Pennsylvania hosts over 200 million visitors across its tourism seasons.
Over 400 educational museums for student groups to choose from across the state.
Pennsylvania offers over 120 state parks with free admission and iconic educational sites.
The Keystone State offers a welcoming landscape of learning opportunities for kindergarten through high school groups. Explore cross-curricular experiences that span local and national history, STEM and STEAM, sports, outdoor classrooms and performing and visual arts.
This Teacher’s Travel Guide provides three customizable itineraries that cover Western, Central, and Eastern Pennsylvania and include a variety of locations where student groups can engage in hands-on learning and participatory discussions. Explore historic sites at iconic places like Gettysburg and Philadelphia or savor a sweet field trip to Hershey and Harrisburg, where groups can explore the world of chocolate-making.
Students can also get up close to the inner workings of local farms, where food science comes into focus. Plenty of state parks and water excursions provide natural outdoor classrooms for engaging experiences with wildlife and local ecosystems. Groups can even visit the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, a spectacular sight offering unique learning experiences and jaw-dropping views.
Sports collide with STEM during interactive tours and experiences at locations throughout Pennsylvania, while specialized science and Susquehanna River history come to life through hands-on opportunities.
Animal encounters, wildlife experiences and zoology can be found across Pennsylvania, including places like the Living Animal Treasures Park, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.
At Student Travel Pro, we understand that curating a great school trip can be challenging, especially when considering multiple age groups, learning styles and educational goals. To help you streamline the planning process, we have created three sample itineraries tailored to three PA regions: Western, Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. Each one represents educational destinations throughout towns and counties that promote interactive learning and accessible educational opportunities.
These field trip locations provide a balanced mix of educational experiences and fun adventures for all ages, ensuring a memorable and enriching trip for your student group.
The Keystone State offers a wide variety of unique and exciting locations where student groups can engage in numerous educational adventures. Discover captivating science at the Kamin Science Center in Pittsburgh and fascinating larger-than-life exhibits at the American Helicopter Museum in Brandywine Valley. History is around every corner of the state, from Gettysburg and Seminary Ridge to the Brandywine Battlefield, the Flight 93 Memorial and the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
For a sweet field trip, visit Hershey and Harrisburg, where locations like Hershey’s Chocolate World and Hershey Park provide hands-on lessons in chocolate-making paired with a theme park experience. Discover iconic architecture and local history at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Laurel Highlands or explore the Colonial Farmstead in Delaware County for immersive agricultural opportunities.
Each location is selected for its academic value and ability to safely stimulate students’ interactive learning outside the classroom. Browse the profiles below to find the perfect spot for your next student adventure!
Pennsylvania’s cultural landscape spans the entire state, with experiences ranging from unique museum stops to history centers and historical sites. Learn about Native American culture at the Indian Steps Museum in Airville for one-of-a-kind experiences. The York County History Center offers in-depth lessons on local heritage through state-of-the-art displays and fascinating exhibits.
In Harrisburg, discover the incredible Fort Hunter Mansion and Park for a look at Victorian life along with breathtaking views of the Susquehanna River. The Mifflinburg Buggy Museum offers a glimpse into local transportation heritage and how buggy manufacturing was a unique identity of the region.
Explore the expansive Philadelphia Parkway Museums District, full of incredible museums and places that showcase culture through stunning visual art exhibits. Pioneer culture and history come to life at the Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro, where groups can tour the famous grounds for in-depth learning.
Discover immigrant culture at the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum and interact with immersive, period-appropriate exhibits that highlight the stories behind local coal mining families.
Culinary culture can be found at places like the famous Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lititz, America’s first commercial pretzel bakery, founded in 1861, and via a Turkey Hill Experience in Columbia, with interactive exhibits that tell the story of the ice cream giant.
Immerse your group in Pennsylvania culture on an Ole Covered Wagon Tour, where groups can travel seven miles through the canyon and glimpse a stunning waterfall while being transported to another era.
Dive into local culture in Boalsburg at the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum, previously home to the Boal family for over 200 years. Learn about how the family shaped the Happy Valley region and tour the breathtaking property.
High school groups have numerous opportunities for college and career exploration in Pennsylvania, including at major research universities, community and liberal arts colleges, trade-focused programs and technical schools.
Educators can plan trips to places that highlight college, technical training and workforce pathways through campus tours and engaging discussions with professors and college students. Explore everything from colleges and universities and regional higher education hubs to major metro campuses throughout Pennsylvania.
Hospitality, tourism, sports and event management education can be found at iconic sports venues and stadiums, including Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, Lincoln Financial Field and others. Destination tourism career pathways can be found at numerous locations statewide, including the Herr’s Snack Factory Tour, The Turkey Hill Experience, behind-the-scenes experiences at Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center and many other places.
Agricultural and food production learning opportunities span Pennsylvania, from farm-based immersive experiences and hands-on activities to creative makers studio workshops, orchards and mushroom farms. For sustainability and environmental agricultural career pathways, explore unique locations, including Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Longwood Gardens and Rodale Institute, perfect for engaging and interactive experiences.
Manufacturing and skilled trades are found all over the Keystone State, with locations that spark curiosity and new perspectives. Industrial heritage runs deep in the state, and groups can learn about manufacturing, automotive and transportation careers, skilled trades and applied learning at technical education institutes, through factory tours and historic sites. Some examples include the Williamson College of the Trades, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, tours of the Harley-Davidson Factory and visits to the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site and Joanna Furnace.
For students seeking creative careers in design, art or museum work can find numerous opportunities in places like the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, Marketview Arts at York College, the Academy of Live Technology and many others. These locations provide groups in-depth behind-the-scenes experiences that help them understand daily practices in several professions.
Educators will find even more career pathways that focus on science, health and medical professions, along with public service, government and civic leadership roles.
Pennsylvania has a deep history, not only on the national spectrum, but also on a local level. Student groups can learn about early American history throughout Philadelphia, including at Independence National Historical Park, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Ben Franklin Museum, the National Constitution Center, the Museum of the American Revolution and so much more.
Learn about George Washington’s fight for freedom at Valley Forge National Historical Park in King of Prussia, where Washington sought refuge with his Continental Army in 1777. For Civil War history, head to The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, where exhibits capture America’s harrowing story and hands-on programming puts students inside history.
Sports history can be found at the World of Little League® Museum in South Williamsport for a unique educational experience that combines sports, STEM, art and language arts into one incredible field trip.
Learn about a Revolutionary War heroine at the Molly Pitcher Grave & Statue in Carlisle, a commemorative site honoring the life of Molly Pitcher and her family’s sacrifice during the Battle of Monmouth.
The Battle of Gettysburg was integral to Pennsylvania history, and groups can uncover the harrowing stories of war during tours of the Gettysburg Battlefield and visit the Museum for interactive exhibits. Gettysburg Historic Walking Tours provides a narrated experience that highlights moments in history and what transpired after the battle ended.
Fort Ligonier and Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Laurel Highlands provide students immersive education on the French and Indian War, as well as the site of George Washington’s first military engagement.
Pennsylvania also has a long transportation history, from iconic railroads and trolley routes throughout the state to aviation history at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum and General Carl Spaatz National U.S.A.A.F.A. Museum in Reading and Berks County.
From local history lessons and historic sites to expansive museums and history centers, student groups have plenty of options for a history-focused field trip.
An array of STEM experiences can be found throughout award-winning science museums and discovery centers, where hands-on opportunities help students understand how science, math, technology and engineering translate into the real world.
Middle and high school students can learn about space and technology at planetariums, including the Mather Planetarium at West Chester University and the Reading Public Museum & Planetarium. Interactive science centers offer groups unique opportunities for hands-on exploration and learning. Locations like the Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts, The Franklin Institute, the Kamin Science Center, the Lancaster Science Factory and others promote interactive education through hands-on exhibits and programming.
Discover health and human services education at the Science History Institute, the Byrnes Health Education Center, the Mutter Museum and the Penn Museum. Science comes to life at natural history museums that promote biology and the natural world, including at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the North Museum of Nature & Science and the Oaks Museum of Natural History.
Aerospace and innovation experiences captivate learners with larger-than-life exhibits and hands-on opportunities to learn about Pennsylvania’s transportation systems, space programs and aircraft museums. Railroad construction, vehicle history and preservation are on display at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum and more.
At Independence Seaport Museum, students can learn about maritime technology, engineering and river-based commerce. The General Carl Spaatz National U.S.A.A.F. Museum showcases the history of an aviation pioneer and invites groups to immerse themselves in wartime through interactive exhibits and costumed interpreters.
Food science can be found throughout Pennsylvania, with trips to locations like orchards and working farms. Student groups can learn about horticulture and food science at locations including The Woodlands at Phillips Mushroom Farms, Blue Marsh Lake and Hollabaugh Bros.
For lessons on environmental science and living systems, head to the Stroud Water Research Center, Longwood Gardens and Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve for up-close learning opportunities. Outdoor science classrooms include the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, the National Aviary, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and more, where students are placed into the natural environment they are learning about.
STEM and STEAM through art helps connect students with visual representations of creativity, from makers at the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works and the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts to dazzling artworks at the Michener Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Penn Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art and more.
STEM lessons in Pennsylvania also include career-oriented learning opportunities in places like Gettysburg College and HACC Gettysburg Campus, where students can explore technical learning opportunities. Adams County Library provides groups with hands-on programs in robotics, coding, production and digital literacy topics, while emerging aerospace technologies are on display at the Moonshot Museum, the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum and the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center.
From performing arts to visual artworks, the Keystone State offers numerous educational opportunities for students to connect with creativity through hands-on learning. Performance venues offer groups opportunities to go behind the scenes and learn about the production side of theater. Award-winning performances help students understand the unique roles between stagehands, actors, producers and designers.
Experience storytelling through art at places like the Brandywine Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Barnes Foundation and others. These locations promote creative thinking, special consideration for installations, and understanding the intersection of art and culture.
Numerous communities throughout Pennsylvania showcase art as a cultural identity, including at places like Maxo Vanka Murals, Historic Yellow Springs, Crispus Attucks York History and Cultural Center, the Susquehanna Folk Music Society and many others.
There are numerous opportunities for student groups to get hands-on through makers programs and design classes. Places like the Millworks Art Studios and Latrobe Art Center provide interactive programs that let students craft, mold, paint and create masterpieces. Other maker spaces include Sunrise Soap Creation Station, Creative York, Keystone Kidspace, Marketview Arts, GoggleWorks Center for the Arts and more.
Music and movement experiences can be found throughout the state at places like The Playhouse at Allenberry and the Carlisle Theatre, where students can learn about theater operations, guest experiences, regional cultural tourism and community arts programming.
Philadelphia showcases myriad locations where music and theater help students gain knowledge and firsthand experience in performance. Ensemble Arts Philly, the Highmark Mann Center and the Theatre of Living Arts are just a few venues that support educational experiences. The Johnstown Symphony Youth Orchestra and Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra offer youth orchestra programs for young musicians while Timber Rock Amphitheater teaches students about audience experience and how atmosphere shapes live performances.
Pennsylvania’s events provide unique opportunities to enhance the educational experience of your student trip. From science-focused showcases to environmental conservation festivals, you can create an itinerary that entertains and educates, making the most of what Pennsylvania has to offer. Below are a few key events that can serve as focal points for planning your trip.
Pennsylvania offers a range of funding and assistance opportunities to help make student travel and field trips more accessible. Whether you’re seeking grants, scholarships or fundraising ideas, there are many options available to ease the financial burden for schools and families. In this section, we list various programs and resources designed to support educational trips to Pennsylvania.
Many local civic organizations, such as Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs, also offer small grants and scholarships.
DCNR and State Park Partnerships may also be available.
Planning a student group trip to Pennsylvania can be exciting, but it requires thoughtful organization. Our blog section is here to assist teachers every step of the way by offering in-depth guides, expert tips and inspiring ideas.
Celebrate America’s 250th at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia with exhibits, events, and interactive experiences for students and groups.
The American Revolution was dramatic, gritty, and full of uncertainty—it was anything but dry and inevitable! Explore this rich and complicated era—and its connections to our world today.
School groups can walk the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg and engage in interactive history exhibits including a rare Cyclorama