Field Trips

Guided Tour
This guided tour walks young audiences through some of the museum's most popular exhibits. Children discover how to use the exhibits through hands-on play. Return to top

A Hudson River Program - See, Touch & Hear the Hudson
Using their five senses, children will experience items related to the Hudson River. Children see a sturgeon puppet, touch a dried sea star, hear gulls, smell a fish and taste salt as they learn about the environment through their five senses. Return to top

The ABC Detective
Led by a museum educator, children pretend to be detectives on a search for 3-D, alphabet letters. The search takes place in the museum's Tiny Town and reinforces the process of putting letters together to form words. Return to top

New York State public schools may be eligible for a reimbursement for environmental programs such as our Hudson River and STARLAB programs. Schools from local NY counties can apply for a full reimbursement with the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES office by filling out the following form click here for the form (a PDF form) or call Patti Pfister at (914) 248-2339.

PLANET WALK
If the earth were the size of a pepper corn, the Sun would be about the size of a small beach ball and Pluto would be a half mile away. Students experience in a dramatic way, the real scale of our solar system as they spread out the planets along the Hudson River.
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Constellations
Enter our inflatable dome planetarium and gaze up at a clear starry night. Explore the universe with a fully trained museum educator as your guide. Be inspired by the magnificent expanse of the universe. Learn how to find real stars in the night sky. Be enchanted by ancient Greek myths. Or, choose the African or Native American constellations and stories. Return to top

Moon Phases
Enter our inflatable dome planetarium and experience the phases of the moon with hands-on activities. The program will be followed by a brief night time sky presentation. Return to top

Sunrise Sunset
Inside our inflatable planetarium you will travel through the seasons following the sun on its ecliptic line. Explore the changes in the rising and setting points of the sun and its daily path through the sky. Return to top

Flight - Ever wonder how a 5 ton jet flies? See dynamic demonstrations of the Bernoulli Effect and air pressure. Learn how shape affects flight. Even help launch a hot air balloon! Return to top

Static Electricity
Using the Van de Graff Generator, learn about electrons and static electricity. It makes for a hair-raising experience! (October to March only)
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Science Sampler
Using a theme of water, students will sample science through selected activities directly related to our exhibits. With hands-on activities, learn about cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, gravity, states of matter with molecules in motion and energetic water.

IBM's Simple Machines and Da Vinci Inventions
Discover the power of gears, levers and pulleys. Learn how all simple machines exchange force for distance to do the same work. Then, put on your imaginary "Simple Machine Glasses" and use our working models to explore how Leonardo used the idea of simple machines in his inventions.

New York State public schools may be eligible for a full reimbursement for environmental programs such as our Hudson River and STARLAB programs. Schools from local NY counties can apply for a full reimbursement with the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES office.

Here is the link to the BOCES forms web site page click here . Go to the form for State Aid Request Form for Consultants.

Seining & Sediment Educators will seine for fish and take samples of the river bottom. Students will be involved with fish identification and analyzing the sediment. Return to top

Pollution & the Food Chain Wearing imaginative costumes that represent the food chain and colorful props, students can act out an interactive play about the bio-magnification of pollution in the Hudson River. Also learn about tides, hear Native American legends about the river and explore local geography.
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The Water Cycle
Students pretend to be a drop of water and use their imaginations to go on a fantastic journey through the water cycle. Learn how water is reused in mini-cycles all over the globe- from plants and animals to ground water and glaciers. Return to top

River Life & the Watershed
Using a model of a watershed, make it rain to see where pollution ends up. Choose ONE of the following electives to accompany this program.

Uniting the States
The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the documents that made us the "United States" and guaranteed every citizen such rights as freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right to a fair trail. These very important documents were debated and voted on right here in Poughkeepsie, New York. Students feel the excitement and passions of the times as they participate in a reenactment of the critical period of history. This program meets the 4th Grade NYS History Standards
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The program will be available starting January 2006. Step back in time for a reenactment of the Battle of Saratoga. Sit around a room-size map (14' x 4') of the Hudson Valley in 1777. March with the British army to capture the Hudson River. Experience the Patriots efforts that lead to the victorious turning point in the war. Revolutionary reproductions are available to handle. This program meets the 4th Grade NYS History Standards. Return to top
Funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in conjunction with the Dutchess County Historical Society.

A Healthy Heart
Students pretend that they are a red blood cell as they explore the chambers of our giant model of a of a heart! Hear the heart beating as you slide down the pulmonary artery into the lung. Learn how blood circulates and delivers oxygen. It's good exercise too! You will meet Mr. Torso and learn about why smoking is bad. Recommended for anti-smoking curriculum. Return to top

Ears Are For Listening
Do you know that you have rocks in your head? Our Giant Ear show how sound is transmitted through vibration to your brain. See a giant cochlea, learn how ear bones act as levers to amplify sound and understand how your ears keep you balanced.
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Educational Programs	Prices	Additional Children
Early Childhood Programs	$97.50 (up to 15 children)	$6.50 per child
River Life & Watershed Seining & Sediment	$180.00 (up to 20 children))	$9.00 per child
All Other Programs	$160.00 (up to 20 children)	$8.00 per child
All programs require a reservation made in advance. Please call the museum educator at (845) 471-0589 extension 16 to make your reservation. Chaperones and group leaders are admitted free. All prices include museum admission. Each program requires a non-refundable $50.00 deposit. Scholarships may be available.
New York State public schools may be eligible for a full reimbursement for environmental programs such as our Hudson River and STARLAB programs. Schools from Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, and Westchester counties can apply for a full reimbursement with the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES. Here is the link to the BOCES forms web site page click here . Go to the form for State Aid Request Form for Consultants.

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