Field Trips & Outreach
School Field Trips to the Discovery Center
Every year thousands of New England students walk through our doors for an unforgettable field trip experience. A trip to the Discovery Center is not only fun, but educational and memorable as well! Please review the following information and get in touch when you’re ready to proceed to booking your group’s field trip.
Field trips include:
An educator demonstration
Time to explore the exhibit galleries
Either a planetarium show or a hands-on Discovery Experience workshop (PLEASE NOTE: We are at capacity for Discovery Experiences through the month of May.)
Our full-dome planetarium shows will immerse your students in the topic of your choice—from the history of the space program to the constellations in our night sky!
Our planetarium theater seats 103 people, with space for up to 4 wheelchairs
Larger groups can be accommodated by booking more than one time slot
Give your students the opportunity to dive into Earth and space science by including a hands-on, interactive Discovery Experience!
Each workshop can be run up to 25 students and last approximately 45 minutes
Larger groups can be accommodated with a rotating schedule
Click here to download descriptions of our Discovery Experiences
Cost:
Base price for 2024-25 school year: $9 per person
If you’d like to include both a show and a workshop, the cost is $16 per person
One free chaperone for every 10 students
Teachers and chaperones are expected to play an active role in student supervision while at the Discovery Center
Bus drivers and one-on-one aides also receive free admission
Please note: a minimum ratio of one chaperone for every 10 students is required
At least 15 participants, or a minimum of $135, are required to book a school visit
School field trips are not available during the two weeks of February and April regional (NH, MA, ME) school vacation.
Ready to book?
School-Year Visits Available October-June, Tuesdays-Thursdays
Please note we are currently at capacity for school visits until fall 2024. Group admission over the summer is available for camps and summer programs!
Not a school? Click here to purchase general admission tickets for a group.
To begin the booking process, please fill out the above form. Our Director of Visitor Services, Kellee Duckworth will reach out to discuss the details of your visit.
To contact Kellee directly, call 603-271-7827 x116 or e-mail kduckworth@starhop.com
If you are interested in a more detailed conversation to ensure your field trip meets your curriculum goals, contact education@starhop.com
Outreach & Traveling Planetarium
Can’t come to us? We’ll come to you! We offer several different outreach programs for a variety of ages.
ISS - Living and Working in Space
Using exclusive NASA videos and a variety of visual and hands on demonstrations, students will learn how astronauts live and work in space while answering questions like: What is it like to live in space? How do astronauts adjust to microgravity? What are the astronauts doing in space? Recommended for grades 1-6; can be run with up to 40 participants per session.
Cost: $200 plus round-trip mileage from the Discovery Center for the first session, $150 for each additional session
Telescopes-To-Go
We will bring our telescopes to your event during the day for solar viewing or at night for viewing stars, planets and other objects in the night sky. If requested, this program can also include presentations about how telescopes work, why dark skies are important and what the beginner should look for in purchasing a telescope. Can be set up outside or inside.
Cost: $200 plus round-trip mileage from the Discovery Center for the first hour, $150 for each additional hour
The Comet Show (ages 8 and up)
In this workshop, participants will learn about comets through creating one themselves. They will explore questions like where do comets come from, what are they made of and how many types of comets are there? Then they will take this knowledge and through the help of an educator create a comet look like with dry ice and other materials. Can be run with up to 40 participants per session.
Cost: $200 plus round-trip mileage from the Discovery Center for the first session, $150 for each additional session
Mini Paper Rockets
In this workshop, participants will be guided through the engineering challenge of designing a paper rocket. We will explore common aeronautical questions like: how do planes fly and how can rockets fly so high? Then participants put their new knowledge to the test as they construct a paper rocket and use our air powered launcher to send their rocket into the air— a well made rocket can go 200 feet or more! Can be run with up to 25 participants in each session.
Cost: $300 plus round-trip mileage from the Discovery Center for the first session, $125 for each additional session.
Traveling Planetarium
In our portable, inflatable planetarium, we offer a variety of shows for groups of 20-25 students at a time. Click here to download our show catalog. To set up the planetarium, we require a room with 16-foot ceiling clearance with no obstructions (i.e., the lowest hanging item, like a ceiling beam or light fixture, must be at least 16’ high) and a minimum of a 900 sq. ft. (30 feet by 30 feet) floor space. Gyms and cafeterias are often the ideal locations for our Traveling Planetarium. Ground floor set up is preferred but elevator/escalator access is mandatory otherwise.
Cost: $300 plus round-trip mileage from the Discovery Center for the first show, $125 for each additional show