How the I Love New York Travel Alliance Supports Student Groups

New York Loves Student Groups!

You’re invited to come and discover New York State, a four-season destination rich with unparalleled variety and beauty, from the tranquil white sandy beaches of Long Island to the roaring splendor of Niagara Falls. Scale new heights in the high peaks of the Adirondacks or the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Be entertained by world-class performance arts in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region and enchanted by a storybook castle in the Thousand Islands-Seaway region.

Along the Erie Canal in Central New York, discover how a revolutionary shipping route transformed finance and society; in the Capital-Saratoga region, learn about New York’s Dutch roots and other fascinating state history. From fantastic water activities in the Finger Lakes to the Gilded Age mansions of the Hudson Valley and Long Island to storied Catskills resorts, New York State is like no other. We encourage you to share our natural beauty, historical significance and big-city excitement with your student travel groups.

History and Heritage

From Indigenous Peoples to Founding Fathers, leaders of the suffrage movement to innovators in industry, technology and art, educators will appreciate the plethora of historical attractions found across New York State. Visitors to the Ganondagan State Historic Site, the original site of a 17th-century Seneca town, will be engrossed in Native American history and experience a full-size long house at the Seneca Art & Culture Center.

Revolutionary War and military itineraries will want to include the George Washington Spy Trail on Long Island, the turning point of the Revolutionary War at the Saratoga National Historical Park, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. New York State’s impact on civil rights cannot be overstated and can be experienced at sites like the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Immerse yourself in the moments and movements that shaped our country—it all happened in New York State.

Arts and Culture

New York State is the epicenter of fine and performance arts–from the bright lights of Broadway to the storied stage of the Chautauqua Institution. Literary icons called New York State home, and groups can visit the homes and studies of icons like Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, and Walt Whitman or visit the sites that inspired “The Great Gatsby” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Home to the influential Hudson River School art movement, New York enjoys renowned museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, and many more. Students will be captivated by the hands-on glass-making experiences at the Corning Museum of Glass, time travel to the 1960s and the Woodstock Festival at the Museum at Bethel Woods or laugh the day away learning about the comedic arts at the National Comedy Center. Performance opportunities abound across the state, and we ready to welcome your chorus, band or dance troupe.

For more field trip ideas and opportunities, keep reading from our 2025 Northeast Field Trip Guide.

Outdoor Adventures

New Yorkers love getting outdoors! Make some time to walk the High Line in New York City, some of the 750 miles of the Empire State Trail, or among the treetops in the Adirondack State Park at the Wild Center’s Wild Walk–all where history, nature, art and recreation come together. Groups have a choice of over 180 State Parks, each with unique learning opportunities, like Letch worth State Park and Niagara Falls State Park. Celebrate New York’s Olympic History in Lake Placid at the Olympic Center and Museum and at the various Olympic sites: skate the Olympic Oval, take a bobsled ride, or ride the Cloud splitter Gondola to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Top off your Olympic day with a ride on the longest coaster in North America at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cliffside Coaster.

Fun and Games

Waterparks, ziplines and theme parks, aquariums and animal parks, hiking, biking and sailing–New York knows how to have fun. Statewide, there are cruises and kayak tours on the Erie and Champlain Canal, as well as throughout the 1000 Island Seaway region. New York is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Jackie Robinson Museum, Watkins Glen International, several minor league and two major league MLB teams, three NFL teams, three NHL teams, and two NBA teams; there is serious fun to be had across the state.

A visit to the National Museum of Play at The Strong will have tours of all ages playing along–this is the world’s only museum dedicated to the exploration and discovery of play. The museum is in the Neighborhood of Play, offering interactive toy technology exhibits, an outdoor board game-themed garden, a gaming-themed restaurant, and a hotel. Days spent on a farm or apple picking at an orchard are also tour favorites–don’t miss the apple cider doughnuts!

STEM and STEAM

New York also boasts stand out educational opportunities. Did you know Long Island has made significant contributions to aerospace development? Learn more at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Continue your “flight” across New York at the National Soaring Museum, Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, or the Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum. Take deeper dives into the science of it all at the Rochester Museum & Science Center and the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse. Home to world-class universities, campus tours and programs are always an option as well.

Hands-on nature and ecology experiences are a great way to learn: the Aquarium of Niagara, The Wild Center, Natural Stone Bridge and Caves, and Panama Rocks Scenic Park are just a few of the many interactive opportunities. Please contact us for more informationatgrouptravel@esd.ny.gov and see for yourself why IT’S EASY TO LOVE NEW YORK!

---

Submit the Form Below for More Info From I Love New York

• contact – Group Travel
• phone – 800-Call NYS
• email – grouptravel@esd.ny.gov
• website – https://www.iloveny.com/