Field Trips: 3 - 5
At the Museum of the City of New York, 3rd through 5th grade students will embark on interactive field trips that explore the rich history, culture, and art of New York City through engaging exhibits and hands-on activities. They will participate in age-appropriate tours and creative projects designed to spark curiosity and deepen their understanding of the city's past and present. 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
The experience of walking El Barrio—the Museum of the City of New York’s own neighborhood—would be vastly different without the artworks of Manny Vega (b. Bronx, 1956). His mosaics adorn street walls, subway stations, cultural centers, and business facades. 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 3 - 5. 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 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 3 - 5.
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 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 3 - 5.
Landmarks of New York: The Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and the Evolution of Art Deco Style
In 1931, the Empire State Building surpassed the Eiffel Tower as the world’s tallest structure, signaling New York’s rising influence as a global city. In this guided field trip, students will explore New York City’s involvement in the competition to create the tallest building in the world. They will engage and analyze oral histories from the 1930s to understand how everyday New Yorkers felt about the rising skyline and the changing aesthetic of the modern city, then test their observation skills in a spot-the-difference activity across time.
Hands-on Learning: Students will create art deco-inspired buildings using what they have learned about art deco style.
Themes: Arts, Our Communities, Technology & Innovation
75 minutes. Grades 3 - 5. Offered through Feb 14
Gingerbread NYC 2024
The smell of sugar fills the air as learners play “I Spy!” to find details on more than 20 gingerbread recreations of the bridges, bakeries, museums, libraries, and other iconic buildings of New York City while they learn fun facts about the city’s five boroughs.
Hands-on Learning: Guided by a Museum Educator, field trip participants will complete a scavenger hunt, listen to a holiday-themed story, and create their own gingerbread-inspired craft to take home. This program – sadly! – does not involve eating gingerbread.
Themes: Arts, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 3 - 5. Offered through Jan 10
Shifting Identities, Changing City: Immigration and Communities in NYC
Diversity is central to New York City’s story – some say over 800 languages are spoken across the city’s five boroughs! In this guided field trip, students will interact with historical artifacts that memorialize communities that have migrated to the city over more than a century and examine the sociocultural forces that “pushed” and “pulled” migrants to settle here. Topics may include Ellis Island, the Great Migration, the US civil rights movement, the Puerto Rican Great Migration, and post-1965 immigration.
Hands-on Learning: Students will get to touch, smell, and hear objects that engage their senses as they reflect on the unique cultural contributions they each bring to the city
Themes: Cultural Identity, Our Communities, Change Over Time
75 minutes. Grades 3 - 5.
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 investigate the styles of the writers as they develop their own style through sketching.
Themes: Arts, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 3 - 5. Offered Dec. 9 - August 9.
The Making of New York: From Mannahatta to the Five-Borough City
Students will discover what has changed and what has stayed the same over time in New York City as they explore the gallery Port City: 1609-1898. Guided by a Museum Educator, participants will learn to look closely at original historical artifacts, including a Lenape ceremonial club, a slice of a wooden pipe that formed the original water system of the city, Jacob Riis photographs, and original models of the Statue of Liberty.
Hands-on Learning: Participants will get to touch historical objects and reproductions to enhance their learning and will complete a drawing activity.
Themes: Change Over Time, Technology & Innovation, Our Communities, Cultural Identity
75 minutes. Grades 3 - 5.
Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm
Public officials are critical to the functioning of civil society, but what do they do? In this guided field trip, students will build a deeper understanding of the structure of government and the responsibilities of officials holding public office through the story of the barrier-breaking, Brooklyn-born politician Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to US Congress.
Hands-on Learning: Students will play a game to demonstrate their newfound knowledge about Shirley Chisholm and the role and function of governmental bodies at the local, state, and national levels. Please note that this gallery contains objects that reference abortion. The field trip for grades 3-5 will not, however, include information on the topic.
Themes: Civic Engagement, Cultural Identity, Our Communities
75 minutes. Grades 3 - 5.
The Greatest Grid: Urban Planning in New York City
Build a model city and become an urban planner! Students will examine maps and historical photographs to learn how Manhattan’s street grid system was built and how it changed over time. Participants will learn about NYC’s zoning districts – residential, commercial, and manufacturing/industrial – and other land uses, such as parks and streets, before discussing the places and resources communities need.
Hands-on Learning: The group will construct a model city and take home the model buildings, parks, and structures they create. Please note: This program takes place within the Museum's classroom and does not involve a visit to the galleries.
Themes: Our Communities, Technology & Innovation
75 minutes. Grades 3-5
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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