Whether exploring the past with the mighty mammoth or delving into the future of our planet's ecosystems, the museum offers a wide variety of exciting, inquiry-based learning adventures for K-12 classes and youth groups. All programs are taught by trained museum educators and are aligned with state and national standards.
2026-27 School Year
Registration Opens August 26! Review the program information below and submit an online request form (available at the bottom of the page).
Learn more about our summer programs.
Subscribe to our digital newsletter for K-12 educators.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Each program is approximately 90 minutes, and includes a hands-on activity in the museum classroom, a guided tour of a related exhibit, and self-guided exploration time.
Each program group may not exceed 35 students. We ask that groups have a 1:8 ratio of adult chaperones to youths. Teachers and chaperones are free!
Only one group can be in the museum at a time. We can schedule back-to-back groups on the same day. Groups can occupy themselves elsewhere on campus when they are not scheduled in the museum. See the Things to Do at UO information below.
Please submit your program request form at least 2 weeks in advance.
Choose from the programs below and use the calendar to view possible available dates.
Payment is due at time of arrival. We do not have a way to bill electronically. Please bring check, cash, or card. We can take card payments over the phone on the day of visit if necessary.
- Camas Oven (60-90 minutes)
Grades K-2
Explore Oregon landscapes and the history of Northwest Native cultures. Build a replica of a camas oven and “cook” camas bulbs - once the most important food staple of the Western Valley. See what other foods are important as you tour the cultural history exhibit, Oregon—Where Past is Present. - NEW! Exploring Fossils and Rocks (60-90 minutes)
Grades K-2
Be a scientist for a day! Explore the differences between rocks and fossils. Identify the fossils in your group's collection. See the fossils that don't fit in the classroom on display in the Explore Oregon exhibit. - Animal Tracks (90 minutes)
Grades K-2
Who’s been wandering through the museum? Follow the tracks to find out! Learn about different animals and the clues their tracks leave behind. Take a tour through the Explore Oregon exhibit. - NEW! BEE Amazed! (60-90 minutes) Program Available October - December 2026 Only.
Grades K-2
Catch the buzz and be delighted as you zoom into the wonderful world of Oregon bees! Discover the secrets of this important insect in a lively presentation. Explore hands-on, buzz-worthy activities in our Buzz About Bees exhibit.
- Oregon Archaeology Detectives (90 minutes)
Grades 3-5
Put on your detective hat and uncover clues about Oregon's past. Learn about the Tribes that have lived here since time immemorial. Develop and test your own hypothesis as you tour cultural history exhibit, Oregon—Where Past is Present. - Ride the Rock Cycle (90 minutes)
Grades 3-5
Journey through the eons and examine Earth’s dynamic geology. From sandstone to serpentinite, you’ll learn how different rocks fit into the spectacular story of the rock cycle and find out more in the Explore Oregon exhibit. - Fun with Fossils (90 minutes)
Grades 3-5 NEW at this level
Be a paleontologist for a day! Identify the fossils from the other items at your lab table. Discover what fossils reveal about the past by piecing together clues found throughout the Explore Oregon exhibit. - Adapt, Move, or Go Extinct (90 minutes)
Grades 3-5
Investigate Oregon’s ecosystems and learn how plants and animals adapt to their changing environments. Take a tour through the Explore Oregon exhibit. - NEW! BEE Amazed! (60-90 minutes) Program Available October - December 2026 Only.
Grades 3-5
Catch the buzz and be delighted as you zoom into the wonderful world of Oregon bees! Discover the secrets of this important insect in a lively presentation. Explore hands-on, buzz-worthy activities in our Buzz About Bees exhibit.
- Famous Fossil Find (90 minutes)
Grades 6-8
Be a paleontologist for a day! Identify mysterious creatures by piecing together clues found throughout the Explore Oregon exhibit. - Cultural Scene Investigation (90 minutes)
Grades 6-8
Examine artifacts and oral histories – and reconstruct a moment in Oregon’s history! Explore the Oregon—Where Past is Present exhibit to help build the scene and learn about Native Americans in Oregon. - Adapt, Move, or Go Extinct (90 minutes)
Grades 6-8
Investigate Oregon’s ecosystems and learn how plants and animals adapt to their changing environments. Can you create an animal that will adapt to an environmental challenge? Take a tour through the Explore Oregon exhibit. - Self-guided programs (45-60 minutes recommended)
Grades 6-8
Create your own adventure and explore the museum at your own pace. Please provide one chaperone for every eight students.
NEW: Guiding worksheets are available upon request for self-guided tours. Email Education Coordinator Cessna Strand at cessnast@uoregon.edu to request one.
- Cultural Scene Investigation (90 minutes)
Grades 9-12
Examine artifacts and oral histories – and reconstruct a moment in Oregon’s history! Explore the Oregon—Where Past is Present exhibit to help build the scene and learn about Native Americans in Oregon. - Self-guided programs (45-60 minutes recommended)
Grades 9-12
Create your own adventure and explore the museum at your own pace. Please provide one chaperone for every eight students.
NEW: Guiding worksheets are available upon request for self-guided tours. Email Education Coordinator Cessna Strand at cessnast@uoregon.edu to request one.
AVAILABLE DATES AND TIMES
This calendar represents possible available times for you to request programs at the museum. If a time is marked as busy, that time is unavailable for booking. Consecutive classes can be scheduled on the same day, if there is enough time available. Classes cannot be scheduled at the same time.
Programs are 90 minutes long and are available Monday - Friday 8:30am-4:00pm, October 1 – June 30.
PLEASE NOTE: Availability on this calendar is not guaranteed, but rather a guide to help you find the most likely openings for your group. You must request your chosen date and time through our request form, and wait for confirmation from our team.
COST
$3 per student
Teachers and chaperones are free of charge.
Discounted Rates for Eligible Schools
We offer discounts based a school’s percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program. PLEASE NOTE: these statistics are not the same as the ones qualifying schools for universal free lunch, please view the link above to see your school’s percentage.
- $2 per student for schools with 40 – 54% qualifying
- $1 per student for schools with 60 – 100% qualifying
We do request a 1:8 ratio of chaperones to students, but groups are encouraged to bring as many chaperones as they like beyond that. All teachers and chaperones are free of charge.
Payment is due upon arrival. We do not have a way to bill electronically. Please bring check, cash, or card. We can take card payments over the phone on the day of your visit if that is necessary.
Register Now
(click to submit a Program Request Form)
Are you wanting to bring a youth group to the museum during the summer? Check out our summer field trips.
Things to do at the University of Oregon
Want to plan a whole day at the University of Oregon? Need to give your second program group something to do while they wait? Here are some suggestions for things to do!
- Take a self-guided tour of UO campus. For an added experience try these curated subject-specific tours.
- Schedule a guided tour of campus. Great for older students considering their future.
- Complete a UO campus scavenger hunt!
- Visit Hayward Hall and learn about the history of Track Town USA. Open Tuesday-Friday 10am-2pm.
- Visit the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
- Get all the wiggles out and have some extra fun at Agate Playground, just a few blocks down Agate Street from the museum.
- Have lunch on campus. Bring lunches and have a picnic in our Native Plant Courtyard. Visit Unthank Hall, just across 15th street from the museum, or walk to the EMU at the heart of campus for some people watching and the true college experience.
Questions? Contact us at mncheducation@uoregon.edu.
Interested in checking out the museum before visiting with your students? Email us at mncheducation@uoregon.edu and request a FREE educator pass.
Are you wanting to bring a youth group to the museum during the summer? Check out our summer field trips.
Pre- and post-visit activity ideas can be found on our Teaching Resources page.
Stay up to date on educator resources, K-12 programs, and more. Subscribe to our digital newsletter for K-12 educators.