There should be no shortage of field trip ideas for New York, which has plenty of educational experiences and museums to offer student groups of all ages

New York is celebrated for its diverse art and culture, skyscrapers, and rich history. The Empire State is the home of Central Park, the George Eastman Museum, several institutions of the future, and plenty of great field trip ideas. The great state of New York welcomes learners of all types and backgrounds and your next student adventure awaits you here.

Field Trip Ideas In New York:

  • Statue of Liberty
  • RiseNY
  • Jackie Robinson Museum
  • The Apollo Theatre
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Guggenheim Museum
  • Niagara Falls State Park
  • Brooklyn Robot Foundry
Charles Engelhard Court in The American Wing Field Trip
The Charles Engelhard Court in The American Wing Photo Courtesy of The Met

New York History & Heritage Field Trip Ideas

New York is home to some of the most important historic landmarks and historic events, making it a great place for student field trip ideas. Visit the Statue of Liberty located on Liberty Island and the nearby Ellis Island, for an inspiring history lesson. Take the Statue of Liberty out of the textbook and place it in front of their eyes. Explore the Statue of Liberty Museum here to get the full story behind this incredible monument. Make sure to have your camera ready to catch awe-inspiring views.

Hop over to Ellis Island to tour the National Immigration Museum, which was one of the halls immigrants walked themselves upon their arrival. Also on site is the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. Here, visitors can truly get to know about the first wave of immigration and how our immigrants actually embodied our nation’s ideals. These destinations are only accessible by ferries provided by State City Cruises. Additional tickets are not needed to enter the Statue of Liberty Museum or Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.

Manhattan’s RiseNY offers immersive museum-style galleries and a theme-park worthy experience to tell the rich history of New York City.
 
The Jackie Robinson Museum in Lower Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood celebrates the life and career of the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. Besides spotlighting his accomplishments on the field, museum exhibits, bolstered by artifacts, videos and interactive experiences, focus on his achievements in the business world and role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s. There is a classroom for student and youth groups.
 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art field trip in New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York photo courtesy of The Met

Performing Arts Field Trips in New York

Frank Sinatra’s single New York, New York isn’t just a fun song to sing along to, if you listen closely, it’s advice to American talent, starting out or experience, to bring their art to New York if they wish to make it big. The Big Apple is the home of the world’s most prominent artists and holds the most spectacular plays, musicals, and contemporary art exhibitions, making it an ideal place for field trips focusing on the arts.

Student groups have many venues in the state of New York to fuel their inspiration or put their talent on display. An always popular field trip idea for New York is to catch a popular Broadway show. Hamilton, The Lion King and Into the Woods are a few student-favorite shows you can expect to see.

Also, in the historic Theatre District is The Apollo Theatre. James Brown, The Jackson 5, Mary J Blidge, and many great stars have performed here. What’s cool about The Apollo has several student group activities like music, dance, and theater workshops led by Apollo Teaching Artists. Field trips wanting to learn more can also join the Apollo School Tours. These tours highlight the theatre’s legendary history and performers in an interactive fashion.

Arts & Culture for Students in New York

New York City is the home of the world’s most prominent artists and holds the most spectacular plays, musicals and contemporary art exhibitions. Using the latest technology, the Museum of Broadway in Times Square offers a behind-the-curtain look at how a show is made and a timeline of Broadway history. Workshop groups have access to their Educational Guide, which includes pre-visit lessons, what to expect from the workshop, and post-visit activities and resources.

Through its theatrical group sales division, Disney on Broadway can customize a program designed to satisfy your group’s needs for productions ranging from The Lion King to Frozen. Additionally, educators can bring the magic into their classrooms before their trips with special study guides and classroom materials.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, popularly known as The Met, features 5,000 years of art from around the globe. Student groups can reserve a guide. The Guggenheim Museum is just as famous for its Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building as its modern and contemporary artworks. On-site school tours are available and are facilitated by their team of professional youth educators. They are designed to foster active learning and making, engage students in careful observation, and develop language and critical-thinking skills.

New York field trip to the Brooklyn Bridge
Photo of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York

STEM New York Field Trip Ideas

Not too far away from the New York museums and avenues of men in business suits is the abundant world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Let’s not forget that the scientist was first stationed in Manhattan to begin developing the atomic bomb. This is why the operation is referred to as the “Manhattan Project.” Come to the Brooklyn Robot Foundry for the fun, educational, hands-on, robot-building project. Students experiencing a field trip here light up while learning components and engineering concepts during Brooklyn Robot lab. You also have the National Museum of Mathematics, which has galleries, exhibits, and programs designed to further illuminate students who are curious about a world made of numbers.

Marine & Aquatic Field trips in NY

Niagara Falls State Park provides spellbinding viewpoints and iconic attractions at the Cave of the Winds & The World Changed Here Pavilion. Here, descend into Niagara Gorge to learn the history of the falls. Then get outfitted for a wet experience on the “Hurricane Deck” a few feet away from Bridal Veil Falls with year-round tropical storm-type weather conditions. Or hop aboard the Maid of the Mist and travel through thundering falls and over rolling rapids surrounded by dramatic rock formations.

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