Looking to get out of the house and learn somewhere else for a bit? This is one of the great advantages of homeschooling, you can go on field trips when ever you want and go where you want. The following is a list of Houston area field trip ideas to plan some out-of-town learning.
The Houston Space Center
The Houston Space Center is a museum next to the NASA complex which is focused on teaching about the history of manned-space flights. They have the world’s largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples for public view. In addition, guests are taken behind the scenes to see NASA Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center.
San Jacinto Museum of History
On the battle ground of the Battle of San Jacinto, you can visit the museum and monument dedicated to the battle and the Texas war for Independence. You will also find the Battleship Texas, one of the last WWI era battleships left in the country. Their website also has a Curriculum Guide to prepare teachers and the students for their visit.
Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is a world-class zoo and its website has resources for those planning Field Trips. They also have Home School Programs and a Homeschool Club for those who are interested.
The Health Museum
The Health Museum is an interactive learning center dedicated to teaching about the human body and how it is treated. They also have day camps for homeschoolers as well as classes and other programs
Houston Museum of Natural Science
As one of the most heavily attended museums in the United States, this museum houses the Burke Baker Planetarium, Wortham GIANT Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, and a variety of permanent exhibit areas that examine subjects including astronomy, space science, Native American culture, paleontology, energy, chemistry, gems and minerals, seashells, and Texas wildlife. In addition, the museum frequently presents traveling exhibitions on a variety of topics.
The Museum also maintains two satellite facilities. The George Observatory is in Fort Bend County and houses one of the largest telescopes in the country that is available for public viewing. The Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land has exhibits on dinosaurs; mineralogy; exotic, live frogs and more. They also have a curriculum page to help teachers get the most out of their visit to the Museum.
The Houston Holocaust Museum
The Houston Holocaust Museum teaches about the history of the holocaust and the dangers of prejudice and hatred in society. Their website has a page with a list of Curriculum Resources and a number of lesson plans for teaching about the Holocaust.
Seawolf Park
Seawolf Park is located on Galveston’s Pelican Island on a former immigration station site. It is home to WWII submarine, the USS Cavalla. It also has one of only three destroyer escorts in the world, the USS Stewart as well as fishing piers, picnic sites, and a playground.
Texas Seaport Museum
The Texas Seaport Museum on Galveston Island is a dedicated to teaching about the history of seafaring and of Texans on the sea. They also have the 1877 tall ship Elissa as a floating exhibit.
Lone Star Flight Museum
The Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston covers the history of flight in Texas, and the United States more generally. They have a large collection of historical aircraft and exhibits explaining their importance. As one might expect, much of the museum is on WWII, but they also cover other topics and areas of history. Their website has a list of TEKS centered tours to help teacher focus their visit.
The Galveston Railroad Museum
The Galveston Railroad Museum is exactly what it sounds like, a Museum full of trains with information about the history and operation of different types of trains. You can tour several of their rail cars, take a ride on a caboose, and share lunch in their dining cars.
Moody Gardens
The Moody Gardens is really a mix between gardens and a zoo. They have a Rainforest Pyramid housing different animals from the Giant Amazon River Otters to Saki Monkeys and Chinese Alligators. The Aquarium Pyramid includes creatures from tuxedo-clad penguins to seals, stingrays, sharks and more. The Gardens also have a MG 3D Theater and a Discovery Museum.
