, paras, bus drivers, parents, etc. Admission for chaperones is $6 per person.

Multiple Visits
We encourage multiple visits from area schools and from individual classes. Admission Assistance and Transportation Assistance are available for return visits. Speak to the CDM Education Director at 866-CDM-KIDS (toll free) for more program opportunities.

CDM Office Hours:
    Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM October thru March
    Monday - Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM April thru September.

When you call:
Please have the following information available when you call to register your group:

• the date and time you would like to visit
• the school's name, address and phone number
• the teacher's name and phone number (for use only in emergency)
• the grade of the students
• the total number of students attending (no more than 60 students may attend any session)
• whether your group will be eating lunch at CDM, and at what time