Home >
Field Trips - Western Nevada
NNREC strongly supports school field trips. The Value of Field Trips for Washoe Schools has information of specific interest to Washoe schools, and of general interest to others.
These field trip destinations offer guided tours and may offer self-guided tours. For information on other self-guided destinations, please check Learn the Great Basin. This page is about field trips only. If you have better information on any of these entries, or additional entries we should list, please email .
- Animal Ark: Animal Ark offers guided field trips for K-12 students Tuesday-Friday 10:00AM to 1:00PM.
Contact: Diana Hiibel, PO Box 60057, Reno NV 89506-0057; ; 775-969-3111 - Bartley Ranch Regional Park (below)
- Bowers Mansion (below)
- Children's Museum of Northern Nevada:
Contact: 813 N Carson St, Carson City NV 89701; ; 775-884-2226 - Churchill County Museum & Hidden Cave:
Contact: 1050 S Maine St, Fallon NV 89406; ; 775-423-3677 - Davis Creek Regional Park (below)
- Evans Creek Wetlands (below)
- Fleischmann Planetarium: Since 1963 Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center has proudly offered a variety of programs designed for school children in grades K-12.
Contact: Johanna Bell, MS 272, Reno NV 89557; ; 775-784-4812 - Fourth Ward School: Seventh and eighth grade students at Virginia City Middle School provide tours for school groups from all over Nevada and parts of California. The program began in 1998 to encourage an interest by local students in the history of their town and to provide experience in public speaking, research, and community involvement.
Contact: Barbara Mackey, 537 South "C" Street, PO Box 4, Virginia City NV 89440; ; 775-847-0975 - Galena Creek Regional Park (below)
- Great Basin Outdoor School: Children learn during four-day field studies building academic and social skills and developing their understanding of the natural world. Fifth and sixth grade classes, high school and college students, and teachers study local ecology with standards-based lessons at Camp Galilee, Lake Tahoe and other local camps during spring, fall, and winter programs. Service-learning projects and place-based education help develop a commitment to sustainability and a connection to the earth.
Contact: 5125 Escuela Way, Reno NV 89502; ; 775-823-8888 - Keck Museum, Mackay School of Mines at UNR: The W.M. Keck Museums is available for tours from all K-12 schools and also community groups. We generally work with the Nevada Seismological Laboratory to provide tours that enhance earth science standards-based lesson plans and activities.
Contact: Rachel Dolbier, ; 775-784-4528 - Martin Slough Nature Trail (below)
- May Arboretum (below)
- May Museum (below)
- National Automobile Museum: Field Trips - Guided tours for students, featuring a general overview of the Museum and automotive history. The field trip experience may include special programs, such as a slide presentation of the 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race (one of the longest, most grueling races, including a geography lesson), or customized programs to meet curriculum requirements. Interactive activities may be included.
Contact: Denise Sins, 10 S Lake St, Reno NV 89501-1558; ; 775-333-9300 - Nevada Discovery Museum: [OPENING Sep 2007]
Contact: Chris Riche, 100 W Liberty St, Suite 170, Reno NV 89501; ; 775-852-5276 - Nevada Historical Society (below)
- Nevada Museum of Art: Tours at the Nevada Museum of Art are designed to be interactive, age appropriate and can be constructed to accommodate a variety of curricular areas.
Contact: 160 W Liberty St, Reno NV 89501; 775.329.3333 ex. 254; registration available online - Nevada State Museum (below)
- Nevada State Railroad Museum (below)
- Nevada State Railroad Museum (below)
- Owbox Nature Study Area (below)
- Project Discovery: Project Discovery offers a whole host of programs for public and private schools, colleges and their ancillary clubs and associations. From teachers team building retreats to school-based wilderness programs, Project Discovery can help make your school and classroom a more vibrant and successful learning environment.
Contact: Michael Selby, 110 Skytavern Rd, Reno NV 89511; ; 775-849-3393 - Rancho San Rafael Regional Park (below)
- Swan Lake Wetlands (below)
- Verdi Community Library, Verdi Wildlife Education Center, and Verdi Nature Trail (below)
- Washoe Lake Wetlands (below)
Division of Museums and History
- Nevada Historical Society: A field trip to the Nevada Historical Society can be integrated into Nevada history units using the background information provided on the next few pages. Museum exhibits give students the opportunity to ask questions about the past and find their own answers. The Nevada Historical Society is currently the only museum in Reno that offers tours to school groups free of charge.
Contact: Mella Harmon, 1650 N Virginia St, Reno NV 89503; , 775-688-1190 - Nevada State Museum: Guided Tours are conducted by volunteer tour guides for K-6 students using the “hands-on” education collection and museum exhibits. All tours follow curricula related themes that meet learning standards.
Contact: Deborah Stevenson, Curator of Education, ; 775-687-4810 x237 - Nevada State Railroad Museum:
Contact: 2180 S Carson St, Carson City NV 89701; 775-687-6953
Nevada Department of Wildlife
- Owbox Nature Study Area: Students on school field trips will enjoy walking the 1/3 mile-long wheelchair accessible nature trail, actively following the student guidebooks with teachers, parents and Wildlife Education Docents. Students then participate in hands-on wildlife and aquatic education programs.
- Contact: Jill Olson, 3100 Dickerson Rd, Reno NV 89503; ; 775-334-3808
- Washoe Lake Wetlands: Students attending the Washoe Lake Wetlands field trips learn wildlife and aquatic education.
- Contact: Contact: Jill Olson, 3100 Dickerson Rd, Reno NV 89503; ; 775-334-3808
- Verdi Community Library, Verdi Wildlife Education Center, and Verdi Nature Trail: Located at the transition zone between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin Desert, the newly opened Verdi Community Library and Wildlife Education Center welcomes you! The 8-acre nature center highlights the uniqueness of the transitional wildlife habitat between the mountains and the desert. The Verdi Center is a partnership between the Nevada Department of Wildlife, Washoe County Public Library System, Washoe County School District, and the Verdi Community. Outdoors activities at Verdi include plant and animal identification, track identification, mapping activities, and geological studies on the Verdi Nature Trail. Indoor activities at the Center feature literacy correlation to nature, art/drawing activities, and aquatic ecosystem activities at the native fish tank.
- Contact: Contact: Jill Olson, 3100 Dickerson Rd, Reno NV 89503; ; 775-334-3808
- Martin Slough Nature Trail: Eye-opening wildlife education experience and hands-on aquatic education benefit the Gardnerville community and local schools districts and other visitors. Families and school groups can learn about birds, wildlife and the importance of water quality of the slough and ponds amidst urban sprawl.
- Contact: Contact: Jill Olson, 3100 Dickerson Rd, Reno NV 89503; ; 775-334-3808
Washoe Parks & Recreation Department
- Bartley Ranch Regional Park:
- Contact: 6000 Bartley Ranch Rd, Reno NV; 775-828-6612
- Bowers Mansion:
- Contact: 4005 US Highway 395 North, Carson City, NV 89704; 775-849-1825
- May Museum: Since 1998, the May Museum has been offering our high quality, interactive outreach presentations to school children throughout Northern Nevada. Children have fun exploring the natural world around them with the creative use of games, activities, and art.
- Contact: 1595 N Sierra St, Reno NV 89503; ; 775-785-5961
- May Arboretum: The May Arboretum offers guided school tours on a limited, first-come, first-serve basis Monday through Thursday at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. We encourage classroom visits for our self-guided Tree Walk and Wetlands programs.
- Contact: 1595 N Sierra St, Reno NV 89503; ; 775-785-4153
- Rancho San Rafael Regional Park: ranger-led activities
- Contact: 1595 N Sierra St, Reno NV 89503; 775-785-4319
- Davis Creek Regional Park:
- Contact: 25 Davis Creek Rd, Washoe Valley; 775-849-0684
- Galena Creek Regional Park: ranger-led activities
- Contact: 18350 Mount Rose Hwy; 775-849-2511
- Evans Creek Wetlands: ?
- Contact:
- Swan Lake Wetlands: docent led tours
- Contact:
