Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 12:18:21 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <199710211918.MAA10482@isaac.exploratorium.edu>
To: pinhole@exploratorium.edu
From: Mary Anne Hallacy <mahallac@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: information about school field trips
Hello, teachers!!
Some of you may have questions about how to arrange for your class to visit
the Exploratorium. It's really very easy, and we'd love to see you. The
following is a list of information about such things as how to make a school
field trip reservation and/or tactile dome reservation and how to apply for
a fee waiver or fee reduction. I am also including our field trip
orientation sheet. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to
contact us at reservations@exploratorium.edu.
RESERVATIONS INFORMATION:
EXPLORATORIUM
FIELD TRIP PROGRAM
3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
415/561-0317 (tel.)
415/561-0370 (fax)
Thank you for inquiring about the Exploratorium's School Field Trip Program.
As part of the Exploratorium's Center for Teaching and Learning, the School
Field Trip Program offers reduced admission rates to school groups provided that
they make an advance reservation. A School Field Trip visit also includes an
extended orientation upon arrival as well as discount coupons for the students
for future visits.
The School Field Trip Program is available Tuesday through Friday mornings,
from 9:30 a.m. until 12 noon, October through June. Classes are always
welcome to stay
until museum closing time. The rate for Field Trips is $2.50 per students
between
the ages of 6 - 17, and $1.50 for children 3 - 5 years of age. We admit
one free chaperone
for every 10 students, youths, or children. All additional adults are
admitted at the rate of $6.00 each. Reservations may be made by calling
(415) 561-0317, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 2:00 and 5:00
p.m. Or e-mail us at reservations@exploratorium.edu.
We recommend that teachers call for a School Field Trip reservation one
month prior to
the date of the intended visit. To secure reservations for April through
June, we recommend
calling two to three months in advance. Teachers will be mailed letters of
confirmation.
To plan a School Field Trip visit to the Tactile Dome, please call (415)
561-0362, Monday
through Friday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. We do not
take any e-mail reservations for the tactile dome.
Each student's field trip admission includes a discount coupon for a future
visit (one free adult admission with the purchase of a regular $5.00 youth
admission). This is to encourage students to return to the museum with their
families. Coupons are issued at check-in.
Once again, thank-you for your interest in the Exploratorium's School Field
Trip Program.
We hope to see you soon!
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FIELD TRIP ORIENTATION SHEET
ENJOYING YOUR VISIT TO THE EXPLORATORIUM
Thank you for making a reservation to visit the Exploratorium. In order to
get the most from your field trip, please read the following information
well in advance of your visit.
BEFORE YOUR VISIT
FREE VISIT
We encourage you to visit the museum before your field trip. Tell the
cashier that you are previewing the museum in preparation for an upcoming
field trip, and the cashier will sign you in free of charge.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Please let us know if any group member has special needs. We will do our
best to accommodate you.
PAYMENT WITH PURCHASE ORDER
Payment is due upon arrival. If you plan on paying with a purchase order,
please send a copy at least one week before your visit. Be sure the
purchase order is issued by the Unified School District and references the
following information: the school's name, the date and time of your
reservation, and the amount allocated for the visit. Also, be sure that
the Exploratorium is listed as the payee.
CHAPERONES
Please bring a minimum of 1 chaperone for every 10 youths or children. All
additional adults will be admitted at a rate of $6.00 each. Please keep in
mind that, for the duration of your visit, the chaperones are responsible
for the behavior of the students they are accompanying.
SCHOOL IDENTIFICATION LABELS
Please, if possible, have everyone in your group, including adults, wear
visible labels with the name of the school, and not their individual names.
In this way, both the Exploratorium and
the school can identify the members of your group, without compromising the
safety of the individual students.
DIRECTIONS
Feel free to contact our Directions Line at (415) 561-0399, 24 hours/ day, 7
days/week.
PLAN YOUR LUNCH/DEPARTURE
It is important to choose the time and location of your departure, including
lunch break,
before entering the museum.
UPON ARRIVAL
PARKING
Free parking is available in the lot on the west side of the building.
Please park buses toward the back of the parking lot, against the fence.
For safety reasons, please unload in the parking lot, and not along Palace
Drive or at the Main Entrance.
CHECKING IN
When you arrive at the museum, please wait with your students outside the
main entrance, or inside the front lobby. The group leader will need to
register and pay at the admissions desk, while the chaperones wait with the
group.
PAYMENT
Payment for the entire group is due upon arrival. Please make your payment
in one lump sum, even if you are paying for several classes. You will need
to have an exact head count of your students so that we charge you the
correct amount. Identify your school to the cashier, and let him or her
know how many youth aged 6-17 ($2.50), how many children aged 3-5 ($1.50),
and how many adults are in your group. Please bring a minimum of 1
chaperone for every 10 youths, or children. All additional adults will be
admitted at a rate of $6.00 each. We accept cash, checks, traveler's
checks, Mastercard, and VISA. We also accept Unified School District
purchase orders (see above).
FREE COUPONS
Upon checking in, you will receive a special field trip coupon for every
student. Please distribute these coupons at the end of the day, or the next
day in class. The coupon encourages students to return to the museum with
their families. It offers one free adult admission with one paid youth
admission on the student's next visit to the Exploratorium.
ORIENTATION
You will be welcomed by an Exploratorium Explainer, easily identified by
their bright orange
vests. The Explainer will orient your group to the museum, highlight
special exhibits and demonstrations, and answer any questions you may have.
The orientation will also cover
logistics and museum rules. The Explainer will lead your group into the
museum, and can bring you to an exhibit area. The Explainer will not
directly accompany you throughout your visit, as the museum is self-guided.
However, Explainers are available around the museum to answer your questions
and discuss exhibits.
BILINGUAL INFORMATION
If you would like your group to receive an orientation in a language other
than English, please tell the Explainer when you check in. We will do our
best to accommodate you.
SET MEETING TIME AND PLACE
At the end of the orientation, please make sure all the students and
chaperones know when and where you are meeting for lunch and/or departure.
The doorway is not a good meeting place, as it is our only entrance/exit.
There is a giant clock on the wall inside the museum. Keep in mind that the
Exploratorium is a very big place and we have no paging system.
LUNCH STORAGE
The Explainer will collect your students' lunches and store them in large
bins with your school name. For your own convenience, you may want to make
sure that each lunch is identified with the student's name. Our storage
space is limited, so we are unable to store backpacks. Students are
encouraged to leave their backpacks at home or on the bus.
DURING YOUR VISIT
DEMONSTRATIONS
As you move through our 550 exhibits, you will see Explainers leading a
variety of demonstrations on such things as electricity, lasers, and the
vibraphone. There are also cow's eye dissections most days. Check with an
Explainer upon arrival to find out what is available that day. Do encourage
your students to participate in these demonstrations, as they are fun and
interesting and offer an added dimension to the museum visit.
ACTIVE CHAPERONING
Please keep in mind, that chaperones are responsible for the behavior of the
students they accompany. Although the museum is self-guided, it is a good
idea for chaperones to be aware of where their students are and to be
available to them. Teachers and chaperone involvement in the visit can
greatly improve the students' experiences.
RESTROOMS/RE-ENTERING THE MUSEUM
There is only one set of restrooms in the Exploratorium, and it is located
in the lobby. It is a good idea for students to use the restrooms before
entering. If and when students go out to use the restroom, we do not stamp
hands. If not wearing school name tags, students should just tell the
cashier the name of their school upon re-entering.
LOST AND FOUND: PERSONS AND ITEMS
Our lost and found is located in the main office. Explainers, main office
receptionists, or admissions cashiers can assist you in finding a lost
student. Keep in mind that there is no
paging system.
FIRST AID
Our First Aid station is also located in the main office. If you need
emergency assistance, find the nearest staff member or go to the main office.
EXPLORATORIUM STORE
The Exploratorium Store sells a wide array of books, toys, and other
interesting items. We encourage you to bring your students to the store at
the end of your visit, and students must be accompanied by a chaperone. The
store requests that you observe the following guidelines:
1) please do not open merchandise; a staff employee will assist you; 2)
keep all purchases in the bag, with the receipt, as proof of purchase, until
you leave the museum; and 3) food and beverages are not permitted in the
store, as well as backpacks and fanny packs. Please remember that the store
helps to support the museum and when items are removed from the store
without being paid for, it hurts our efforts to provide the best possible
museum experience for everyone. Shoplifting is a crime and is a serious matter.
LUNCH BREAK
BUYING LUNCH
The Exploratorium Cafe offers a variety of organic foods, including
sandwiches, soup, a salad bar, hot dogs, and nachos. There are tables
available in the cafe if you buy your lunches there.
BRINGING LUNCH
If you have brought lunches, you can retrieve them from an Explainer a few
minutes before your lunch time. There are many nice spots to eat on the
grounds outside the museum. An Explainer can provide you with a garbage bag
to facilitate clean-up. Please stay with your group and take responsibility
for your students' behavior. It is important for students to be considerate
of each other, of their surroundings, and of our wildlife. The ducks in our
lagoon are the only part of the visit that are not "hands-on" !
FIELD TRIPS ON FREE DAY
If you are visiting the museum on a Free Day (first Wednesday of every
month), please remember that it is still important to check in with an
Admissions cashier upon arrival and receive an orientation. Because Free
Days are especially crowded, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of
safety and behavior with your students.
Thank you for choosing to bring your school to The Exploratorium. We hope
your visit was educational, challenging, and fun. We welcome your feedback
and suggestions. When planning future visits, please remember that spring
Field Trips fill up quickly, so schedule your next visit as soon as you can.
Our Field Trip Reservations line can be reached at 415/561-0317, Monday -
Friday, between 2:00 and 5:00. We also accept faxed requests for
reservations at 415/561-0307. Or e-mail us at reservations@exploratorium.edu.
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HOW TO APPLY FOR A FEE WAIVER/FEE REDUCTION:
Non-profit organizations wishing to request a fee waiver to the
Exploratorium must do so, in writing, ONE MONTH before the date of the
intended visit. In the event that the requestor has less than one month's
time to submit the request, he may send a fax, followed by a hard copy of
the letter.
(The Exploratorium's fax number is 415/561-0370.)
Request for fee waivers/fee reductions should be submitted to:
Mary Anne Hallacy
Admissions and Visitor Services Manager
Exploratorium
360l Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
The Admissions and Visitor Services Manager will review all requests for
approval and notify the requestor by telephone, by mail, or through the
Reservationist.
Requests for fee waivers/fee reductions must be in the form of a letter, on
the organization's letterhead, and must be signed by the DIRECTOR/PRINCIPAL.
The letter should clearly indicate the date and time of the intended visit
as well as the number of children (3-5), youth (6-17), adults (18 +), and
staff/chaperones who plan to attend. The letter should also clearly
explain which community the organization is serving.
Please be sure to include all of the requested information so as to avoid delays
in processing.
Any organization applying for a fee waiver must be a certified
not-for-profit. However, not-for-profit status is not the sole criterion
upon which a fee waiver is approved.
Under no circumstances should an organization arrive at the Exploratorium,
expecting to be admitted for free, without having made a request for a fee
waiver in advance.
A NOTE FROM MARY ANNE: Please remember that I need one month's notice for a
fee waiver/fee reduction request. Processing is delayed if any of the
requested information is missing or ambiguous. When I receive a request for
a fee waiver/fee reduction, I review the visitation history of the school.
Therefore, if your school funds different programs differently, it is
important to communicate such details in the body of your letter. After
I've reviewed your letter, I will ask a Reservationist to contact you with
the details. We will also mail you a confirmation letter. We often find it
very difficult to get a hold of teachers, so please let us know what is the
best time to reach you. Finally, please remember that the Exploratorium is
a non-profit organization. We keep our field trip rates very low so as to
make the program accessible to all. We are happy to offer sliding scale
admission or free admission to those groups/schools which qualify. It is a
bit awkward when we receive requests for fee waivers from schools which
indicate that they cannot pay admission to the Exploratorium because they
are paying full-price for a trip to Great America or the Giants, for
example. It is very important to us that everyone who wishes to visit the
Exploratorium is able to do so and that financial hardship does not prevent
even one person from visiting.
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-----------------------------------Exploring in the Dark: THE TACTILE DOME
The Exploratorium's Tactile Dome is an adventure in touch. In a pitch-black
environment, you crawl, climb, slide, and explore the most amazing and
startling textures. It's a little like a maze, a little like a funhouse, a
little like a game of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"-and a lot like nothing
else on earth.
A visit to the Tactile Dome requires a special admission fee and an advance
reservation. Admission is $12 per person ($9 for members-up to 2 tickets;
$10 for school field trips-October to June). This fee includes admission to
the museum for the day.
Reservations may be made by calling (415) 561-0362 Monday through Friday,
between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Tactile Dome is a very
popular exhibit, so please be prepared to make a reservation in advance
especially for weekend and holiday time slots. Each reservation slot is for
1 hour and 15 minutes.
We do not accept e-mail reservations for the Tactile Dome.
For private parties, please be prepared to make a reservation for a minimum
of 15/maximum of 20 persons.
Tactile Dome Hours
Mondays (Memorial Day-Labor Day): 10:15 a.m., 12 noon
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 10:15 a.m., 12 noon, 1:45 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00
p.m., 6:45 p.m.
Wednesday evenings: 8:30 p.m.
Thursdays and Fridays: 10:15 a.m., 12 noon, 1:45 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m.,
6:45 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays: 10:15 a.m., 12 noon, 1:45 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m.,
6:45 p.m.
The Tactile Dome is NOT recommended for children under the age of 7, people
with back or knee injuries, people in casts, people with
claustrophobia, anyone who is afraid of the dark, or women in their last
trimester of pregnancy.
Museum Hours
Winter Hours (Labor Day-Memorial Day): Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday evenings until 9:30 p.m. Closed Christmas and
Thanksgiving. Closed Mondays, with the exception of most holidays.
Summer Hours (Memorial Day-Labor Day): Open 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m.; Wednesday evenings until 9:30 p.m.
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Once again, teachers have three options for making school field trip
reservations. They may:
1) Call 415/561-0317, Monday through Friday, between
2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
2) Send an e-mail to reservations@exploratorium.edu
3) Send a fax to 415/561-0370, attention: Reservations
When sending a fax or e-mail, be sure to include the complete name, address,
and telephone number for your school, the lead teacher's name, the date and
time on your desired visit, and the number of students and adults who plan
to visit. Please indicate the grade level(s) you are teaching and the age
range of your students: # ages 6-17, # ages 3-5, # <3. (This enables us
to charge you the correct admission rate and helps us with demographic
tracking.)
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-----------------------------------We welcome your comments/suggestions on
the school field trip program and the reservations process. Please let us
know how we may be of further assistance.
Thank you.
Mary Anne Hallacy
Manager of Admissions and Visitor Services
Exploratorium
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
mahallac@exploratorium.edu
415/561-0394 (tel)
415/561-0370 (fax)