Frequently Asked Questions about MAS Field Trips

A. This depends on your program choices. Some programs have seating limits which restricts how many students can come. The maximum limit is 280 students (program choices limited) and the minimum is 10 students. 

A.  A program seating limit means a program has a limited number of seats that can be used and therefore affects how many students you can bring for that specific program.

Science on a Sphere: Holds 35 students at a time for a maximum of 140 students per day.

Hands on Activity: Holds 30 students at a time for a maximum of 120 students per day. 

Nature Trail: Holds 30 students at a time for a maximum of 120 students per day. 

(Schools can have a maximum of 4 groups per field trip)

A.  We can split your group into 2 different field trip dates. For example if you have 200 students, we would have 100 one day and 100 on a different day.

A.  Unfortunately, we cannot perform curated field trips for groups smaller than 10 students. Alternatively, you can come as “General Public” and visit any of our public shows. If you are a homeschool, we would recommend looking into one of our “Homeschool Field Trip Days”. These are special days set aside for homeschool families or small co-ops to experience the same field trip programs as our MAS Field trip experience. 

A.  To book a field trip, we work with “approximate” numbers. We need a general idea of how many students are coming, (20, 30, 50, 100, etc.) in order to book. You will provide an accurate number when you arrive. 

A.  You can update your numbers after you receive your field trip reminder. However, when you arrive we will still ask you the number of students, teachers, and parents that you have with you. 

A.  There is not a limit on how many parents can come, however, there are other policies in regards to parents: 

-Students and staff for any school present that day get seating priority in all shows and programs. 

-Please provide parents with the “Parent Guide” which is provided in your approval PDF (you receive this when you have been booked).

A.  You are required to have 1 adult per 10 students. If you are short on teachers you can assign “designated chaperones” to fill in for what you need to reach that required number. Designated chaperones are adult staff or parents that are responsible for watching and staying with your group for the entirety of the field trip. Admission is free for designated chaperones. 

EX. A group of 120 must have 12 teachers/designated chaperones. If you only have 6 teachers you must have 6 additional designated chaperones.

A.  No, any adult above your required number are listed as parents and are $10 each.

Exceptions are made for groups with special needs.

A.  You start by sending an “inquiry.” This can be done by calling or filling out the inquiry form in the on-site field trip section of the website. After the form is filled out, the Group Tour Coordinator will send you further details

A.  Availability can run out as soon as two months in advance, especially for Fridays. We recommend booking as soon as possible to get your preferred date. Our busiest time of year is the spring semester between March and May.

A.  All booked field trips will receive an email titled “Museum Field Trip Approved” and an email titled “Museum Field Trip Invoice.” These emails are confirmation that your field trip is on our calendar and is booked.

A.  If an email is missing, always be sure to check your “Spam” folder on your email first.

You may not have received confirmation if there was an issue or conflict on the form you turned in. If that is the case, you will have received a “Museum Field Trip not yet Approved” or “Museum Field Trip not yet booked” email.

A.  You may receive this email for a variety of reasons such as the date you chose is not available, you have gone over the seating limit for a program, or there may be something we need to clarify before you are booked.

A.  Groups need to arrive between 9:30-9:45 for check-in and restrooms as field trips start promptly at 10:00 AM.

A.  Field trips are 3 hours (10:00 AM-1:00 PM) and each program is between 35-40 minutes long.

A.  If you arrive late then your first program will either be shortened or forfeited. It is not possible to adjust the program times as your group may not be the only ones on a field trip that day. 

A.  We run field trip programs in 45 minute time slots:

10:00-10:45

10:45-11:30

11:30-12:15

12:15-1:00

A.  If your group is large, you may be divided into multiple groups (2, 3, or 4 smaller groups). Your group, therefore, may be in different locations during your field trip.

A.  In your field trip reminder that you receive before your visit, you will see a list of how many groups you will need to divide in for your field trip. The number we divide you into is based on the seating limits of chosen programs relative to your group size. 

A.  Unfortunately, we do not give out the day's schedule ahead of time. You will receive it upon arrival. 

A.  Yes, even though we give a schedule you will still be guided from program to program throughout your field trip. The schedule is for you to know where the group is going next and when lunch breaks occur. 

A.  The lunch breaks are dependent on your group size and program choices. Often large groups will not eat together at the same time due to the schedule rotations. There are only two time slots we use for lunches: 11:30 and 12:15. Your group may have one or both of these times for lunch depending on your size and program choices. 

A.  The Museum does not have a cafe nor do we offer food. There are no drink machines on the grounds, but there is a water fountain in the lobby. 

A.  Groups can bring lunches, which will be stored on your bus, or you may have catering brought to the Museum. The Museum is not responsible for bringing food out to you. 

A.  Lunch is at the picnic area by the big red caboose near the Museum entrance. This eating space has the largest capacity for groups to enjoy their lunches. In the event the picnic area cannot be used, due to rain or other circumstances, groups may use our covered pavilion if it is available.  

A.  It is important to let the Group Coordinator know if you're not staying for lunch as lunch is not guaranteed to be your last program. We may have your lunch before your last program due to how we have to divide the group based on size, program choices, and other groups visiting that day. These details need to be given when you initially book as we may not be able to adjust the schedule later.

A.  If you would like to visit the Museum Store it will need to be during your lunch break or after the field trip is over. If you choose the option “Lunch with Store” staff can help facilitate this process. 

A.  You can only have 10 students at a time in the Museum Store. To efficiently get through all the students that want to shop, it is recommended that you send 10 students at a time throughout the lunch period, and that you do not attempt to send all students before or after as you may not be the only class or school shopping that day. Programs will start on time regardless if students are still shopping.

A.  You can experience three programs unless you choose to forfeit a lunch break, in which case you can have four programs.

A.  Our Educator’s Guide has bundles listed by grade level and curated with the Georgia Standards of Excellence in mind. We recommend choosing programs that align with your grade level and standards. 

A.  You can only choose one option from any given program category. 

EX. You cannot choose multiple Planetarium programs for one field trip.

A.  Yes, we understand different types of schools may be learning different material. We will simply check to make sure before booking that what you choose is correct and that you understand its content and learning level. 

A.  “Discovery House '' is the three-floor interactive section of the Museum that includes the Mini-Zoo, Fossil Dig and more. For that program we go from floor to floor in 10-minute intervals. “Exhibits'' refers to our galleries which typically house artwork. You can choose to free roam and look in the galleries with students or have a guided program.

A. You can pay by cash, card, or check. You can pay before, the day of, or after the field trip date. You have 30 days after the day you come on your field trip to send in payment. 

A. If a parent is not one of your “designated chaperones” then they pay $10 each (Discounts and Memberships do not apply). If you have over 10 parents, you must collect the money for a single transaction. This collection can be cash, card, or check.

(If over 10 parents arrive and you have not collected their money, we will bill the school for any extra parents over the listed amount.)

A. Email the Group Tour Coordinator that you need a new invoice and provide your new numbers. Invoices will be updated only once before your field trip. If you have not already paid before or on the day of your field trip, an updated invoice will be sent to you. 

A. Yes, you can book a field trip if you meet the minimum 10 student requirement.

A. Small co-ops or families can come on our “Homeschool Field Trip Days.” These are events set aside for homeschool families to experience a choose your own adventure style field trip. 

A. Home School groups receive one free adult per family, $10 for each additional adult.

A. The Museum has field trips for groups with PreK children as young as 3 and 4. If a 3-4 year old child is participating in the field trip (going to shows and participating in the hands-on with the group) they will need to pay the same as the older children. All children under 3 are free. 

A. Homeschool Field Trip Days are events set aside for homeschool families and small co-ops who are too small to book a standard field trip. These days provide a choose your own adventure style field trip where homeschool families can experience the same type of programing large school field trips experience. 

A. These days are listed under the “events” page on the website.

A. Field Trips are $9 per child with one free adult per family. At least one parent or guardian must be present with a child in all shows and programs. Additional parents/adults are $10 each. Reservations are required via Eventbrite, and a link will be provided on the event page. 

A. No, each Homeschool Field trip Day follows a different theme and each has different programs based on that theme. There may occasionally be a program that repeats if it meets the theme of that day. You can see themes and programs for each Homeschool Field Trip Day on our “events” page on the website.  

A. Each day will have a theme and a schedule of programs being hosted that day. There will usually be two to three programs happening at any given time slot. You can choose which of those programs you would like to go to based on what interests you and your family. Each program title will be listed with a recommended grade level range based on program content. 

A. We open our doors early at 9:45 AM and the first programs will begin at 10:00 AM. You can arrive late, however, there may be programs you are unable to enter until the next program times start.

A. There is no guide to take you from program to program, but there are Curators and Staff who will be conducting the programs themselves. Schedules are provided to help you know where to gather for each program. 

A. Each Homeschool Field Trip Day has different shows and programs that accommodate a variety of age groups. Most days aim to have younger and older program options to choose from. You can check the event details to determine if these programs are what you are interested in, as each program will have a title and grade level recommendation based on content.