School Visits

For over 25 years the Rice Museum has offered opportunities to learn about the Earth Sciences and STEM, in particular geology and mineralogy. Our programs are designed for all ages, interests, and abilities.

School Visits are exclusively for classrooms, home school groups, daycare centers, kids camps, and other educational organizations that work with children.

The greatest gift an educator can give is a new appreciation for the world around them, including the world under a student’s feet. Our programming is compatible with the Next Generation Science Standards.

The historic Rice Museum houses one of the world’s finest collections of rocks and minerals. With extensive galleries, touchable specimens, knowledgeable museum staff and volunteers, we create a layered educational encounter for students of all ages.

LOGISTICS

A guided school tour is approximately 90 minutes long. Covered topics include the rock cycle, rock and mineral formation, fossilization, the geologic time scale, and more.

An unguided school experience allows your group to explore the Museum at your own pace, it usually takes between 60-90 minutes. Galleries and displays include the rock cycle, fossils, petrified wood, PNW rocks and minerals, and more.

Plan an additional 30 minutes if you would like to have lunch on the grounds and another 30 minutes if you would like to explore the Museum Store. A visit to the store, and lunch on the grounds must be added to your reservation prior to your visit. Please note that our picnic area is not covered, and no food or drink is allowed in the museum.

Each student may take home one rock from the Rock Pile as part of their visit.

Please read through our Group Policy before booking. Share our Museum Rules with your students prior to your visit.

The pricing gives a discount from our standard admission rates, as well as our regular guided group tours and unguided group experiences.

GUIDED SCHOOL TOUR

$125 for 1-15 attendees (students AND adults)

$175 for 16-25 attendees (students AND adults)

$300 for between 26-50 attendees (students AND adults)

For groups over 50, please contact us at info@ricenorthwestmuseum.org.

Please fill out the reservation form accurately. One chaperone per 10 students is required.

UNGUIDED SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

$100 for 1-15 attendees (students AND adults)

$150 for 15-25 attendees (students AND adults)

$250 for 26-50 attendees (students AND adults)

For groups over 50, please contact us at info@ricenorthwestmuseum.org.

Please fill out the reservation form accurately. One chaperone per 10 students is required.

PAYMENT POLICY

Payment is due at the time of reservation and must be made online through the registration portal. If you need to use an alternative payment method, please contact us at info@ricenorthwestmuseum.org.

CANCELLATION POLICY

In the event you must cancel your guided school tour or unguided school experience, you will receive a refund as defined below:

There is a 20% non-refundable registration fee for all Museum programs.
80% of payment will be refunded if a written notification of cancellation is submitted NO LATER THAN 3 weeks before the start of the Museum program.
Cancellations received less than three weeks before the start of the Museum program will not be eligible for a refund.
100% of payment will be refunded for any state mandated order affecting Museum programs, or if the program is cancelled by the Rice Museum.

We have been included in the most recent article on the best field trip locations in Oregon to visit by the international educational publisher Twinkl – you can read more here.