Join us on the Farm!
At Billings Farm & Museum, we believe learning is most meaningful when students can engage all their senses—seeing, touching, listening, and doing. When children actively participate, lessons move beyond the page and become experiences they remember long after their school days.
On a field trip, students meet animals, think critically about historical artifacts, and try traditional skills. These experiences build curiosity, confidence, and connection—to each other, to the land, and to the stories of farming in our region.
How do I book a field trip at Billings Farm & Museum?
Please download and fill out a request form and email it to schoolgroups@billingsfarm.org. A complete request form is required to finalize booking. The earliest we can host you on site is two weeks after receiving your request form. Please call Mollie Surprenant, School & Youth Programs Manager, at 802-457-5330 with any questions.
Billings Farm & Museum Scholarship Fund
We are very pleased to be able to offer financial assistance to schools through our Billings Farm & Museum Scholarship Fund. This fund is supported by generous gifts from individuals and foundations, along with contributions through our Round Up Program.
What does a field trip at Billings Farm & Museum look like?
Each Field Trip Includes:
- A guided program with a farm educator
- A designated classroom and lunch area
Pricing: $9.00/student. Employees of your school or organization receive complimentary admission. Caregiver chaperones are $14 each (8 caregiver chaperones maximum per visit).
Payment: Groups can choose to be invoiced or pay upon arrival. Invoices will go out to your organization after your scheduled visit. Groups that choose to pay upon arrival will do so at the admissions desk when they arrive (cash, check, or credit card are accepted). Checks should be made out to Billings Farm & Museum.
What programs are we currently offering?
Life on the Farm: Hands at Work
This immersive program invites learners into the daily rhythms of farm life. Together, we will explore life cycles on the farm, meet members of our Jersey herd (from calves to cows), churn homemade butter, visit our Southdown sheep, and learn about traditional wool crafting practices — with the opportunity to try a wool craft firsthand.
The program includes three interactive stations that groups will rotate through during their time on the farm, offering hands-on learning at every stop.
We welcome visits from Pre-K to 12th grade learners, and adjust the program according to developmental and curricular needs.
What are other seasonal program offerings?
Preschool
Custom Program (September-February): From exploring our barns to meet farm animals, observing pollinators in our gardens, learning about our apple orchard, to walking through our sunflower house. There are ample opportunities to explore your learning goals here at the farm & museum. Please reach out to Mollie Surprenant (msurprenant@billingsfarm.org) to build your custom field trip.
Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Custom Program (September-February): We enjoy building upon the learning taking place in your classroom! Please reach out to Mollie Surprenant (msurprenant@billingsfarm.org) to learn more about the custom programs we can make for your learners. From learning about tools and pollinators to exploring social emotional opportunities at the farm, we are happy to plan a program that best fits your learning goals.
Children on Hill Farms (September-November): Using sources from the past, explore the role of children as productive members of the 19th -century farm family. While learning about the daily lives of children in the past – including chores, school, and play – today’s children will compare and contrast the past with the present.
Life on the Farm: Hands at Work (Available any month but March): This immersive program invites learners into the daily rhythms of farm life. Together, we will explore life cycles on the farm, meet members of our Jersey herd (from calves to cows), churn homemade butter, visit our Southdown sheep, and learn about traditional wool crafting practices — with the opportunity to try a wool craft firsthand.
4th – 6th Grade
Custom Program (September-February): We enjoy building upon the learning taking place in your classroom! Please reach out to Mollie Surprenant (msurprenant@billingsfarm.org) to learn more about the custom programs we can make for your learners. From learning about tools and pollinators to exploring social emotional opportunities at the farm, we are happy to plan a program that best fits your learning goals.
History Detectives (September-February): Learn what life in Vermont was like long ago using photographs, letters, and objects from the past. We’ll spend time hands-on with special artifacts from our collections and exhibits and see what we can learn from historic photographs. Students will put on their “history detective” hats to examine primary sources for themselves and present their findings to the group.
Life on the Farm: Hands at Work (Available any month but March): This immersive program invites learners into the daily rhythms of farm life. Together, we will explore life cycles on the farm, meet members of our Jersey herd (from calves to cows), churn homemade butter, visit our Southdown sheep, and learn about traditional wool crafting practices — with the opportunity to try a wool craft firsthand.
High School
Custom Program (September-February): We have worked with high school history teachers to explore our archives to learn more about Vermont’s golden age of dairy and science teachers to create programs on native plants, pollinators and sustainable farming. Please reach out to Mollie Surprenant (msurprenant@billingsfarm.org) to build a custom program for your learners.
School Group Policies
- We can accommodate groups of 10-50 students. If your group is larger than 50, please reach out to discuss how we may accommodate your visit.
- Membership and library passes do not apply to field trips
Contact: schoolgroups@billingsfarm.org or call 802-457-5330