School Tours
Green Bay Botanical Garden is pleased to invite your class to enjoy beauty and nature in a rich learning environment!
Building a New Outdoor Adventure
Our children’s garden is expanding to 5 times its size and construction is currently underway! As we transform this natural wonderland, our existing Nielson Children’s Garden and Stumpf Hobbit House restroom are closed. But have no fear, there are still many activities to help you connect with nature during your school visit!
Learn more about the Carol & Bruce Bell Children’s Garden or sign up for construction updates.
Bell Children’s Garden Stay Connected
Self-Guided Tours
It’s simple: your class, a great learning environment and as much time as your class wants to spend. Pick up Garden maps at the Fischer Visitor Center and wander formal gardens, native plantings, wooded trails, and other areas at your own pace. Self-guided tours must be arranged at least one (1) week in advance.
$4/person
One (1) adult per five (5) students and all teachers are free. Additional adults are $4/person
Guided Tours
Enjoy a comprehensive learning experience in the Garden with a guided tour given by a knowledgeable guide. These tours are 1.5 hours in length and can accommodate up to 60 students and 12 adults at a time.
Guided tours are linked to the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. Many curriculum tours are also connected with STC units (Science & Technology for Children) from The Einstein Project. Pre and post-visit materials are available for the guided curriculum tours. Guided tours must be arranged at least four (4) weeks in advance.
$4.50/student
One (1) adult per five (5) students and all teachers are free. Additional adults are $4.50/person
School Tour Curriculum
Picnic Options
Picnic tables are available on the Mabel Thome Patio on a first-come, first-served basis, but visitors are welcome to eat on the grassy areas within the Garden or parking lots. All garbage must be carried out or brought to a trash receptacle in the Fischer Visitor Center. The Garden is not able to offer indoor lunchroom facilities in case of bad weather.
Weather
Tours are offered rain or shine, so students should dress accordingly. In the event of severe weather, indoor activities will be substituted at the Garden’s discretion.
Accessibility
While the Fischer Visitor Center and paved paths are accessible to people with disabilities, most guided tours will take groups on unpaved paths that may not be easily accessible by wheelchair. Alternative tour accommodations for students with disabilities are available.
Buses
Students should be dropped off and picked up at the entrance to the Fischer Visitor Center and are able to park at the back end of the parking bays.
Cancellation Policy
If the date or time of a scheduled tour must be changed, contact the Garden at least two (2) weeks prior to your visit. All efforts will be taken to reschedule the visit; however, schedules fill up quickly during spring and fall seasons. If an alternate date cannot be planned, please request a refund.
Virtual Options
If you’re looking for a virtual option for your students, whether for the classroom, virtual instruction or homeschooling, check out our virtual school tours or contact us for other options by completing our request form.
Keep us in mind for your fall curriculum, whatever the school year may bring!
Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page and YouTube for a variety of activities to do.
Contact Us
For more information on school tours, curriculum or to register for a school tour, please complete our request form.
Payments can be made in advance or upon arrival. Advanced payments can be made by phone with a Visa or MasterCard or by mail with a check. Remember to call us if something about your program changes.
For more great science resources, including videos, lesson plans and activities, visit our partner:
Scout Groups
Earn badges and beads while exploring Green Bay Botanical Garden. Scout groups can arrange guided tours of the Garden and participate in outdoor, hands-on activities tailored to fulfill badge requirements.
Tours are available upon request, April-October.
$4.50/scout (minimum fee of $30)
Contact Us
To discuss badge requirements or schedule a tour, please complete our request form.
Outreach Programs
Invite the educators from Green Bay Botanical Garden into your school, daycare or after school program for a fun and interactive learning experience. These educational programs will inspire your students’ natural curiosity and engage them in science activities to learn more about the plants and animals of the Garden. Our educators will bring all the supplies needed for a captivating field trip right in your own classroom!
Outreach Details
- Outreach Programs are offered January–March for schools and daycares and at afterschool sites year-round.
- Programs must be arranged at least four (4) weeks in advance.
- Programs are 90 minutes in length, unless adjusted by teacher request.
- Programs are limited to 30 students.
- Program cost is $70/program. If the school is located more than 20 miles from the Garden, an additional mileage fee will be charged.
- If a school schedules more than one program in a day, each additional program will be given a $10 discount.
Program Descriptions
Pollination Play (K-2nd grade)
Investigate the importance of bees and pollination through fun activities and engaging discussions. Students will explore the parts of a flower, act out the process of pollination, dress up like a bee and discover how people depend on both bees and pollination.
Nature’s Lunchbox (K-2nd grade)
Explore the connection between plants and the foods we eat. Learn to identify the many parts of a plant. Discover the difference between fruits and vegetables and then classify the fruits and vegetables we eat into the correct category. Can you use what you’ve learned to uncover where your lunch came from?
Worms as Decomposers (2nd-5th grade)
Discover what makes worms so wonderful! Observe and identify the features of worms and explore their role as nature’s decomposers. Participate in data collection, eye-opening discussions and activities to better understand these slimy friends.
Garden Detectives (2nd-5th grade)
We need your help solving a garden mystery! Your classroom will be the site of an investigation, as your students follow clues and solve problems, while learning about the world of plants and insects. Students will identify common insects; discover insect habitats and survival characteristics; and determine whether or not an insect is a predator or herbivore, all while working to solve several mysterious cases.
Program Scholarships Available
Green Bay Botanical Garden also provides a limited amount of financial assistance to schools or organizations that have 40% or more participation in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program (FRLP), as published by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Contact Us
To register for a program or request a scholarship application, please complete our request form.
Payments can be made in advance or upon arrival. Advanced payments can be made by phone with a Visa or MasterCard or by mail with a check. Remember to call us if something about your program changes.