The Garden State is filled with field trip opportunities that put students directly in the footsteps of inventors, farmers, scientists and Revolutionary soldiers.
They can engage with innovation, science, technology, and experimentation as they learn about groundbreaking ideas that became life-changing inventions. Hands-on activities, like maple sugaring, planting crops and sheep shearing, provide active learning opportunities that connect to social studies, agriculture and science in memorable ways. From art, astronomy, and archaeology to natural history and lessons on the American Revolution, these destinations transform classroom learning into immersive, unforgettable experiences.
“Explore, investigate, and learn about the harsh winter of 1779-80, when George Washington and the Continental Army endured bitter cold, supply shortages and uncertainty.”
Find inspiration for your next student adventure in the annual Student Travel Planning Guide.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park (West Orange)
Explore innovation and invention in one of the world’s earliest industrial research and development facilities at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Students are immersed in the authentic setting where Edison and his team conducted research, experiments and transformed ideas into life-changing inventions. Guided educational visits connect history with STEM, entrepreneurship and creativity during 60-minute lab tours and a 30-minute hands-on activity. Students in grades 4-8 can follow Edison’s engineering process during the Idea to Product the Edison Way program, where they invent a product of their own. High school groups can compare Victrola phonographs with Edison’s before staging a debate. Self-guided options are available for groups needing flexibility.
Howell Living History Farm (Lambertville)
Active participation brings students into a turn-of-the-20th-century farm where seasonal programs immerse learners in real agricultural activities. At Howell Living History Farm, programs serve a range of ages, with dedicated Preschool Fridays for groups in pre-K through early elementary school and numerous activities that incorporate NGSS concepts spanning kindergarten through upper elementary grades. Seasonal opportunities include maple sugaring, planting wheat and corn, sheep shearing, and caring for farm animals, offering interactive tasks that connect well with elementary science and social studies standards. Students can participate in Corn Planting, where they select seeds, examine soil and plant the farm’s corn crop. Then, visit the circa-1900 kitchen and sample homemade cornbread. Other experiences teach about how simple machines, weather, animal power and seasonal cycles shaped agricultural life before the invention of tractors.
New Jersey State Museum (Trenton)
Ancient archaeology, dinosaurs, fine art, Garden State history and the universe come to life at the New Jersey State Museum. Field trip experiences are organized for pre-K-1, grades 2-5, grades 6-8 and grades 9-12, allowing educators to choose age-appropriate workshops, planetarium programs and gallery experiences. School groups can explore four floors of impressive galleries, including hands-on objects and interactive activities that let them examine specimens, artworks, artifacts, and stories aligned with state learning standards. High school students can participate in Ask the Expert for a career-focused trip. At the same time, the planetarium provides an immersive layer, with an ultra-high-resolution 8K projection system that envelopes students in the cosmos.
Morristown National Historical Park (Morristown)
Morristown National Historical Park (Morristown)Immerse your elementary students in Revolutionary War history like nowhere else at the Morristown National Historical Park. This outdoor classroom offers many chances to explore, investigate, and learn about the harsh winter of 1779-80, when George Washington and the Continental Army endured bitter cold, supply shortages and uncertainty. The park’s reservation-only program, It Takes a Team, designed specifically for elementary students, explores Washington’s Ford Mansion headquarters and teaches about the people who lived and worked there. A tour of the furnished mansion provides an immersive setting, while interactive exhibits at the Discover History Center offer hands-on learning opportunities for an authentic connection. Extend learning for upper elementary students with additional resources, including the Civilians vs. Soldiers activity for grades 5 and above, which encourages groups to examine tensions between locals and Continental troops during the encampment.
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