Thank you for your interest in a group visit at the Montshire Museum of Science! The Montshire is a hands-on museum filled with exhibits on engineering, and the natural and physical sciences. Your group will get to experiment, observe, ask questions, and explore a variety of scientific phenomena on a self-guided tour of our exhibits. Please review the following information and let us know if you have any questions. When you are ready to request a visit date, please fill out the Reservation Request Form at the bottom of this page.
PRICING
| Adult Price | Child Price | |
| Group Visit | Adult: $16 | Child: $13 |
| Science Workshop Visit (Schools Only) | Adult: $16 | Child: $15 |
Minimum of 10 people. For reservations of 14 or more children, 2 adults receive complimentary admission. Bus drivers may enter free of charge, but not drivers of personal vehicles. Prices and policies subject to change. Please allow two weeks to process request. To request a visit with less than a week’s notice, please call the museum at 802-649-2200. Large groups arriving without a reservation during peak season (May - August) may be denied entry.
GROUP VISIT TERMS and POLICIES
All groups must have a ratio of 1 adult (17+) for every 7 children. If your reservation request form shows too few adults, we will not be able to process your reservation.
Your group must be admitted to the museum in a single transaction at the front desk. If your group has distinct subgroups that need to pay separately, please submit multiple reservation requests.
Montshire memberships are NOT applicable for adults or children as part of a school visit.
Accredited schools and not-for-profit organizations may choose to be invoiced after their visit; other groups must pay prior to visit or at the door. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards.
We cannot guarantee an indoor space for lunch/snacks during group visits. Groups should plan to eat outside on the grounds of the Museum. When there is inclement weather that renders outdoor seating untenable (lightning, temps below 50 degrees, snow cover), the Montshire will do its best to provide an indoor or covered space for groups to sit on the floor and eat together at no charge, but we cannot guarantee availability. If a guaranteed indoor space is desired, groups may request a room with tables and chairs for a fee of $50.00 when making their reservation (subject to availability).
Science Workshops: Science Workshops are for school groups only and are only offered on days when school is in session, at the discretion of Montshire staff. No additional discounts available. Subject to availability and staffing limitations. See a list of workshops offered below.
We have multiple groups visiting most days, so please make sure everyone in the group has a name tag, matching T-shirts, or other distinguishing item on their person so staff can easily ascertain to which group visitors belong.
Upon arrival at the museum, the Group Leader will provide Admissions staff at the front desk with a final count of all adults and children.
The Group Leader will pay for the entire group in one transaction.
Museum Store: Groups are welcome to shop by rotating smaller cohorts (1 adult and 7 youth is recommended) in and back out of the store during their visit. All youth must be accompanied and supervised by an adult while in the store. All purchases will be kept at Admission Desk in labeled bags until group departs for the day. Please note that there is a 6% sales tax on most purchases.
Group visit terms may shift at discretion of Museum; Group Leader listed on reservation form is responsible for ensuring all adults on trip know, understand and adhere to Museum policies and the Code of Conduct.
CODE OF CONDUCT
To ensure that all museum visitors have a positive experience, we ask all group members to:
Respect themselves, classmates, other visitors, Museum staff and Museum property during visit. Comply with requests from Museum staff.
- Adhere to the required ratio of 1 adult to 7 children to ensure adequate supervision and engagement with museum exhibits. Youth should be in line of sight of adults at all times.
- Understand that repeated lack of supervision or respect may impact the group visiting the Museum in the future.
CAPACITY and ENTRY TIME
The number of group visitors is limited to ensure a positive experience for all visitors. Entry time varies on the time of year.
Sept 5-April 30, 2024 and June 20-Sept. 30, 2024:
- Groups arrive at or after 10:00am.
May 1-June 14 (high season):
- Groups may arrive as early as 9:30.
Submitting the reservation request form does not guarantee a reservation. We will evaluate your request and let you know if we have questions. Reservation is confirmed when the Group Leader receives an emailed invoice from the Montshire.
NOTE: If you are interested in hosting a party or other celebration at the Museum, please visit our Rental page for more information.
To book a visit, please fill out the form linked HERE.
SCIENCE WORKSHOPS
The Museum offers several popular options that allow you to customize your field trip experience to best meet your educational goals.
A School Group Visit lets you and your students explore the Museum’s many exhibits, inside and out. Students in small groups can view exhibits at their own pace and interest levels, while Museum Explainers are on hand to enrich the experience with special demonstrations.
Combine a visit with a hands-on workshop, developed to fit your curricular needs. Taught by the Museum’s education staff, these workshops incorporate inquiry-based teaching practices to help students gain insight into the scientific process. Science workshops are only available during the school year. Programs for preschoolers are 30 minutes, all others are 45-50 minutes unless noted.
Physical Science
- Who Sank the Boat? Students will experiment with different materials to find out what sinks and what floats. Children will then use aluminum foil to construct and test their own boats. As a class they will record and represent data from observations of their experiments. A reading of Pamela Allen’s book, “Who Sank the Boat?” is included, which integrates science and children’s literature. PreK-Grade 2
- Magnets: Students will predict, test and experiment with magnetism and discover what is magnetic in this introduction to forces and motion. Multiple magnets will allow for exploration of attracting and repelling forces. PreK-Grade 2
- Exploring Air - Parachutes and More: Students will build and experiment with small parachutes and other paper crafts in order to discover the properties of air. Grades K-2
- Mirrors, Reflection, and Symmetry: This workshop introduces principles of light and reflection as students create images with flat mirrors. Students will also engage in hands-on investigations of the geometry and patterns of symmetry. Grades K-3
- Balancing Act: This hands-on physical science workshop lets students investigate balance, center of gravity, and mechanical advantage. Students will use their knowledge of mechanical advantage and center of gravity to create a whimsical balance toy to bring home. Grades 3-6
- Batteries, Motors & Bulbs: Students use batteries, motors, and bulbs to explore electricity to develop their understanding of complete circuits. They will create different electrical circuits to learn about insulators and conductors, voltage, series circuits, and open and closed circuits. Students that are well versed in basic electricity concepts will also explore parallel circuits and amperage. Grades 3-6
Life & Earth Science
- Seedy Science: Use the museum’s seed collection to explore plant adaptations and diversity! Students will sort and classify seeds, practice identification, and examine seeds and sprouts with hand lenses and microscopes. Grades K-3
- Insects: In this workshop, students will use microscopes, the Montshire’s insect collection, and live animals to look closely at the creatures that really rule the world! We’ll focus on the incredible diversity and fascinating structures of insects and other arthropods. Grades K-4
- Investigating Fossils: Tracks of the Past: Students get to handle real fossils from the Museum’s collection while learning about plants and animals from long ago. Using plaster of Paris, students will make a “fossil” to take home. Grades K-4
- Animal Tracks & Signs: Students will learn about the behavior of local animals through the signs they leave behind. This program will introduce your students to the tracks of New England’s familiar mammals. An indoor inquiry includes an up-close encounter with mounted specimens from the Museum’s collection. Grades 1-3
- Cells! Cells are the basic building blocks of life. In this workshop students will use compound microscopes to observe the differences and similarities between animal and plant cells. They will practice staining techniques to more easily observe specific structures in cells including the cell nucleus and cell wall. Grades 5-8
- Evolution and Fossils: A History of Life on Earth: Students will examine the museum’s fossil collection as they learn how paleontologists use fossils to track evolutionary change over the Earth’s 4.5 billion year geologic timeline. Grades 5-8
Engineering
- Rollways: Using tubes and tunnels, students will explore force and motion to create a large rollway. During the workshop, they will have many opportunities to problem-solve, build and work with others to create interesting and exciting routes for their marble. Grades K-3
- Wind Vehicles: In this workshop students will work in teams to design, build, and test a wind-powered vehicle. Students will utilize their engineering and problem solving skills to create a stable vehicle while optimizing their design for speed and distance. Students in grades 5-8 will collect and use timing data as they test, iterate, and improve their vehicles. Grades 3-4, and 5-8.
- Scribble Bots! Students will create a machine that makes modern art while learning how to wire circuits, offset a motor, problem solve, experiment with balance, deal with material constraints, and troubleshoot components. It’s a multi-disciplinary experience that students will not soon forget. Grades 4-8.