Plan your field trip. It's easy and free.

Field trips are free with a completed reservation form. Please submit your reservation form by fax or mail; all requests must be made in writing. Your visit is not guaranteed until you have received a printed confirmation letter, which should arrive by fax (or mail, if requested) in seven to ten days. If you don’t receive a confirmation letter, call 312.642.4600.

Pre- and Post-visit resources

Use our online resources to prepare your students for their field trip or as part of a post-visit wrap-up. These resources are easy to adapt for students of all ages and align with Illinois State Learning Standards.

> Explore resources for your classroom

Planning Tips

• Consult a school calendar that indicates holidays, in-services, report-card days, and school events.
  
• Plan to spend two to three hours at the Museum including lunch. Visits begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
  
• Request lunchroom seating (available for up to grade 8). Students need to bring their own lunches and beverages; storage will be provided.
  
• Indicate the size of your group. Maximum group size is 120.
  
• Secure chaperones. We require one adult for every 10 students.
  
• Divide your students into groups of 10 prior to arriving at the Museum. A map of the Museum will be prepared for each group leader.

Make a Reservation

> Download the 2009–10 field trip reservation form (PDF, 115 KB)

> Download the 2009-10 field trip brochure (PDF, 6.8 MB)

> Download the field trip permission letter (32K)

You will need Adobe® Reader®, which is a free application, to download and view these documents.

> Download Reader® from the Adobe® website.

History à la Cart Schedule

For more flexibility during your visit, all stations are accessible on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note: Although we try to stick to this schedule as closely as possible, we occasionally may have to substitute one station for another.

State Learning Standards

Field trips to the Chicago History Museum fulfill the following State Learning Standards:

1. History à la Cart activity stations
2. Exhibitions
3. Middle school role-play experiences
4. Imagining Lincoln and Juárez; In Our Own Words
5. Crazy for Trains Pre-K activity