About Field Trips
Field Trip Offerings
Like nature itself, the programs offered at the farm are shaped by the seasons. As the farm evolves throughout the year, so do our programs, offering learners new opportunities to explore, discover, and connect with the rhythms of farm life.
We welcome visits from Pre-K to 12th grade learners and adjust programs according to developmental and curricular needs.
Guided Field Trips
On-site programs by our experienced educators
Self-Guided Visits
Groups explore the farm at their own pace
Classroom & Outreach Visits
Educators bring hands-on learning directly to your school, camp, event, or organization
Field trips are scheduled from 10:00AM-1:00PM. We can accommodate groups of 10-50 students. If your group is larger than 50, please contact us. Library passes and memberships do not apply to field trips.
Pricing: $9.00/student, $14.00/caregiver chaperone. Teachers and school employees receive complimentary admission. Scholarships are available for qualifying groups.
Each guided field trip includes programs led by one of our farm educators and a designated classroom and lunch area. Groups may select up to 3 programs for their visit. See the program guide below to learn which programs are offered each month.
Step into the role of a history detective as you examine photographs, letters, artifacts, and other primary sources from Billings Farm & Museum’s collections. Investigate clues from the past, learn how historians interpret evidence, and share your discoveries with the group.
Discover what life was like for children growing up on a 19th-century Vermont hill farm. Using historic artifacts, stories, and hands-on activities, compare daily life past and present while exploring chores, school, work, and play.
Meet our Jersey cows, calves, and heifers as you explore a cow’s life cycle, what they eat, where they live, and how they are cared for each day. Discover how milk becomes dairy products, then try your hand at grooming a cow while gaining a deeper appreciation for life on a working farm.
Meet our Southdown sheep and discover the remarkable journey from fleece to fiber. Feel raw wool, explore Vermont’s rich sheep farming history, and create a wool craft to take home. This hands-on program connects agriculture, history, and traditional fiber arts.
How is butter made? Discover the science and history behind one of the farm’s dairy operations. Churn cream into butter, explore the transformation behind the process, design your own butter stamps, and taste the butter you make together.
From orchard to table, experience the tradition of making homemade applesauce in the 1890’s Farm Manager’s House. Peel, core, cook, and mash apples on a historic wood-burning cookstove before tasting your finished applesauce. Seasonal offerings may also include a walk through our heirloom apple orchard to discover some of the many apple varieties that grow in Vermont.
Warm up with a cup of history! Discover the story of hot chocolate and its place in Victorian life. Chop, stir, and prepare hot chocolate on a historic wood-burning cookstove before enjoying a warm cup during Vermont’s coldest months.
Nothing says summer on the farm like homemade ice cream. Using cream, ice, salt, and plenty of teamwork, discover the science of freezing as you churn ice cream by hand. After all the hard work, enjoy a scoop of old-fashioned, homemade ice cream.
Create a customized experience designed to fit your group.
Bring the farm to your classroom with an engaging story time led by Billings Farm & Museum educators. Through stories, songs, movement, and sensory play, your youngest learners build early literacy, vocabulary, and listening skills while learning about life on the farm.
Discover how Vermont’s sheep boom shaped the state’s landscape, economy, and communities. Through hands-on activities, interactive challenges, and collaborative building experiences, explore this fascinating chapter of Vermont history while uncovering the lasting impact of sheep farming.
See the program guide below to learn which programs are offered each month.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Guided Programs
History Detectives
Children on Hill Farms
Jersey Cow Journey
From Sheep to Wool
Butter Makers
From Orchard to Table
Cocoa on the Cookstove
The Story of the Scoop
Custom Program
Outreach Programs
Farm Friends Storytime
Vermont’s Sheep Boom
History, harvest, and hands-on fun. Step into the sights, smells, and stories of a Vermont autumn.
Cool mornings and sunny autumn afternoons make fall one of the most beautiful times to visit the farm. Stroll through our heirloom apple orchard, breathe in the aroma of applesauce simmering on the historic wood-burning cookstove, and warm your hands while grooming one of our Jersey cows. Through immersive, hands-on experiences, discover what life was like on a Vermont farm during the busy harvest season of the 1890s.
Important Things to Know
- Dress warmly. The historic barns can be cool in the fall.
- Dress for the weather and plan to spend most of the day outdoors.
- Programs may be adjusted based on temperatures in our historic buildings.
- Fall is our busiest season. For the best experience with school groups, we recommend visiting in mid-October.
Bundle up for cocoa, cows, and crafts as you discover winter on a working farm.
Winter is a peaceful time to visit the farm. With limited public hours, school groups often enjoy much of the site to themselves. Gather around the historic wood-burning cookstove, sip warm cocoa, create crafts, and experience the beauty of the farm in winter.
Important Things to Know
- From November through February, school groups enjoy exclusive access to much of the site while the site is closed to the public.
- November is ideal for custom field trips. Our educators can tailor programs to support your classroom goals.
- Many of our historic buildings are unheated, so some programs are offered seasonally.
- Dress warmly with winter boots, snow pants, hats, gloves, and coats.
- Weather permitting, enjoy outdoor exploration and winter play with views of our snow-covered pastures.
From seedlings to baby farm animals, experience the joy of spring on the farm.
Spring is a season of new beginnings at the farm. Baby animals fill the barns, gardens begin to bloom, and the farm comes alive with the sights and sounds of a new growing season. As our historic buildings reopen for the season, even more hands-on learning opportunities become available. From meeting newborn animals to visiting our recently sheared sheep and goats, spring is filled with discovery.
Important Things to Know
- Wear rain boots and dress for the weather.
- Dress in layers. Spring weather in Vermont can change quickly.
- Many activities include both indoor and outdoor exploration.
Nothing says summer on the farm like homemade ice cream!
Summer at Billings Farm & Museum is filled with life, discovery, and hands-on fun. Meet calves in the nursery, wander through blooming gardens, observe busy pollinators, explore the farm with scavenger hunts, and enjoy sensory play stations. Complete your visit by churning and tasting homemade ice cream, a favorite summer tradition.
Summer Highlights
- Homemade ice cream-making and tasting
- Quilt exhibition scavenger hunt
- Farm Friends Play Club (Tue, 10:00AM – 2:00PM)
- Public horse-drawn wagon rides (Tue & Thu, 11:00AM – 3:00PM)
- Sunflower House (seasonal — typically early August to early September)
Important Things to Know
- Bring a picnic lunch and a refillable water bottle.
- Dress for the weather and plan to spend most of the day outdoors.
- Summer days can be warm, and air-conditioned spaces are limited.