Plan A Field Trip

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Visiting Wilson's Creek National Battlefield with Your Classroom

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield offers regular ranger-led field trips Wednesdays through Fridays during the school year (external link to Microsoft Bookings) for groups of 12 or more students. Field trip experiences vary by season. Classroom programs and self-guided visits are also available. Additional information on offerings is available below.

If your school group is planning on visiting during a weekend or holiday, please contact the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Education Office first.

Advance reservations are free but required for all groups planning an educational field trip.

Contact the Education Office at [phone] or via email for additional information.

Steps to Reserving a Ranger-Led Program
1. Choose a program (below) that fits your classroom's needs.

2. Complete an Education Reservation Request.

This is available as by going to the ranger program links below or as a fillable PDF (384k PDF, complete Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 and email it to us at e-mail us). Be sure to select multiple alternative dates in seasons of high demand (May and October).

After you have sent in your information from a page, a ranger will contact you with a confirmation of your field trip and provide you with any pre-visit and post-visit materials.

Things to Consider:

• Minimum group size for guided visits is twelve (12) students. Self-guided groups can be of any size.
• We prefer groups that can be divided into one classroom per station or one classroom for caravan tours in order to engage small-group and individualized learning opportunities.
• Groups larger than 120 students (i.e. more than 30 students per regular station or two full buses for caravan tours) require additional staffing. Please contact the Education Office while making your reservation.
• Please maintain a ratio of close to 10:1 students to adults, including chaperones and teachers.
• A maximum of eight (8) personal vehicles, in addition to the school buses, will be allowed entry with a school group per reservation. Please park additional vehicles in the visitor center parking lot and carpool. This decision is to ensure adequate parking space for other visitors.
• Accommodations may be available for any students or adults in your group with accessibility needs. Please let us know so that we can prepare and try to provide for you.
• Programs may be canceled due to inclement weather. In the case of a weather cancellation, we will contact you to discuss rescheduling options. If you are concerned about the weather conditions, please call us at [phone]. Programs may be rescheduled to a later date; however, we cannot guarantee a reschedule date.

 

Program Offerings

All programs are dependent upon staff availability which varies by season.

A variety of on-site educational programs provide opportunity for students to experience the unique resources at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. Click on links to learn more about a program or make a reservation.

Mid-November - February

• Battlefield visits are self-guided. Self-guided tours still require a registration to ensure staff and volunteers are prepared for your visit. Special program requests are welcome but depend upon staff availability and cannot be guaranteed. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the form or by contacting the park directly.

• Classroom visits are available. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the form or by contacting the park directly. Please identify alternative dates when submitting the form.

March - mid-June

• Battlefield visits are available. Special program requests are welcome but dependent upon staff availability. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the form or by contacting the park directly. There is a daily limit on how many groups may participate. Schools should contact the park early to reserve a date. Reservations can be made after October 1 for this school year. Select from:
  • Station Field Trip (3.5-4 hours - available mornings)
  • Caravan Tour (90 minutes - available afternoons)
  • Special Topic Presentation (60 minutes - available mornings and afternoons)
  • Self-Guided (Available at any time)
• Classroom visits are partially available. Regular in-class visits are not available in April or May but special programs (career day, special presentations, and more) may be available upon request. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the linked form or by contacting the park directly.

Mid-June - August

• Battlefield visits for summer school groups or camps are available. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the form or by contacting the park directly. Only two groups (one morning and one afternoon) can be scheduled daily. Schools or organized groups should contact the park early to reserve a date. Reservations can be made after April 1 for summer schools and camps. Select from:
  • Station Field Trip (3.5-4 hours - available mornings)
  • Caravan Tour (90 minutes - available afternoons)
  • Special Topic Presentation (60 minutes - available mornings and afternoons)
  • Self-Guided (Available at any time)
• Off-site visits are available. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the form or by contacting the park directly.

Mid-September - mid-November

• Battlefield visits are available. Special program requests are welcome but dependent upon staff availability. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the form or by contacting the park directly. There is a daily limit on how many groups may participate. Schools should contact the park early to reserve a date. Reservations can be made after May 1 for the coming school year. Select from:
  • Station Field Trip (3.5-4 hours - available mornings)
  • Caravan Tour (90 minutes - available afternoons)
  • Special Topic Presentation (60 minutes - available mornings and afternoons)
  • Self-Guided (Available at any time)
• Classroom visits are available. Reservations should be made at least 4 weeks in advance via the linked form or by contacting the park directly.

Virtual Programs

Virtual programs are not currently part of our regularly scheduled offerings. Email us or call the lead ranger at [phone] ext 249 directly if you would like to discuss virtual and distance-learning education programs.

PARK ADDRESS & PHONE NUMBER

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
6424 W. Farm Road 182
Republic, MO 65738
Phone: [phone] Education Office: ext. 233