Field Trips: 6 - 8
Explore the vibrant history and culture of New York City through engaging exhibits and interactive displays at the Museum of the City of New York. Junior high students will dive into the city’s past, discovering its dynamic stories and contributions to art, filmmaking, and social change. The field trips listed below are offered in either Spanish or English, or as a bilingual experience. / Este programa se ofrece tanto en español como en inglés, o como una experiencia bilingüe.
Please scroll for field trip descriptions, FAQs, rates, and more information.
Field Trip Experiences at MCNY
Manny Vega: Art in El Barrio / Arte en El Barrio
In this guided program, students will explore the exhibition Byzantine Bembé: New York by Manny Vega and see the range of artistic media Vega uses to celebrate Puerto Rican, African, and Brazilian music, art, spiritual traditions, and culture, particularly in East Harlem. Students will learn about Vega’s childhood growing up in NYC, practice some Spanish, and discuss how cultural traditions may help shape meaning in their own lives.
Hands-on Learning: Students will conclude the program by making their own paper mosaics to take home, drawing from selections of the artist’s work.
Themes: Art, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 6-8. Offered through Jan 3
Activist New York
Engage your students with New York City’s long history of social activism spanning 350 years. Students will examine original artifacts and visuals while a Museum Educator facilitates discussion on topics ranging from immigration to Civil Rights, trans activism, and the current Movement for Black Lives. Please select 2 or 3 of the case studies on view when booking.
Hands-on Learning: Students will participate in the tradition of activism by creating a wearable button championing the change they would like to make. This field trip aligns with the NYCDOE’s Civics for All curriculum and initiative.
Themes: Civic Engagement, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 6-8.
Activist New York: Black History Edition
In this special edition of the Activist New York field trip, students will examine original artifacts and visuals related to New York’s long history of Black social activism. A Museum Educator will facilitate discussion on three case studies: Abolishing Slavery: The Battle Over Abolition 1830-1865; Civil Rights: New York and Civil Rights 1945-1964; and #BlackLivesMatter: The Movement for Black Lives 2012-2020.
Hands-on Learning: Students will participate in the tradition of activism by creating a wearable button championing the change they would like to see. This field trip aligns with the NYCDOE’s Civics for All curriculum and initiative.
Themes: Civic Engagement, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 6 - 8.
The Making of New York: From Manhatta to the Five Borough City
In this guided field trip of the Museum’s main historical gallery New York at Its Core: Port City – 1609-1898, students will explore the story of the city as it grew into the nation’s economic and cultural capital on the shores of the Western Hemisphere’s busiest harbor. Alongside more than 200 one-of-a-kind artifacts, including a Lenape ceremonial club, archaeological findings from the Five Points neighborhood, and original models of the Statue of Liberty, participants will “meet” New Yorkers of the past through interactive digital installations.
Hands-on Learning: Students will practice their historical thinking skills as they sketch and interpret original artifacts.
Themes: Technology & Innovation, Our Communities, Cultural Identity
75 minutes. Grades 6 - 8.
NYC Graffiti: From the Subway to the Museum
The young people who launched New York’s age of graffiti in the 1970s went on to significantly influence global pop culture. This guided field trip centers on the stories of multiple writers – graffiti artists – as they transitioned their practice from illegally writing on subway cars to creating paintings on canvas and exhibiting in galleries and museums around the world. In the process, students will build knowledge and practice in art criticism, engage multiple perspectives on graffiti, and learn about Hidden Voices including Martin Wong and Lady Pink.
Hands-on Learning: Students will practice the styles of the writers as they develop their own style through sketching.
Themes: Arts, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 6 - 8. Offered Dec. 9 - August 9.
The People's Politician: Shirley Chisholm
What responsibility, if any, should the government take in providing for the needs of its citizens? In this guided field trip, students will explore this question through close examination of artifacts related to the story of the barrier-breaking, Brooklyn-born politician Shirley Chisholm – the first Black woman elected to US Congress. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the civic process and the role of public officials as they listen to excerpts from speeches Chisholm delivered and analyze where she stood on critical issues like neighborhood sanitation services, food stamps, and women’s liberation.
Hands-on Learning: Students will leverage their learning through a collaborative role-play activity where they will serve as representatives, constituents, and voters.
Themes: Civic Engagement, Cultural Identity
Please note that this gallery contains objects that reference abortion.
75 minutes. Grades 6 - 8.
"And Scene" 100 of New York through Film
What’s better than watching 1 film about NYC? Watching 400 all at once! In this field trip experience, students will engage in an immersive 21-minute film depicting New York City life across time, boroughs, and cultures featured on 16 screens. This unique narrative film, created for the Museum’s 100th birthday, was crafted from clips of almost 400 feature films and documentaries from the 1920s to today.
Hands-on Learning: After the film experience, students will transform from the role of observer to creator as they take center stage in a collaborative New York City themed game of charades.
Themes: Arts, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 6 - 8.
What Makes New York New York? People, Technology, and Culture: Black History Edition
In this guided field trip, students will investigate objects that tell rich stories of the creativity and resilience of Black New Yorkers as they have met the challenges of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Bill “Bojangles” Robinson’s dancing shoes – that dazzled Broadway goers during the Harlem Renaissance – to flyers from protests against Robert Moses’ use of eminent domain to transform the creative center of San Juan Hill to what is now Lincoln Center.
Hands-on Learning: Participants will “meet” New Yorkers of the past through interactive digital installations and practice their historical thinking skills as they sketch and interpret original artifacts.
Themes: Arts, Cultural Identity, Technology & Innovation
75 minutes. Grades 6 - 8.
What Makes New York New York? People, Technology, and Culture in the 20th Century
In this guided field trip, students will discover the creativity and resilience of New Yorkers as they met the challenges of the 20th century. From family heirlooms brought by immigrants to the shovel that broke ground for the first subway, the Museum’s gallery World City: 1898-2012 is filled with one-of-a-kind objects that capture transformational moments in New York, including record-breaking immigration at the turn of the century, the Harlem Renaissance, and the city’s responses to the fiscal crisis of the 1970s and the pandemic of 2020.
Hands-on Learning: Participants will “meet” New Yorkers of the past through interactive digital installations and practice their historical thinking skills as they sketch and interpret original artifacts.
Themes: Arts, Cultural Identity, Technology & Innovation
75 min. Grades 6 - 8.
FAQ
Times: Programs are available Tuesday—Friday beginning at 10am.
Cost: The pricing of in-person field trips is different based upon school type. Please see the relevant section below for group pricing.
Programs: Field trips are 75 minutes. Programs can be modified for groups of all needs and abilities, and program time can be adjusted under special request.
Scheduling: Advance reservations are required and must be made by using the field trip request form. Please note that due to the volume of requests, it may take up to three weeks to receive a response from our School Programs Scheduling Team. Field trips are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. More details are listed below.
In Person Field Trip Pricing
| School Type | Price Per Group |
| Public and charter schools (up to 35 students per group) | $175 |
| Private and parochial schools (up to 35 students per group) | $250 |
| "I'm a Neighbor": Public & charter schools in zip codes 10029, 10035, & 10037 | Free |
Note: We reserve the right to limit reservations to two groups per school per day. Teachers and chaperones are included for free in the group fee pricing.
Late Arrivals: Please plan to arrive at the Museum 10-15 minutes prior to your scheduled program. If an emergency situation comes up and you’ll be arriving late, please call our School Programs team at 917.492.3334 or email schoolprograms@mcny.org. The Museum reserves the right to shorten or cancel a program for groups that arrive more than 15 minutes after their start time. There will be no price adjustment or refund for late arrivals.
Please fill out the Field Trip Request Form to request a trip.
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