School Field Trips to NSF NCAR

A field trip to the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab Visitor Center is a fun way for your students in a PreK-12 class or club to learn about the weather, the atmosphere, Sun and space weather, and more! Our interactive exhibits and hands-on Learning Labs help students explore the world around them.

The UCAR Code of Conduct applies to all field trip participants, including students and adults. 

What We Offer

During the school year, we offer a variety of Learning Labs for visiting preK-12th grade classes. Each two-hour Learning Lab includes guided exhibit exploration and a hands-on learning experience in the classroom. Select field trips also include an outdoor learning experience. Check out the Learning Labs that we currently offer.

All field trips to the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab are free, but transportation and lunch are not included. Advanced reservation is required. Group sizes should be between 15 and 60 students for our field trips, and we can split larger groups into multiple programs across different days. 

Our in-person field trips are hosted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (noon) MT, excluding any holidays. We run a special program during the summer that differ from our school year Learning Labs. To learn more about summer programming, visit the Reserve Your Field Trip page.

Homeschool groups are encouraged to join us at our Homeschool Day, instead of scheduling a Learning Lab, for content and activities that are tailored towards homeschool students. There will be one Homeschool Day each semester with a limited number of available tickets. 

Getting Started

Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to learn more about our field trip programs and determine if they're suitable for your student group. View our current Learning Lab offerings. Then go to the Reserve Your Field Trip page and click the "Schedule" button to book a program through Calendly. Calendly will show our live availability, but if you have any questions or would like to inquire about alternative times email the School and Public Programs (SPP) team. 

Reservations are open for Summer 2025 and Fall 2025 field trips. Book on our Reserve Your Field Trip page.

Each April, field trip reservations open for the upcoming Fall semester. Each August, field trip reservations open for the following Spring semester. To stay in the loop with reservation and program announcements, sign up for our monthly K-12 newsletter. 

After You Book

After you have received a confirmation email for your in-person program, you can review the Prepare for Your Field Trip page. 

After your field trip, take a look at our After Your Field Trip page, which outlines a variety of follow-up activities to continue learning after your Learning Lab. 

Email our School and Public Programs (SPP) team with any questions.