School Field Trips
Make Waves With Your Field Trip!
Bring your class on a field trip to The Hudson River Maritime Museum. HRMM offers educational programming for all ages. In the museum, visit a replica of Henry Hudson’s aft cabin, learn about the speed and skill of ice racing, explore shipwrecks of the Hudson River, and learn about the industrial past of the Rondout Creek and the D&H canal.
Walk across our park like museum yard along Rondout Creek to the brand new (2013) Kingston Home Port and Education Center for hands-on exhibits and activities about the science of sailing, simple machines, and the history of boat building on the Hudson River.
Want to get out on the river? Tour the Rondout Lighthouse (accessible only by boat) or ask about doing a joint program with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
Scheduling
Trips may be scheduled for weekdays during the season, May through October. The museum is open for field trips from 9 am to 3:30 pm. We can accommodate up to three classes of 30 students per day.
Programs last between 2 and 3 hours, not including time for lunch. Tours of the museum can be tailored based on subject (e.g. transportation, industry, environment/ecology, etc.). Special workshops and programs may also be available. Please call or e-mail for more information.
To register your trip please call Education Director Sarah Wassberg at 845-338-0071 ext. 16 or e-mail swassberg@hrmm.org. When you register, please indicate whether you would like to receive your invoice and other trip-related materials as printed copies via the mail or as PDFs via e-mail. Some materials are also downloadable under “For Educators.”
Cost
A guided tour of the museum and the new Kingston Home Port and Education Center (including hands-on activities) is $6/person and lasts approximately 1.5 hours.
A guided tour of the Rondout Lighthouse, including boat ride up Rondout Creek, a guided tour of the museum, and the new Kingston Home Port and Education Center is $20/person and lasts approximately 3 hours (not including time for lunch).
We require a minimum of 25 people for lighthouse tours and one teacher or chaperone per 10 students is also required.
For museum tours only, one adult per 10 students receives free admission. For lighthouse tours, teachers receive half price admission. Any additional adults (such as parents) are the same price as students. One-on-one aides and teaching assistants always receive free admission.
A $50 deposit is required to hold your date and is due upon receipt of your invoice. The remainder of your payment is due the day of your visit. Please arrange to have one check, cash or credit/debit card payment per group. HRMM accepts Mastercard, Visa, and American Express.
Cancellation
HRMM programs take place rain or shine. Trips may be cancelled up to two weeks before the scheduled date with no penalty. Trips cancelled with less than two weeks’ notice or with no notice will forfeit the deposit. Trips may be rescheduled up to one week before the original date of visit with no penalty. Cancellations due to extreme weather with NOAA-issued no travel warnings are exempted from penalty.
Need Funding?
If your school budget is tight, here are a few resources to help fund your trip to HRMM:
Target Foundation Field Trip Grants: Applications are posted August 1st and close in September for spring funding.
Teaching the Hudson Valley Explore Awards: Applications are available now online. At least one teacher per grade attending must attend the THV Institute in mid-July.
The Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley Field Trip Grants: This field trip grant is limited to public schools in Dutchess and Ulster Counties and grants are awarded on a rolling, monthly basis.
Need help with your grant application? Just ask! Call 845-338-0071 ext. 16 or e-mail swassberg@hrmm.org for assistance.
Additional funding may be available for bus and/or admissions costs. E-mail swassberg@hrmm.org for information. Funding is available on a case-by-case basis.
Outreach Programs
HRMM education staff are working to develop hands-on, brains-on outreach programs for classes of all ages. These programs strive to meet the new Common Core Standards for skill-based learning. For more information, call 834-338-0071 ext. 16 or e-mail swassberg@hrmm.org.
