Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 Field Trips at the Arboretum

To schedule a self-guided visit, please contact us at youtheducation@ncarboretum.org.
More information can be found at the bottom of this page.

The Outdoors is Our Classroom!

Academic field trip programs blend the benefits of outdoor education and inquiry-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education while meeting North Carolina Essential Standards.

Time spent with Arboretum educators is time on task. Lessons incorporate curriculum goals and integrate hands-on field experiences. All programs serve as an excellent means to introduce and reinforce topics in a dynamic and enriching way.

Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 Field Trip Registration Will Open on August 21st

We are so excited to welcome students to the Arboretum for field trip programming this fall. Our 2026-2027 field trip dates are not quite finalized, but we will be opening registration for field trips on Friday, August 21st. More details coming soon!

Program Times: Tuesdays - Thursdays | 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Group Size Limit: Groups are limited to 120* participants maximum. Students will be in smaller learning groups of 20 students maximum with a teacher, a parent chaperone(s), and 1-2 Arboretum Staff Members.

  • Groups of 15 – 60 can schedule two guided programs in one day.
  • Groups of 61-120 can only schedule one guided program in one day. The group will be split; part of the group will attend the guided program while the other is self-guided. They will switch after lunch.
  • Due to amount of materials, a maximum of 80 participants can be scheduled for Geocaching and Team Building per day. With 80 participants, 2 groups will be guided in the morning and 2 in the afternoon.

Due to weather, Fresh Water Ecology and Wet and Wild Field Trips will only be offered  September through October in the fall and March through May in the spring

Program Times: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Tuesday – Thursday)

Please review our Safety Guidelines.

Under certain circumstances, we may be able to visit your school for an outreach program.  If your school is interested, please email youtheducation@ncarboretum.org

Programs at the Arboretum

Program Title Grade Level
K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
Amazing Arthropods X X X X
Down and Dirty with Soil X X
Freshwater Ecology X
Geocaching and Team Building X X X
Wet and Wild X
Wildlife Adventures X X X
Wonders of Weather X

 

Cost

Students Visit Fee Lunch Location Fee Program Fee Total Cost Total Cost/ Person
10-20 $65.00 $20.00 $105.00 $190.00 $19.00 – $9.50
21-40 $65.00 $20.00 $210.00 $295.00 $14.05- $7.38
41-60 $95.00 $20.00 $315.00 $430.00 $10.49- $7.17
61-80 $95.00 $20.00 $420.00 $535.00 $8.77- $6.69
81-100 $150.00 $20.00 $525.00 $695.00 $8.58- $6.95
101-120 $150.00 $20.00 $630.00 $800.00 $7.92- $6.67

**We recommend approximately 2 chaperones per group of 20 students.  Any chaperone over 5 per group of 20 will be charged an extra $10 each.  We’ve found that when groups of 20 have over 5 chaperones, this detracts from the learning experience of the students. 

Health and Safety Protocols: 

The Arboretum is committed to ensuring the safety of all participants by following the current health guidelines from the Center of Disease Control, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human services, the Buncombe County Department of Health, and the City of Asheville. We may update our policies on health screenings, face coverings, social distancing, and other safety measures as needed. Participants are required to adhere to all safety protocols currently in place, failure to comply could result in dismissal from programming.

 

Please email youtheducation@ncarboretum.org with any questions.  You can also call Rich Preyer at 828-412-8558 for questions about programming, or Ben Bafaloukos at 828-567-3165 for help with registration.

 

Self-Guided Trips to the Arboretum

Schools and other youth groups are also invited to visit the Arboretum for self-guided exploration of its expansive grounds and rotating exhibit. For our group rates, please see the table below.

Group Size Group Rate Picnicking Fee* Total Cost
10 – 50 $75 $20 $95
51 – 100 $150 $20 $170
101 – 150 $220 $20 $240
151 – 200** $280 $20 $300

* If your group will not be picnicking on the Arboretum’s property, this fee will not be included.

** If your group consists of 201 or more visitors, larger group rates can be provided upon request.

In order to receive the group rate, self-guided visits must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. To schedule a self-guided visit, please contact us at youtheducation@ncarboretum.org!