Field Trips & Group Visits
Museum Galleries
Gallery Admission:
- $5/student
- Teachers, staff and chaperones free
Includes:
- Introduction to the Gallery Spaces by Ella Sharp Museum Staff
- Exploration time in 7 ever-changing galleries of art, history and science.
- Visit time to the Ella’s Corner Shop Museum gift shop. (Download a flyer for students/parents here)
- Optional indoor lunch space available, must be requested at time of booking. Adds 30 minutes to trip time.
Traveling Exhibits:
- Gear Up: The Science of Bikes: Until January 2024
- Space: A Journey to Our Future: January 27 – May 4
- Full Exhibit Calendar Here
Time:
- 60- 90 minutes based on group size and age
Hurst Planetarium
Planetarium Show:
- $5/student
- Teachers, staff, and chaperones free
- Limit of 50 people per show, including adults
Multiple shows can be booked for groups of more than 50
Includes:
- 30 minute pre-recorded show, which plays like a movie on the Planetarium dome, with many options/topics available for all grades and ages. Reach out for a listing of show options or we can choose one of our favorites!
- Visit time to the Ella’s Corner Shop Museum gift shop. (Download a flyer for students/parents here)
- Optional indoor lunch space available, must be requested at time of booking. Adds 30 minutes to trip time.
Time:
- 45-60 minutes
Historic Farmlane
Tour Cost:
- $5/student
- Teachers, staff and chaperones free
- Limited to groups of 15-20 at a time.
May not be able to accommodate large groups depending on length of visit.
Includes:
- Tour of Ella’s Historic 1800s Farmhouse (recommended for 2nd grade and above)
AND/OR
(depending on group size, age, and time available)
- Lesson in the Dibble One-Room Schoolhouse (recommended for all ages)
- Visit time to the Ella’s Corner Shop Museum gift shop. (Download a flyer for students/parents here)
- Optional indoor lunch space available, must be requested at time of booking. Adds 30 minutes to trip time.
Time:
- 30-60 minutes
Want to visit multiple areas of the Ella Sharp Campus?
Admission to any TWO of Museum Galleries, Hurst Planetarium, or Historic Farmlane : $8/student
Admission to all THREE areas: $10/student
Looking for Scholarship information?
Thanks to a generous sponsorship, the Ella Sharp Museum is able to offer FREE field trips to Jackson County K-12 school groups while the sponsorship dollars last. This is an exciting opportunity to continue to bring art, history, and science to the young people in our community.
This sponsorship is reserved for Jackson County K-12 school visits, including private schools, homeschool groups, after-school clubs. If any questions, please inquire at 517-787-2320.
Booking Information and Policies
- A minimum group size of 10 is required for Group Visit/Field Trip rates.
- Reservations must be made 2 weeks in advance.
- Field Trips & Group Visits can be reserved on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays.
- Programming and Tours are subject to availability.
- There are indoor lunch spaces available upon request. Request must be made at the time of booking to ensure availability. There are first-come, first-serve pavilions located in the park across from Ella Sharp Museum, should the weather be nice for an outdoor lunch. Groups can also picnic anywhere on the park grounds and utilize playground equipment in the park during their day with us.
Already Booked with Us?
Here’s what to expect
- Parking
Parking is free and located directly in front of the Museum entrance. Please enter off of Oakwood St in Ella Sharp Park and pull directly up to the front doors to unload. - Food & Beverages
Food & Beverages (including water) are not allowed inside the Museum Galleries, Hurst Planetarium, or Historic Buildings. Drinking fountains are available in the main museum and Hurst Planetarium. - Behavior Guidelines
Teachers, group leaders, and chaperones are responsible for monitoring student behavior at all times when visiting. If students are disruptive or disrespectful towards staff or other groups, your group may be asked to leave. If students behavior causes any damage to museum exhibits or our facility, your group may be asked to leave and invoiced for any damage. - Rules to Know and Share With Chaperones
- Please DO:
– Take photos and post them to social media. Don’t forget to tag us!
– Encourage students to touch and interact with items clearly marked as interactive.
– Leave large bags/backpacks on the bus - Please DO NOT:
– Run in the museum, for your safety and the safety of others.
– Climb on or touch anything in the galleries that is not marked as interactive
– Bring food or beverages in the Museum Galleries, Historic Buildings, Planetarium, or anywhere other than the designated lunch space
- Please DO:
Booking Information and Policies
- Reservations must be made 2 weeks in advance.
- Programming and Tours are subject to availability.
- A 50% deposit is due at the time of booking to finalize your trip with us.
This is non-refundable unless the visit is cancelled least 48 hours in advance. - Field Trip scholarships are available to schools with a free and reduced lunch rate of at least 50%. See the Group Visit & Educator Guide above for details on this program.
- We grant free admission to the teachers/group leaders, the bus driver, and chaperones within the below ratios. Additional chaperones pay the same rate as the students.
- Preschool-Kindergarten: 1 chaperone per 5 children
- Grades 1-3: 1 chaperone per 8 children
- Grades 4-8: 1 chaperone per 10 children
- Grades 8 & Up: 1 chaperone per 15 children
- There are indoor lunch spaces available upon request. Request must be made at the time of booking to ensure availability. There are first-come, first-serve pavilions located in the park across from Ella Sharp Museum, should the weather be nice for an outdoor lunch. Groups can also picnic anywhere on the park grounds and utilize any playground equipment in the park during their day with us.
Already Booked with Us?
Here’s what to expect
- Parking
Parking is free and located directly in front of the Museum entrance. Please enter off of Oakwood St in Ella Sharp Park and pull directly up to the front doors to unload. - Food & Beverages
Food & Beverages (including water) are not allowed inside the Museum Galleries, Hurst Planetarium, or Historic Buildings. Drinking fountains are available in the main museum and Hurst Planetarium. - Behavior Guidelines
Teachers, group leaders, and chaperones are responsible for monitoring student behavior at all times when visiting. If students are disruptive or disrespectful towards staff or other groups, your group may be asked to leave. If students behavior causes any damage to museum exhibits or our facility, your group may be asked to leave and invoiced for any damage. - Rules to Know and Share With Chaperones
- Please DO:
– Take photos and post them to social media. Don’t forget to tag us!
– Encourage students to touch and interact with items clearly marked as interactive.
– Leave large bags/backpacks on the bus - Please DO NOT:
– Run in the museum, for your safety and the safety of others.
– Climb on or touch anything in the galleries that is not marked as interactive
– Bring food or beverages in the Museum Galleries, Historic Buildings, Planetarium, or anywhere other than the designated lunch space
- Please DO:
Ready to book your visit?
Fill out the below form and you will be contacted within 48 hours via e-mail to confirm details.
Private Planetarium Shows
The Hurst Planetarium is available for private shows for your family, friends, club or classroom. We can show you the night sky from any place and time on Earth, travel throughout the solar system, or visit the edge of the observable universe! A Hurst Planetarium show is perfect for a one-of-a-kind family event, classroom program, special date night, anniversary gift, and more!
- Reservations for Private Shows must be made 2 weeks in advance.
- Private Show availability varies based on our Public Show schedule and other special events.
- View our Public Show schedule and Special Planetarium Events here.
- The latest start time for a Private Show is 6:00 pm.
E-mail us directly at paigem@ellasharp.org for more information, availability and pricing.