A hub of history, art, and science awaits students on field trips in New Jersey
Originally one of the 13 colonies that revolted against British Rule in the American Revolution, New Jersey exists as both a vital point of American history and home to some of the most well-known musicians, writers and creators of America. Settled between Philadelphia and New York, the state is centrally located with the opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from Jersey waters. The Garden State has a lot of woodland with many residents holding conservancy highly, making it a focal point for gardening education and environmental sciences. The coastal region is also abundant with educational playgrounds like aquariums, museums and hidden artistic gems. Discover immersive education opportunities throughout New Jersey with these thought-provoking and imaginative field trip ideasNew Jersey History & Heritage Field Trip Ideas
Named for the Island of Jersey in the English Channel, New Jersey established itself as one of the 13 original colonies and became the third state to ratify the United States Constitution in 1787. See New Jersey’s key role in the Revolutionary War at Fort Lee Historical Park: a 33-acre cliff top park on the Palisades serving as a reconstructed Revolutionary War encampment. The park marks the site of the Fort Constitution, fortified in 1776 to oppose British ships in the Hudson. Students first view a short film about Fort Lee, and engage in hands-on activities reminiscent of the time including gathering and chopping firewood, casting musket balls and cooking an 18th-century meal. An in-depth experience for students to learn about the beginning of America helps make a field trip at Fort Lee Historical Park a must.Located close to Fort Lee, learn about America’s labor movement at the American Labor Museum and Botto House National Landmark in New Jersey. The Pietro and Maria Botto House is where 15,000 workers gathered in the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913. The museum holds photographs of workplace conditions, wage scales and striker’s meetings during the labor movement. See the house’s original kitchen, parlor and root cellar and delve into the movement that made America what it is today.Ascertain over 200 years of New Jersey history through thousands of local artifacts at the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts. Investigate the stories of early New Jerseyans through early pottery, textiles, homemade tools and archival materials from natives. The museum offers numerous field trip ideas with programs for pre-k through eighth-grade students. Known as America’s most decorated, the
Take in a show at the Algonquin Arts Theatre in New Jersey.
New Jersey Performing Arts Locations to Visit
New Jersey holds itself as a mecca of arts and music, making it a great place for performing arts field trips. Birthplace to Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Sinatra and Whitney and boasting artists from all over the world who flock to the state, New Jersey remains a foundational state in the performing arts.Experience the Algonquin Arts Theatre in New Jersey for their large range of high-quality performances including comedies, musicals, plays, children’s theater and concerts. A non-profit corporation founded in 1992 to provide a cultural hub to the community. The venue has a Broadway series that highlights popular New York Broadway hits, along with a Jazz and Orchestra series performed by the best New Jersey and New York musicians. Featuring tons of fine art education workshops to help kids become passionate about theater, this is a great performing arts venue for a field trip experience.Arts & Culture Activities in New Jersey
Resplendent botanical gardens are the backdrop for diverse sculptures and colorful, eye-catching art displays in a Garden State hidden gem. Grounds for Sculpture, located in Trenton, is a wondrous maze of art and blooming gardens. Indeed, it is one of New Jersey’s more unique field trip ideas. School programs include hands-on art classes in a studio environment and several guided educational tours that cover select artworks.
Meanwhile, the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University in New Brunswick offers over 60,000 works of art in a wide range of media. The museum staff works closely with educators to provide one-of-a-kind curated field trip ideas suited for many curriculums.
A trip to the New Jersey State Museum in Treton won’t disappoint with so many interesting opportunities ranging from dinosaurs and archaeology to space exploration. Educational group docent-led tours are free with museum admission for groups of 15 or more students.
Educational Field Trips through STEM
New Jersey offers a variety of fun and engaging field trips ideas for STEM students. Students can test out their skills on a voyage to mars or return to the moon at the Buehler Challenger & Science Center in New Jersey. When visiting the center students work as a team, each taking on the role of an astronaut, blending together hands-on learning and team building to complete their mission. STEM students practice independent problem solving, conduct their own experiments and much more during the simulated space mission. The field trip programs focus on subjects such as earth science, robotics, physics and chemistry from elementary to high school.Enjoy an educational field trip and hands-on fun at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey where students can engage in a spectrum of different STEM-related activities and programs. The Center boasts a STEM education planning guide for field trips to their center with dozens of hands-on exhibitions. Students can learn what it takes to design and build the world’s tallest skyscrapers and operate an electromagnetic crane, or watch a live colony of bees go about their daily work from inches away. Each year the center hosts several featured exhibitions focused on science and technology, so each field trip will be a totally different experience.
New Jersey Marine & Aquatic Adventures
The SEA LIFE Aquarium New Jersey in Rutherford inspires young marine biologists through education about oceans and marine life. Encounter thousands of aquatic species and immerse your group in an underwater playground. Discounted group rates are available for school field trips, scout programs and other organizations.
Since 1993, Adventure Aquarium in Camden has been alluring visitors with over 15,000 fascinating marine species on display. This includes the most extensive shark collection in the Northeast and the only hippos in the world to be housed in an aquarium. Add-on classroom and auditorium programs, along with other educational amenities, make this one of the best field trip ideas for New Jersey institutions.
The non-profit New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium teaches groups about native marine life and coastal preservation. With education in mind, they offer diverse, interactive and age-appropriate curricula for pre-K through graduate-level students. Classrooms can visit and study Garden State beaches, bays and estuaries in an active outdoor classroom environment.
Main photo: Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium
