FIELD TRIPS
FIELD TRIPS
We make learning engaging and exciting. Plan your next field trip today!
From the moment students set foot inside the Clay Center, we stretch their curiosity and challenge their expectations as they explore exhibits in the Avampato Discovery Museum, enter a portal to the cosmos in the Caperton Planetarium & Theater, and engage in hands-on experiences in the Juliet Art Museum.
Hands-On Experiences
Want to add on some hands-on experiences to your field trip? Look no further than our extensive list of STEM Labs, Art Labs, Early Childhood Programs, and Science Demonstrations. Sort by grade level using the dropdowns below to see programming available for your group.
Pre-Kindergarten–Kindergarten
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Hidden in Plain Sight
Can you spot an animal that doesn’t want to be seen? Together we’ll read “Look Again: Secrets of Animal Camouflage” by Steve Jenkins and discover the clever ways animals blend into their surroundings. Afterwards, students will create their own camouflaged animal and see if the teacher can find where they’ve hidden it in the room!Jr. Scientists
What happens if we are able to look closely at the natural world? In this engaging storytime, students will explore the book “Unseen Worlds” by Hélène Rajcak and Damien Laverdunt. Afterward, we’ll explore using digital microscopes and create fun artwork based on these microscopic observations!Red, Yellow, and Blue: Art Storytime
Discover the world of color mixing in this interactive storytime. Listen to the story of “Mouse Paint” by Ellen Stoll Walsh and then explore mixing colors just like those sneaky three mice did. Students will use model magic clay to explore primary colors in a fun and tactile way.
1st–2nd Grade
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City Builders
Plan out your own city in this fun civil engineering workshop! Learn how to use a map legend, construct a simple building from Legos, and then “lay down” roadways for special Ozobot robots to drive on.Engineering Emergency
Get ready to unleash your inner engineer and design a building that can withstand the fury of Mother Nature! Students will delve into the world of disaster-resilient engineering, where they'll learn the science behind tornadoes and earthquakes and apply their knowledge to create innovative structures that can survive these extreme weather events.Polymer Explorations
Get ready to react as we dive into the fascinating world of polymers! Students will explore the science of slime by first observing a premade sample, then creating their own and comparing the two. To expand the investigation, students will also experiment with a superabsorbent polymer and see how it reacts with water, uncovering the surprising ways polymers behave in our world. -
Pop Art! Stencil like Warhol
Inspired by Andy Warhol’s screenprints, this lab introduces students to various shapes through stencil-making! Students will design their own stencils and use a few pre-made Warhol-inspired templates to create bold, layered artwork. Along the way, they’ll learn how artists like Warhol used repeated imagery to make a big impact during the Pop Art Movement.This will be offered throughout the run of the Warhol Exhibition from October 1, 2025 through March 29, 2026
Texture Plate Creatures
Students will explore texture and creativity by making their own imaginative creatures! Using a variety of texture plates, they’ll create three different textured sheets of paper. These sheets will then be cut out and assembled to form a new creature—whether a fantastical monster or a natural animal. Along the way, students will experiment with pattern, texture, and composition while combining parts to make a one-of-a-kind creation.This Lab will be offered from March 30, 2026, onward.
9th Grade +
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Exoplanetary Scientist
Over five thousand exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) have been discovered, but what kinds of worlds are they? How do we find out if they have the ingredients needed for life? Explore how scientists use light to discover what elements make up a planet’s atmosphere. -
Screenprinting 101
In tandem with the exploration of the exhibition Good Business: Andy Warhol’s Screenprints, students will learn the practice of screen printing. This lab will discuss screen coating, light sensitive emulsion, color separation, reverse imaging, registration, and physical components of screenprinting. Students will learn how artists, like Warhol used layers, colors, and repeated imagery to make a big impact during the Pop Art Movement.This will be offered throughout the run of the Warhol Exhibition from October 1, 2025 through March 29, 2026
3rd–5th Grade
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Wings & Things: The Science of Birds
Take flight into the world of birds while exploring the power of scientific observation through open-ended explorations of bird habitats and nesting behaviors. Working in groups, each team will be assigned a specific bird and challenged to design a nest or habitat that suits its unique needs. Using reusable materials, students will build their creations while learning about biodiversity and discovering how different species adapt to survive in their environments.Good Vibrations: The Science of Sound
Tune in to the science behind sound! Students will explore the basics of sound waves while learning how frequency and amplitude shape what we hear. Using spectrograms, they’ll analyze sounds from different instruments, comparing patterns and testing how changes in pitch and volume affect the results. Along the way, students will investigate how vibrations create sound and experiment with ways to produce higher frequencies, lower amplitudes, and more!Ancient Appalachia: The Science of Fossils
You’re on an expedition to study and classify real fossils in this adventurous hands-on workshop. What can we learn from our ancient Appalachian environment by studying fossils? You’ll have to join our exploration squad to find out. -
Intro to Screenprinting
Students will get a hands-on introduction to screenprinting in connection with the exhibition Good Business: Andy Warhol’s Screenprints. They’ll explore the basics of light-sensitive emulsion and reverse imagery, and will pull their own prints from a single screen onto paper. While students will work with one screen, they’ll learn how Warhol used layers, repetition, and color to make a big impact in his work.This will be offered throughout the run of the Warhol Exhibition from October 1, 2025 through March 29, 2026
Found Object Printmaking
Students will create original blockprint artwork using various found objects.. By experimenting with textures, shapes, and patterns, they’ll learn how to turn everyday items like leaves, cardboard, or other natural materials into unique prints. This hands-on activity encourages creativity, observation, and problem-solving as each student makes a one-of-a-kind piece.This Lab will be offered from March 30, 2026, onward.
Science Alive Demonstrations
Under Pressure
Want a highly memorable experience for your entire group at once? Our Science Alive Demonstrations will take simple concepts and blow them up to a larger than life scale. These demonstrations correlate with current West Virginia Science Standards and are fun for both students and teachers alike.
Experience the unexpected in this fun science demonstration all about the effects of air pressure! Watch water float in air, balloons inflate, and what happens to objects put in vacuum chambers
Grades: 3rd - 5th Middle/High
Use the Force
Hang onto your hat as we see and feel the strength behind different types of forces! Gravity might pull us down, but we can find a way to reverse those effects!
Grades: Pre-Kindergarten - 5th
Shows and Films
Films
Experience wonder through our large-screen films.
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Travel with Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House® best-selling children’s book series, as they search for answers to a mysterious riddle they discover in a written note signed “–M.” Viewers peek into the treehouse and follow Jack and Annie on an exciting adventure as they meet a helpful astronomer and an astronaut. As they travel to an observatory and beyond into space, Jack and Annie nearly get … Well, we don’t want to give the surprise away!
Grades: Kindergarten–2nd Grade
Focus: Learning about astronomy and the job of an astronomer
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Experience on the giant screen the remarkable true story of three animal species rescued from the brink of extinction. Join this amazing adventure to save California’s enchanting Channel Island Fox, China’s fabled Golden Monkey and the wondrous migrating crabs of Christmas Island. Discover successful, heartfelt and ingenious human efforts to rescue endangered species around the world. In partnership with The Nature Conservancy and narrated by Claire Danes, experience Back from the Brink: Saved from Extinction.
Grades: 4th - 5th
Focus: Endangered Animals
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Based on authentic scientific data from groundbreaking space missions, Worlds Beyond Earth takes viewers on an exhilarating adventure through our cosmic neighborhood. Immersive visualizations showcase the solar system with unprecedented accuracy, including a landing on the cratered surface of our own Moon, a dramatic flight through the swirling rings of Saturn, and soaring encounters with distant worlds of active volcanoes and buried oceans.
Grades: 4th - 5th
Focus: Solar Systems
Live Shows
Live shows are led by a Clay Center Educator.
All live shows can be adapted to engage students in 6th grade and above.
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What happens when a star dies? In this planetarium show, we will follow the incredible lifecycles of three different stars, from their brilliant beginnings to their dramatic ends. Along the way, students will discover how the size of a star determines its fate, and how stellar deaths give rise to some of the most mysterious objects in the universe, including white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Through dazzling visuals and clear explanations, we’ll explore how the death of stars continues to shape the universe as we know it.
Grades: 2nd - 5th | Focus: Stellar Lifecycles
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How big is the universe, really? In this planetarium show, we’ll journey through our solar system and beyond to explore the mind-boggling sizes and distances that shape our cosmic neighborhood. Through vivid visuals and interactive comparisons, students will uncover what “really, really big” means when we talk about the sun, planets, and stars. Along the way, we’ll learn the astronomical concepts scientists use to measure space and gain a new perspective on our place in the universe.
Grades: 2nd - 5th | Focus: Distance and Sizes of Planets and Stars
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Immerse yourself in the amazing sounds of our planet! Global Soundscapes takes you on an ear-opening journey into the science of sound and the emerging field of soundscape ecology.
Embark on a mission to investigate the dramatic soundscapes of Costa Rica’s rainforests, Hawaii’s coral reefs, and Mongolia’s vast grasslands. Learn how animals use sounds to survive and communicate in lush, but threatened environments.
Grades: 2nd - 5th | Focus: Soundwaves and Ecology
Field Trip Pricing
1 chaperone for every 10 students is required for field trips. Cost for additional adults is shown below.
Museum Admission
Students | $6.50
Chaperones | FREE
Additional Adults | $9.00
Museum Admission with Education Program
Students | $10.00
Chaperones | FREE
Additional Adults | $9.00*
*Not permitted in Workshop/Lab due to limited space
Museum Admission with Planetarium Film or Show
Students | $10.00
Chaperones | $3.50
Additional Adults | $12.50
Memberships cannot be used to cover field trip costs.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this, please contact us at 304-561-3570 or note them on the Field Trip Interest Form (click Book Your Field Trip above).
Museum Admission with Planetarium AND Education Program
Students | $13.50
Chaperones | $3.50
Additional Adults | $12.50*
*Not permitted in Workshop/Lab due to limited space