Enjoy a day within our living classroom where you set the pace while engaging your students in meaningful exploration.
Plan Your Visit
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Field trips are free for school groups with 15 or more students in grades Pre-K through 12 (ages 4–18). We are delighted to make field trips accessible to all, keeping with our mission of bringing joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning.
Spring 2027 Field Trip requests open Wednesday, January 20, 2027, at 10:00 am.
Field trips are available Monday, March 15 – Thursday, June 10, 2027.
Field trips are not available on March 25, March 26, March 2, April 28, May 7, May 12, May 28 and May 31, 2027.
Field trips are not available on Sundays, Tuesdays, Saturdays.Longwood Gardens opens at 10:00 am.
Self-guided field trip arrival times are available between 10:00 am–2:00 pm.
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A minimum of 15 students attending is required to receive free admission.
Groups with 14 students or less may visit by purchasing timed general admission tickets prior to arrival.
Free admission provided for:
Students in grades Pre-K through 12 (ages 4–18).
1 adult chaperone (ages 19+) for every 10 students attending the field trip.
School Paraprofessionals and/or Nurses
School Bus DriversSelf-Guided Field Trips include all-day admission to the Gardens on the day of the field trip.
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Maximum Capacity: 180 students each day
Groups with more than 180 students must attend on multiple days.
Individual schools may bring up to 360 students per academic year (September 2026-June 2027).
Student Groups
Students (ages 4–18) must be always accompanied by an adult chaperone (19+).
Longwood Gardens requires one adult (19+) for every ten students attending the field trip.
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Longwood Gardens provides one free adult admission for every ten students attending the field trip.
Longwood Gardens requires one adult for every ten students attending the field trip.
The number of free adult admissions is determined by the final student count.
School groups will determine how to distribute the free adult admissions they receive. They may be used by any adult attending, including classroom teachers, school staff, and parents/guardians.
We do not provide additional free admissions for classroom teachers above the 10:1 student to adult ratio. Classroom teachers are considered adults and can be included in the total adult count.
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Additional adults may visit by purchasing timed general admission tickets or making a timed membership reservation prior to arrival. Sell-out is possible.
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No outside food and/or beverages, including individual bagged lunches, may be carried into the Gardens by students or guests.
Longwood Gardens does not provide lunch for field trips.
Delivery of food to the Gardens is not permitted.
Personal water bottles are permitted.Picnic Area
The picnic area is located across the street from the Visitor Center parking lot, a two-minute drive for Longwood visitors. Bagged lunches are permitted in the picnic area. The Picnic Area has 70 picnic tables and restrooms but is not covered. Please arrange alternative plans in the event of inclement weather. The area may be used by groups before or after their field trip; re-entry to the Gardens is not permitted.The Picnic area will be closed until mid-April 2027; exact date TBA. The area is not available for use by guests during this time.
Location: Outside the Gardens.
Seating: Limited capacity, first-come, first served.
Cost: Free.The Café
Food may be purchased from the Café. Purchased food must be eaten in the Café and may not be brought into the Gardens.
Location: Inside the Gardens.
Seating: Limited capacity, first-come, first-served.
Cost: Varies by item. To view current menu: Café
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School groups must travel by bus or 15-passenger van.
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A Spring 2027 field trip order number is required to complete the application for the Longwood Grant for Title I Schools. Grants are limited. Eligibility and documentation requirements apply. To apply: Title I Grant Information
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Click here to learn more about how to request a field trip and view available student capacity by date.
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What if I have less than 15 students?
A minimum of 15 students (ages 4-18) attending is required to receive free admission and participate in a self-guided field trip.Groups with 14 students or less may visit by purchasing timed general admission tickets prior to arrival. Admission price varies by date. To view general (M-TR) or weekend (F) admission pricing or purchase tickets: Visit Longwood Gardens
To explore community programs that support reduced or free admission to the Gardens: Community Programs Restrictions apply.
Do my students all have to be in the same grade level?
No, school groups with students of various grade levels are welcome to request a self-guided field trip.Do students need to stay with an adult chaperone while exploring the Gardens?
Yes. All students (4-18) must be with an adult chaperone (19+) at all times. All guests must observe our visiting guidelines.Adults are responsible for communicating these guidelines to ensure the safety of all guests, exhibit and plant collections.
Can self-guided school groups eat bagged lunches inside the Gardens?
Self-guided school groups cannot eat bagged lunches inside the Gardens. Due to limited capacity, the Café Tent, located inside the Gardens, is reserved for educator-guided school groups. If your group requires a reserved lunch space to eat bagged lunches inside the Gardens, you may reserve an educator-guided field trip.How do I learn more about Educator-Guided Field Trips?
Visit Plan Your Educator-Guided Field Trip and FAQ'sHow do I determine how many free adult admissions our group will receive?
Divide the number of students by 10. For example, 21 students = 2 free adult admissions.
55 students = 6 free adult admissions; 110 students = 11 free adult admissions.School Paraprofessionals and/or Nurses and School Bus Drivers receive free admission.
How long can schools groups explore the Gardens?
The Gardens open at 10:00 am. Field trips include all-day admission to the Gardens on the day of the field trip. To view hours by date, visit: Longwood Gardens HoursDo you offer mobility devices?
Yes. Complimentary wheelchairs are self-service and available in the Visitor Center Lobby, first come, first served.Strollers and electric scooters are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Rentals area in the Visitor Center. A valid photo ID is required to rent strollers or electric scooters. To learn more, visit: Wheelchair, Scooter, and Stroller Rentals
