Field Trips

We host field trips for K-12 educational groups, including public, private, and homeschool classes, as well as scout troops. These tours correlate with Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards. Our trained guides teach state and local history, art and architecture, and encourage students to become informed citizens, observant of the built environment.

To ensure a rich and safe educational experience:

• Reservations must be made a minimum of 3 weeks prior to tour date.
• We will divide into groups of 10 to 20 students for the tour. Each of these must have at least one adult chaperone.
• We will offer back-to-back tours for groups over 70 students.

Minimum field trip size is 15 people. We are happy to host smaller groups, though the field trip rate minimum still applies (see details under each tour description).

Most field trips can be altered to meet your class’s schedule. We also offer our Monument Circle, Indiana Landmarks Center, and City Market Catacombs tours for youth groups at reduced rates.

To Book a Field Trip: Complete our Group Tour/Field Trip Request Form or contact our Heritage Tourism department at 800-450-4534 or tourism@indianalandmarks.org.

Prefer a program that comes to you? Check out our Indy Explorers Virtual Tour and Speakers Bureau talks.

CAPITAL CITY CRITTERS TOUR

This tour is ideal for students in the 1^st to 3^rd grades. It introduces students to architecture, public art, and observation by challenging them to find animals and mythological creatures in Indianapolis’s downtown architecture. Along the way, students learn about the historical figures represented in public sculpture.

Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards: Social Studies (1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3); English (1RV1, 1RL2, 1SL1&2, 2RV1&2, 2SL2&3, 3RV1&2, 3SL2&3); and Visual Arts (1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.5, 3.1, 3.5).

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN TOUR

This tour is designed for students in the 4th and 5th grades. It helps students connect classroom materials with landmarks in the modern cityscape. Along the way, students look closely at elements of the built environment to learn about the people and events that have shaped the Hoosier state.

Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards: Social Studies (4.1.2, 4.1.5, 4.1.6. 4.1.8, 4.1.9, 4.1.12, 4.1.13, 4.3.8, 4.4.1) and English (4.RV.1, 4.SL.1, 4.SL.2.1, 4.SL.2.3, 4.SL.2.4).

ATHENAEUM TOUR

This tour is geared for middle and high school students. It introduces students to the architecture and history of an Indianapolis landmark, tracing its evolution from a German clubhouse to a hub of modern urban life. Along the way, students learn about the German-American figures who helped shape the Athenaeum and influenced Indianapolis more broadly.

Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards: (USH 2.5, USH 3.9). Supplemental educational resources may be found on the Athenaeum Foundation’s “For Educators” webpage.

INDY EXPLORERS VIRTUAL TOUR

This virtual tour is designed for students in the 4^th and 5^th grades. It allows students to “visit” five landmarks in downtown Indianapolis and discover how they tell Indiana and Indianapolis’s early history (1800-1865). Along the way, students will participate in engaging activities designed to help them develop critical analysis and decision-making skills.

Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards: Social Studies (4.1.3, 4.1.5, 4.1.6).