Prepare for Your Forest History Center Field Trip

Before your visit

• Consider your group's accessibility needs and communicate these to our team at fieldtrips@mnhs.org.
• Discuss museum manners with your students. 
• Share visit schedules with the staff and chaperones.
• Assign students to specific chaperones. A ratio of one chaperone for every ten students is required.
• Ensure everyone has weather appropriate footwear and clothing. Students can expect to spend at least half of their field trip outside.
• Review confirmation materials for details on your visit, including schedule of events. 

When You Arrive at the Forest History Center

• Buses can drop off groups near the path to the Visitor Center. Please have a group leader disembark first while students stay on the buses.
• Be prepared to give an accurate count of the number of students, school staff, and chaperones.
• As everyone exits the buses, staff will greet your group and provide a brief site orientation before students head to the logging camp.

Accessibility

The Forest History Center welcomes all visitors and strives to make everyone’s visit a positive experience.  Please let us know if your group has anyone with special accommodation needs. Email fieldtrips@mnhs.org to discuss your group’s access needs.

• Public restrooms in the Visitor Center include accessible stalls. There is a portable bathroom down near the logging camp. 
• American Sign Language interpreters are available with two weeks’ notice.
• Wheelchairs are available on-site for use during your visit. First come, first serve.
• In the logging camp, your group will go in and out of seven buildings, some of which have uneven and/or dirt flooring. Some buildings have a small step up or down. A portable ramp is available to assist. 

Review the Forest History Center Field Trip Social Narrative to prepare your group.

Learn more about accessibility at the Forest History Center.

Forest History Center museum manners

• Walk and stay with your group to ensure everyone stays safe.
• Use indoor voices so everyone can hear and learn. 
• Only plain water is allowed in sealed bottles in the site buildings (no food).
• Be respectful of staff, each other, your chaperones and other visitors.
• Protect historic objects by only touching when a staff member says it's okay.
• Turn cell-phones to vibrate or silent during the field trip.

Lunch

Bag lunches can be eaten outside, at the picnic tables under the pavilion shelter. The Forest History Center does not have a cafeteria or any food or beverage for purchase. Multiple schools might share the same picnic area. 

Reach out to fieldtrips@mnhs.org if you’d like to add lunch to your visit schedule.

Field trip preview

Explore the virtual tours of the logging camp. You can see how the camp looks in summer, or see it in winter as the lumberjacks might have experienced it!

Prepare your students with a video of the Forest History Center field trip experience.

Watch video Forest History Center Field Trips on Vimeo