Education
 
Field Trip Preparation
  • Chaperones: The USBG asks all school groups to have one chaperone for every seven students.
  • Time frame: Plan 1 to 3 hours for your field trip depending on the Visit Option you choose (see below).
  • Food: The USBG does not have food service of any kind, nor do we have an area where groups can gather to eat. Plan to have students eat before or after the visit.
  • When you arrive: See the Your Visit page for information on location, parking, and accessibility. 
  • Museum etiquette: The USBG averages 500,000 visitors per year. Because of this, we ask visitors not to touch the plants on display unless we have specifically invited them to do so. Groups also need to stay with their chaperones and avoid loud behavior, running, and walking in the beds. Please make sure students and chaperones are aware of these policies.
 
Visit Options and Resources

Self-Guided Tour (allow 1 hour)
If your group is interested in a general overview of the USBG Conservatory, consider the self-guided tour. A map of the Conservatory with the name of each area is located at the Information Desk at the entrance. Throughout the Conservatory, you'll find interpretive signs that explain more about different ecosystems and the plants that live in them.

Family Guide (allow 1.5 to 2 hours) A Family Guide to the Conservatory will be available January 5, 2009. It will use fun activities to help visitors explore the importance of the plants and ecosystem represented in each area. If you have less time than the 1.5 to 2 hours we recommend, you can focus on specific Conservatory rooms. Copies of the Family Guide will be available at the Information Desk at the Conservatory entrance.