Field Trips
The Beaches Museum offers educational field trips for children all year round! The combination of our Permanent Exhibit, rotating temporary exhibits, 5 historic buildings, a 1911 steam locomotive, and our Heritage Demonstration Garden, creates a unique learning experience for people of all ages.
If the number of students is above 50 per group, the Museum will contact you to arrange multiple field trip sessions. It is required to have 1 adult chaperone per 10 students. This is to ensure quality field trip time for all students.
Preschool Programs
Do your children love trains? Let them experience the time when the railroad ran through town. They will get to ring the bell on a real steam locomotive and learn about what life during the turn of the century as they tour Pablo Historical Park. Your little engineers will want to make tracks to visit again and again! Our youngest visitors will enjoy this fun learning experience as they participate in an interactive storytelling activity and search for objects on their VPK Scavenger Hunt while a docent tells them all about each item as they find it.
Program fee: $4.00 per student, chaperones and teachers free
Length of Program: 1 to 1.5 hours
Lower Elementary Programs (suitable for grades 1st and 2nd)
This program was designed to support Florida State Standards. Educators are free to access Beaches Lower Elementary Curriculum Guide that contains pre- and post-visit activities and lessons for the classroom.
Program fee: $4.00 per student, chaperones and teachers free
Length of Program: 1 to 1.5 hours
Upper Elementary Programs (suitable for grades 3rd-5th)
Visit the Beaches Museum and explore the history of pioneers at the Beaches, discover who Henry Flagler was, and experience the innovation of the railroads! Students are guided on a tour of the Museum and History Park with an experienced docent. The field trip begins with a scavenger hunt in our Permanent Exhibit featuring the six beach communities of Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, and Palm Valley. Students will then move through the 1911 Steam Locomotive, the 1900 Florida East Coast Mayport Depot, and the 1900 Florida East Coast Foreman’s House completing different activities and having the stories of each building brought to life by the docent. Finally, students will discover our Heritage Demonstration Garden, maintained by the Master gardeners through the University of Florida IFAS program. In the garden they will have the opportunity to learn about seasonal vegetables, sugar cane, and composting. Students will gain a richer understanding of local history and gain a valuable experience in this fantastic beaches culture.
This program has been designed to support 4th grade Florida State Standards. Educators can access the Beaches Museum Upper Elementary Curriculum Guide which contains pre- and post-visit activities and lessons for the classroom.
Program fee: $4.00 per child, chaperones and teachers free
Length of Program: 2 hours
Home School Program (ages 3 – 17 years)
The Beaches Museum welcomes all home school groups looking for educational field trip opportunities! Students will learn local Florida history when they visit the Museum and have the opportunity to experience that history through our historic buildings. Home school groups may customize their field trips to best match the age range and grade levels of your students. Options include: completing a scavenger hunt in the Permanent Exhibit, covering the beach communities of Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, and Palm Valley, touring our 1903 Post Office, 1911 Steam Locomotive, 1900 Florida East Coast Mayport Depot, 1900 Florida East Coast Foreman’s House, and 1887 Beach Chapel, and interacting with the Master Gardeners in the Heritage Demonstration Garden.
Program Fee: $4.00 per student, chaperones and teachers free
Length of Program: 2 hours
Summer Camps Welcome!
The Beaches Museum welcomes all summer camp groups looking for field trip opportunities! Field trips are customized to best fit the age range, grade levels, and focus of each summer camp program. Options include learning about the railroads in Florida, particularly the Florida East Coast Railway and Henry Flagler, discovering Florida Friendly and sustainable gardening in the Heritage Demonstration Garden, beach history of Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, and Palm Valley, and much more!
Program Fee: $4.00 per student, chaperones and teachers free
Length of Program: 2 hours
