Our Museum opens to the public and to tours at 9:30 a.m. Morning session field trips start at 9:45 a.m. Afternoon sessions start at 1:15 p.m.

Field trips with no add-on program or lunch run 9:45-11:45.

Field trips with either an add-on program or lunch run 9:45-12:15.

Field trips with both an add-on program and lunch run 9:45-12:45.

Students will spend 90 minutes in the museum exhibit hall for their semi-guided tour.

Add-on workshops are an additional 30 minutes for a total trip length of two hours including the workshop. Schools have the opportunity (capacity allowing) to book lunch space for 30 minutes at the end of their trip. Time is included at the beginning and end of the trip for check-in and wrap-up.

The maximum class size is 25.

This number allows enough room for students to interact with the museum exhibits safely.

This number also is the capacity for our rooms for workshops.

We ask that schools prepare chaperone groups in advance, with at least a 1:6 chaperone to student ratio. The pricing structure includes chaperones numbers at this ratio. Additional chaperones can pay for a discounted admission ticket ($7/chaperone) at the front desk during check-in. Classes requiring additional chaperones to meet specific student needs are welcome free of charge. Please let us know during registration if you have this accommodation.

We can have an additional educator join your trip and help oversee the chaperone groups and students on the museum floor.  When booking the trip, sign up with the number of chaperones you can bring. Please advise us of your needs during the registration process.  An Additional Educator Fee will be applied to supplement them. The fee is $45 per additional educator.  The number of additional educators needed depends on factors such as the total number of students, how many students would be short a chaperone, and the age of the visiting students. 

Field trips occur while the museum is open to the general public, so your students will share the space with general admission visitors.  We have spots for six classes to visit us daily. If your school doesn’t book all six, another school may book their classes on the same day

Schools may add a half hour lunchtime to the end of their trip in our multipurpose rooms.  These rooms seat up to 75 students.  Please ensure students bring their own bagged lunch.  There are no other lunch accommodations at the museum for schools that do not select a tour with the lunch option.

efore your field trip, we will send you information about buses and parking.

Schools should come prepared with pre-assigned chaperone groups.

Chaperones should review our Code of Conduct and Rules For Play, as they are responsible for student supervision on the museum floor. Your trip coordinator will be sent a link to our Chaperone Agreement Form.

Trips require a booking period of 30 days to hold a specific date. If this presents a barrier to your visit, please contact our team to see if there are any available dates left under 30 days. Trips will not be accepted less than a week in advance.

Immediately upon booking your trip, you will receive an email from our booking software with a receipt and balance information. We will also send you a confirmation email with information for the day of your visit.

Payment is required by online payment upon booking. If this presents a barrier to your school’s visit, you may send payment via check by selecting the “Pay Later“ option, represented by the mailbox icon during checkout. Checks must be received in mail or in person by the day of the trip. If your school only approves payment on or after the trip has occurred, please state this in your registration information and send us a copy of your Purchase Order.

If your trip is canceled less than two weeks before the date of your scheduled visit, any amount paid is not refundable and a $250 administrative fee may be applied. Rescheduled trips due to weather or other conflicts will not incur a cancellation fee.We are always happy to reschedule a trip to later in the year or the next school year.

Please let us know if you require any additional information or forms in your booking information and we will send them your way. Certificates of Liability require a booking date at least two months in advance of your trip, as each form must be processed individually.

f you made an error or the status of your visiting classes have changed, please contact our Education team at educationandprograms@discoverwcm.org to update your booking. If you need to add or subtract classes, lunches, workshops or your class size changes by ten or more students, please contact our team as soon as possible.

While we don’t have specific programs for students with disabilities, we are very flexible with the content and activities that we include in each topic. We can build a version of our programs that is suited to your students’ interests and any accommodations that they may need to fully experience the learning and fun of our space. Please reach out directly to us at educationandprograms@discoverwcm.org to collaborate on the design of your trip.

The Museum generally has a daily operations policy of not admitting adults unless they are accompanied by children.  However, we understand the enormous benefit and value that people of all ages and cognitive capacities can get by interacting with the exhibits and activities in our space.  Please contact us at educationandprograms@discoverwcm.org to inquire about late afternoon or after-hours groups.

Should any weather-related delay or closure prevent your visit, (either from your school’s end or ours), we will reschedule your trip to the best possible date for both parties. Decisions to close or delay the Westchester Children’s Museum will be made by 7:00 am, and usually decided upon the afternoon before when possible. If your school has a delay or closure due to weather, please contact the Education and Programs Manager directly by 7:00 am the morning of your trip or earlier if you know in advance at amartin@discoverwcm.org.