Field Trips

Exhibit Hall

At EUREKA!, students can explore 100+ hands-on exhibits! They'll investigate force and motion through our pipe slide wall, explore geology as they enter our cave, journey through the stars in our space shuttle simulator, and get their hands wet as they study the water patterns of rivers.

Base Price:

• District 51 Classrooms (Excludes Charters)
  • August through March: Free!
  • April and May: $1 per student.
• Other Classrooms/Groups: $6 per student (No charge for chaperones)
  • Schools within the Gunnison River Basin qualify for a discounted rate ($5/student). Please mention this in your field trip request.
  • Schools are responsible for finding their own bus transportation. Bus funds may also be available by contacting friendsofyouthandnature@gmail.com.

Base field trip visits are 1.5 hours long.

Classroom Investigation Lesson (Add-On)

Extend student learning by adding a classroom investigation! Field trips with an added classroom investigation are 2 hours long. Groups larger than 30 will be split into multiple sections and rotated through. Topics:

• Engineering a Rollercoaster (Scaffolded for Grades K-12)
  • Students will build roller coasters while learning about the forces and energy involved. This lesson can be modified to emphasize potential and kinetic energy, physics calculations, and friction.
• Science of Bubbles (Scaffolded for Grade K-3)
  • Students will learn about the science of bubbles, and use the scientific method to develop their own bubble formula.
• Science of Lava (Scaffolded for Grades 2-12)
  • Students will learn about the different types of volcanoes, while investigating the properties of lava. This lesson can be modified to emphasize viscosity and natural disasters.
• pH of Food (Scaffolded for Grade 4-12)
  • Students will learn about the concept of pH, and how it relates to foods. Students will investigate the pH for a variety of foods and investigate what happens when substances of different pH’s are mixed.

Add-On Price:

• District 51 Classrooms (Excludes Charters)
  • August through March: Free!
  • April and May: $1 per student.
• Other Classrooms/Groups: Additional $3 per student (No charge for chaperones) (Minimum of 10 students)
  • Schools within the Gunnison River Basin qualify for a discounted add-on rate ($2/student). Please mention this in your field trip request.
  • Schools are responsible for finding their own bus transportation. Bus funds may also be available by contacting friendsofyouthandnature@gmail.com.

*Classroom investigations are not available during the summer, or on school year holidays and Fridays.

Field trips must be requested at minimum 14 days in advance. However, highly sought after days & times are booked out significantly earlier. Please request your field trip as far in advance as possible to best ensure the day/time you are requesting is available. We are currently accepting field trip requests through May 2026.

The museum is a hands-on self explore facility, as such guided tours are not offered. However, printable exhibit hall worksheets can be found here!

Bus and Visitor Parking

Buses may drop students off at EUREKA! but will need to park off-site (Lincoln Park is close by). Please see the map for more details.

Bus and Visitor Parking Map

The following dates are bus blackout days for D51:

October 7, 2025

February 25 - 26, 2026

April 22 - 24, 2026

April 27, 2026

April 30, 2026

May 5, 2026

May 11, 2026

May 12, 2026

Explore science outdoors in the Grand Valley with our Environmental Institute team! EUREKA! staff will meet you at a trailhead or other outdoor location to facilitate a hike and teach about our fascinating local ecosystems.

Prices:

• District 51 Schools (Excludes Charter): Free
• Non-District 51 groups: $9/Student

Offered from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM on Mondays - Thursdays, August - April.

Maximum 25 students, to minimize ecological impact and abide by public land permitting.

Field Trip Topics:

• K-12 Lesson Options:
  • Desert Ecology: Learn about the plants and animals in our local desert and how this unique ecosystem is shaped by weather patterns, flora and fauna, and human impact. (Aligns with NGSS for Ecosystems, Earth's Systems, Energy, Earth and Human Activity for Grades K-5)
  • Amazing Adaptations: Learn about the wild ways desert plants and animals survive. To thrive in such a harsh environment, you'll need some incredible adaptations! (Aligns with NGSS for Earth's Systems, Structure and Function, Heredity, and Unity and Diversity grades K-5)
  • Insects and Arachnids: Beatles and butterflies and black widows, oh my! This field trip focuses on the important role insects and arachnids play in our desert ecosystem and the differences between them. (Aligns with NGSS for Earth's Systems, Structure and Function, Heredity, and Unity and Diversity grades K-5)
  • Geology Rocks!: Come see weathering, erosion and deposition in action as we learn about the rock cycle and change over time in the Grand Valley. (Aligns with NGSS Earth's Systems, Earth's Place in the Universe, Earth and Human Activity, Motion and Stability Grades K-5)
  • Other: Let us know if you have a specific topic in mind!

• PreK Lesson Options:
  • Desert Explorers: Bring your littlest learners to use their observation skills and think like a scientist while joining us on adventures tailored to PreK students.
    • *Limited to 25 people total, including chaperones, 1 hour of guided lessons and exploration.

Schools are responsible for funding their bus transportation. Bus funds may also be available by contacting friendsofyouthandnature@gmail.com.

The following dates are bus blackout days for D51:

October 7, 2025

February 25 - 26, 2026

April 22 - 24, 2026

April 27, 2026

April 30, 2026

May 5, 2026

May 11, 2026

May 12, 2026

Dig In! with EUREKA! & CSU instructors at the CSU Western Campus for a field trip to the farm! Spend part of your day cooking in the teaching kitchen and the other part of your learning experience outside in the garden and farm making connections to healthy food and how it grows.

Location: 3170 B 1/2 Rd, Grand Junction, CO 81503

Prices:

• District 51 Schools (Excludes Charter): Free
• Non-District 51 groups: $9/Student

Field Trip Schedule:

• 10:00AM - Arrive
• 10:15AM - Activity
• 11:45AM - Lunch
• 12:15 - Activity
• 1:30PM - Depart

Field trips are scheduled from 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, and have a minimum of 30 students and a maximum of 60 students.

Schools are responsible for funding their bus transportation. Bus funds may also be available by contacting friendsofyouthandnature@gmail.com.

The following dates are bus blackout days for D51:

October 7, 2025

February 25 - 26, 2026

April 22 - 24, 2026

April 27, 2026

April 30, 2026

May 5, 2026

May 11, 2026

May 12, 2026