School Groups and Field Trips

Make nature your classroom

Take a field trip to Descanso Gardens and extend your classroom into nature. Many of Descanso’s educational programs and field trips are provided free of charge. We offer a variety of options for enriching educational garden visits, with or without a docent.

Homeschool Discovery Day

Monday, May 19, 9:30–11:30 am

Visit Descanso on this special day for homeschoolers. Stop by our welcome table to pick up activity guides and educational resources, then explore the gardens with your homeschool group or family. Complete the form below to register for homeschool day. After booking, you will receive additional information closer to your visit.

HOMESCHOOL DAY FORM

Arranging a Descanso field trip

Does your school qualify?

Field trips and programs are available free of charge for qualifying schools with advance reservations. A qualifying school must meet one or more of the following requirements:

• An accredited California public or private school
• A preschool providing instruction to students over two years of age
• A program through a school that provides academic instruction to students
• A Head Start or Child Development Center
• Homeschool groups

Docent-guided field trips

• Offered October–May on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 9:30am or 10am
• Maximum of 60 students per day
• 1-hour guided tour of one of the following subjects:

Habitat Detectives, Kindergarten–2nd grade: Be a nature detective! Through hands-on activities and play, students discover the many animals that make Descanso Gardens their home.

Spring Discoveries, Kindergarten–2nd grade: Students use observational skills and movement to explore plant and animal life cycles. (Only available March-May)

Adaptations and Interactions, 3rd–5th grade: Student scientists investigate plant adaptations and explore the many ways plants and animals depend on each other to survive.

Seasonal Garden Tour, Kindergarten–8th grade: Students explore and observe plant and animal life through experiential garden walks. The tour focus changes seasonally. Tour topics include plant life cycles, habitat explorations, and more.

Self-guided field trips

Enjoy Descanso Gardens at your own pace with a self-guided field trip, available for all grade levels. With the help of a chaperone you provide, students can learn about the gardens or simply spend the day discovering nature.

• Teachers structure and lead the educational experience
• Offered September–May on Mondays through Fridays at 9am, 9:30am, 10am, or 10:30am
• Maximum of 90 students per school per day

Download a self-guided chaperone guide and student activity booklet in either English or Spanish.

Still have questions about our field trips? Please call 818.949.0120 or email schools@descansogardens.org.