Science Field Trips

Every Challenge Island® Field Trip is a HIGH ENERGY, HANDS-ON, Cross-Curricular STEAM Adventure featuring Project-Based Learning and 21st Century Skills. Our Award-Winning Curriculum is aligned with multiple Common Core, State, and Next Generation Science Standards, as well as Social Emotional Learning Standards. We have over 100 Challenge Destinations for you to choose from, and equates to a 1-1.5 hour In-School Field trip option for your students!

Our Field Trip Specialist will help you identify the Island experience that best fits your curricular goals. Your students will enjoy a spectacular STEAM vacation without ever leaving school grounds!

Learn about agriculture at Stewart Farms. Enjoy the pumpkin patch and the corn maze.
Offers field trips and occasional special events for homeschoolers.

Homeschool Days for fall are September 26 and 27, 2023.

Learn about amazing raptors at the Carolina Raptor Center. They offer a variety of field trip options with educational programming for groups, as well as homeschool days.
See our review of one program here.

• Age: All grade levels and programs vary to suit each age group
• Subject: Science
• See these amazing birds up close!

Homeschool Days are occasionally offered. Please contact Carolina Raptor Center for specific dates and times.

Book a multi-day field trip through their Adventure Guides program, Family Camp program, and other programs that allow children to learn about nature while learning how to work together as a group.

• Ages: Depends on programming
• Subject: Nature, PE, problem-solving

Visit the Downtown Greenville Airport and/or Runway Park! Learn about aviation, meet a pilot, see aircraft up close, and more! Minimum number of 15 children or $75 for the tour.

• Advanced registration required.
• Subjects: social studies, science, careers
• Groups can add on lunch at Runway Cafe with special group pricing.

Engaging students has never been more fun! From interactive exhibits to enriching STEM programs, the Schiele Museum is your educational resource. Visit the Schiele Museum to see how it can be a resource for you!

At The Children’s Museum of the Upstate (TCMU), educators can book a field trip full of learning, engagement, and play–at both museum locations in Greenville and Spartanburg. TCMU-Greenville field trips are available for kids grades K4-Grade 5 and TCMU-Spartanburg field trips are available for kids grades 3K, 4K and 5K. Children can explore museum exhibits and participate in additional STEAM based programming led by TCMU staff and educators.

Eden farms offers English riding lessons for ages 6 through adult with private or group lesson options. They also offer birthdays, field trips, summer camps and more.

Homeschool at the Barn- Includes an hour long riding lesson or trail ride, learning about life on a working horse farm (grooming, saddling, equine anatomy, feeding and more), horse themed crafts, bible study, snack, and time to play on the new playground.

Field Trips: Eden Farms has offered educational field trips for all ages and sizes including church groups, Scout troops, and schools. Groups rotate through their 40-stall barn to different hands-on horse stations to learn about grooming, saddling, healthcare, horse breeds, feeding, healthcare, and more! Horseback riding, playground, and time for a picnic are also available.

During a field trip to the Pavilion Recreation Center students can tour the facilities and learn about the refrigeration systems that maintain the ice. Students will also be able to enjoy an ice skating or hockey lesson.

• Age: Elementary and middle school students
• Subjects: PE and science
• Meal packages are also available

Greyrock Farms and Green Acres Produce provide students with educational dairy tours where students not only learn about dairy farming but also experience it firsthand. They offer spring tours and fall tours.

2023 KABOOM Family Favorites First Place: Educational Family Fun
2023 KABOOM Family Favorites First Place: Field Trips

Located just minutes from downtown Greenville, Roper Mountain Science Center is one of the nation’s most unique learning experiences. As a pinnacle of innovative learning, an engine for community engagement, and a national leader in science education, Roper Mountain’s mission is to ignite the natural curiosity of all learners to explore and shape their world.

The beautiful 62-acre campus contains an array of state-of-the-art educational facilities including a Planetarium and Observatory, Marine and Ecology labs, a Rainforest, a Living History Farm and a new Environmental Science and Sustainability Center.

Each year, more than 50,000 students, 6000 teachers and 30,000 families experience the latest in explorative STEM education through these interactive exhibits and hands-on learning opportunities. Families can attend numerous events throughout the year including Friday Starry Nights, Afternoon Explorations, Summer Adventure, Laser Days of Summer, Summer Exploration Camps, and seasonal holiday laser shows. Regardless of age, Roper Mountain provides everyone the opportunity to explore, discover, imagine and grow.

The Greenville Zoo is the community’s choice for field trips. A day at the zoo is a day of discovery, offering fun and memorable learning experiences for students K4-12.

WNC Nature Center currently offers self-guided tours for school groups (registration required), as well as virtual small group programs, virtual auditorium programs, and recorded programs on various topics that include a live animal guest.

View 60 species of native animals at the WNC Nature Center! Programs are available for groups as small as 10.

• Age: all ages
• Subject: science
• Guided as well as self-guided and in-school programs are available.

Offers standard-based, hands-on science education for groups

• Age: kindergarten – 8th grade
• Subject: science
• Programs can be held at the Science Center, they can come to you, and you can arrange field trips to natural habitats

Paris Mountain offers group hikes and educational programs about nature and the history of Paris Mountain State Park.

• Ages: School Age, plus family programming
• Subjects: Science, History
• Families can enjoy Creek Ranger Hikes in addition to other educational events.

A working farm that offers educational field trips around topics like growth, conservation, exploration, human studies, wildlife identification, and cultivation.
Field trips and farm tours are for all ages.

Denver Downs Farm, in Anderson (just off exit 19B), hosts weekday fall field trips full of fun and memorable experience on a real working farm. Trips last approximately 2 hours.

Field trips are $12 per person, and include a hand-picked pumpkin.

Students will learn about electricty and how it is produced safely. The programs utilize hands on activites as well as movies and brain teaser games, depending on age group.

• Age: Programs are available for elementary and middle school students.
• Subject: Science
• Nature trail and picnic shelter is also on the property

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park offers a variety of field trip opportunities for students of any age. Check out Chimney Rock for more details.

Lucky Acres Farm is a small family farm in Townville, SC featuring alpacas. Learn about alpacas and how the farm is run, including what products the alpaca fibers are used to create.

• Age: All ages
• Science, agriculture
• The farm is also home to goats, horses and chickens.

Visit the Zentrum Museum and learn about the history of BMW and view examples of BMW’s vehicles throughout their history.

Zentrum museum hours are Monday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm

Guided plant tours are available and students will have the chance to see how the cars are built.

• Age: Plant Tours are limited to age 12 and up
• Subject: Science and Engineering, History
• Closed toe shoes must be worn on the plant tour

Field Trips & School Programs: The South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson offers 45-60 minute school programs intended to support your curriculum and grade level. Fee is $5 per student.

Summer Camp Offers: The SC Botanical Garden at Clemson offers week-long summer camps in June and July for kids aged 6 – 12.

Lake Conestee Nature Preserve offers a wide variety of science and nature field trips and programs.

• Age: Preschool through high school
• Subject: Science and Nature
• Programs include a variety of topics depending on age. Topics include plants, bees, ecology, water quality, and more!
• Programs available include Field Trips, Nature Discovery After School Program (February – May), Knee-High Naturalists (Ages 2-4), and more.
• Home school days are offered throughout the year.

Strawberry Hill offers the perfect farm field trip package for schools, homeschool groups, and churches with 20 or more participants. For groups less than 20, they may combine you with another group if available.
The field trip aligns with the South Carolina state standards for preschool through 2nd-grade levels.