Illinois Field Trips

TO HELP PLAN FEBRUARY & MARCH curriculum focused classroom activities, field trips & school assembly programs, these themed celebrations might be helpful. February 2026: MONTHLY: Black History Month, Library Lovers Month, National Bird Feeding Month. Day/Week Celebrations: Feb 8: Boy Scout Day. Kite Flying Day. Feb 11: International Day of Women and Girls in Science. National Inventors Day. Feb 15: Susan B Anthony Day. Feb. 16: Presidents Day. Feb 17: Random Acts of Kindness Day. Presidents’ Day. Feb 19: World Anthropology Day. MARCH 2026 MONTHLY: National Reading Month, Music in Our Schools, Craft Month, National Nutrition, National Women’s History, and National Ethics Month. CLICK on the ACTIVITY FILTER below for activity type of field trips to learn about. For those unable to travel to these locations, have the fun come to you. Check out the Outreach Field Trips & School Assembly Programs section.

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Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo is a natural, free oasis for generations of animal lovers, who visit the zoo to hear a lion’s roar, see gorillas climb, trees as visitors immerse themselves in tropical rainforests, dry-thorn forests or spacious savannas.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Day Trips, Self-Guided Tours, Self-Guided Activities, Guided Activities. COST - Free GROUP TYPE - School, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
ChicagoTEL - 312-742-2000

Lincoln's New Salem Historic Site

Take a walk through a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln lived for 7 yrs. Discover 19th century life as you stop by the blacksmith’s shop, the schoolhouse, and an archaeology walk.

GRADE LEVEL - Elementary School, Middle School PROGRAM TYPE - Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Self-Guided Activities, Guided Activities. COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
PetersburgTEL - 217-632-4000

Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art

The Lizzadro Museum displays gemstone treasures, antiques to modern, with a blending of earth science exhibits. The collection includes mosaics, gemstones, rocks, minerals, fossils and more.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Self-Guided Activities. COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Homeschool ILLINOIS
ElmhurstTEL - 630-833-1616

Loyola University Museum of Art

The Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) was founded in 2005 on the Water Tower Campus of Loyola University Chicago. Within a historic Gothic Revival building, the Loyola University Museum of Art has collections of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque art.

GRADE LEVEL - Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Homeschool ILLINOIS
Chicago
VIRTUALTEL - 312-915-7600

Luthy Botanical Garden

Surround yourself with spectacular displays of spring blooming bulbs or the blazing color of autumn, the Garden offers a tranquil setting to enjoy the beauty of each passing season.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Self-Guided Activities, Guided Activities. COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
PeoriaTEL - 309-681-3506

Mary & Leigh Bock Museum of Art

The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art has three galleries that offer rotating exhibitions presenting art across time, culture and media.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours. COST - Free GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Homeschool ILLINOIS
EvanstonTEL - 847-491-4000

McLean County Museum of History

The McLean County Museum of History is dedicated to telling the rich story of McLean County through programs which serve people of all ages and are designed to ignite curiosity, inspire creative expression, elicit critical thinking, and more.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Day Trips, Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Guided Activities COST - Free, Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
BloomingtonTEL - 309-827-0428

Miller Park Zoo

Miller Park Zoo features many large indoor and outdoor exhibits such as a Tropical America Rainforest, ZooLab, Katthoefer Animal Building, Wallaby WalkAbout, Children’s Zoo, and Animals of Asia.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Day Trips, Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Self-Guided Activities, Guided Activities. COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
BloomingtonTEL - 309-434-2250

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian

The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is one of only a few museums in the nation that focuses exclusively on the history, culture, and arts of the American Indian and First Nation peoples of the United States and Canada.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Guided Tours, Guided Activities. COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
EvanstonTEL - 847-475-1030

Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum has been a place to learn and enjoy nature for almost 100 years. It is on 1,700 acres with more than 222,000 live plants, representing nearly 4,300 taxa from around the world.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades, Elementary School, Middle School PROGRAM TYPE - Day Trips, Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Self-Guided Activities, Guided Activities. COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Camp, Homeschool ILLINOIS
LisleTEL - 630-968-0074

Museum of Contemporary Photography

Through the Museum of Contemporary Photography’s tours and print viewings, visitors can learn about the history and different approaches and techniques in photography.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Homeschool ILLINOIS
ChicagoTEL - 312-663-5554

Museum of Geology

Western Illinois University’s Museum of Geology houses more than forty displays and exhibits covering Earth History and processes as well as Earth materials and resources.

GRADE LEVEL - All Grades PROGRAM TYPE - Day Trips, Guided Tours COST - Fee GROUP TYPE - School, Scout, Homeschool ILLINOIS
MacombTEL - 309-288-1368

ILLINOIS
Field Trips