Field Trips
Field trip registration for the 2026-2027 school year
will open on August 21st at 11:00am.
Our official field trip dates are coming soon!
Program Times: Tuesday – Thursday: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Group Size:
- A maximum of 120 students may participate per day
- Students will be divided into learning groups of 20 or fewer, each accompanied by at least one school teacher and one Arboretum staff member.
- Groups of 15 – 60 students may schedule up to two guided programs per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon
- Groups of 61 – 120 students may schedule one guided program per day. The group will be divided, with one portion participating in the guided program while the other participates in self-guided exploration. The groups will switch after lunch.
- Geocaching and Team Building programs are limited to 80 students per day due to material limitations. Groups of 80 will be divided into two guided groups in the morning and two in the afternoon
Seasonal Programs: Due to weather conditions, Freshwater Ecology and Wet and Wild programs are only offered during:
- Fall: September – October
- Spring: March – May
Under certain circumstances, we may be able to visit your school for an outreach program. If your school is interested, please email youtheducation@ncarboretum.org
Programs at the Arboretum
| Program Title | Recommended Grade Level | ||||||||
| K | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | |
| Amazing Arthropods | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Down and Dirty with Soil | X | X | |||||||
| Freshwater Ecology* | X | ||||||||
| Geocaching and Team Building | X | X | X | ||||||
| Wet and Wild* | X | ||||||||
| Wildlife Adventures | X | X | X | ||||||
| Wonders of Weather* | X | ||||||||
*These programs are held on the other side of property. Buses / Vehicles must remain on property throughout the entire program to transport students to and from program locations.
Cost
| Students | Visit Fee | Lunch Location Fee | Program Fee | Total Cost | Total Cost/ Person |
| 10-20 | $65.00 | $20.00 | $105.00 | $190.00 | $19.00 – $9.50 |
| 21-40 | $65.00 | $20.00 | $210.00 | $295.00 | $14.05- $7.38 |
| 41-60 | $95.00 | $20.00 | $315.00 | $430.00 | $10.49- $7.17 |
| 61-80 | $95.00 | $20.00 | $420.00 | $535.00 | $8.77- $6.69 |
| 81-100 | $150.00 | $20.00 | $525.00 | $695.00 | $8.58- $6.95 |
| 101-120 | $150.00 | $20.00 | $630.00 | $800.00 | $7.92- $6.67 |
**We recommend approximately 2 chaperones per group of 20 students. Any chaperone over 5 per group of 20 will be charged an extra $10 each. We’ve found that when groups of 20 have over 5 chaperones, this detracts from the learning experience of the students.
Self-Guided Trips to the Arboretum
Schools and other youth groups are also invited to visit the Arboretum for self-guided exploration of its expansive grounds and rotating exhibit. For our group rates, please see the table below.
| Group Size | Group Rate | Picnicking Fee* | Total Cost |
| 10 – 50 | $75 | $20 | $95 |
| 51 – 100 | $150 | $20 | $170 |
| 101 – 150 | $220 | $20 | $240 |
| 151 – 200** | $280 | $20 | $300 |
* If your group will not be picnicking on the Arboretum’s property, this fee will not be included.
** If your group consists of 201 or more visitors, larger group rates can be provided upon request.
In order to receive the group rate, self-guided visits must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. To schedule a self-guided visit, please contact us at youtheducation@ncarboretum.org!
Health and Safety Protocols:
The Arboretum is committed to ensuring the safety of all participants by following the current health guidelines from the Center of Disease Control, the North Carolina Department of Health & Human services, the Buncombe County Department of Health, and the City of Asheville. We may update our policies on health screenings, face coverings, social distancing, and other safety measures as needed. Participants are required to adhere to all safety protocols currently in place, failure to comply could result in dismissal from programming.
Programming or Registration Questions?
Please contact youtheducation@ncarboretum.org or 828-412-8598. You can also call On-Site Education Coordinator Rich Preyer at 828-412-8558.