***Our 2024-2025 academic calendar for FIELD TRIPS is fully booked! Submit a request to be added to a waitlist or if you want a guided or self-guided tour***
The Garden is happy to be part of your teaching curriculum! Fill out the interest form at the bottom of the page to get started with your booking.
Our two hour field trips take place on Wednesdays & Fridays at 10 am. Self-guided and guided tours for K-12 can be booked for Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays between 9 am to 3 pm. For questions about K-12 field trips, please contact fieldtrips@ucla.edu.
Self-Guided Tour
Offered Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Bring your students to explore the unique collections of the Botanical Garden with your own self-guided experience. Self-guided tours take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays anytime from 9 am to 3 pm. Please note that you MUST make a reservation to guarantee no conflicts with other schools or events happening in the Garden. Failure to make a reservation can result in being asked to leave.
Guided Garden Tour – 45 min
Explore the wonderful world of plants on a 45-minute guided tour through the UCLA Botanical Garden. During their visit, students will hear fascinating stories about the plants and animals that call our living museum their home. You can book your guided tour for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m.
Guided Activities – 2 hours
ONLY Offered Wednesday & Fridays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
***Our 2024-2025 academic calendar is almost fully booked! Only a couple dates left for May and June.***
Students receive an age-appropriate garden tour and participate in two activities selected by their teachers. These field trips can only be booked for Wednesdays and Fridays (field trips start at 10 a.m. and end at noon).
The Garden can accommodate a maximum of 45 students per visit. Please note that your group must have one teacher/chaperone for every 5-10 students.
The following is a list of activities we currently offer:
Early California History: Weaving– For thousands of years, Indigenous people have been crafting baskets using traditional methods taught from generation to generation. This activity will help students better appreciate the functional importance of baskets and basket-making through a hands-on yarn weaving activity.
Drawing from Nature: Botanical Illustration– Students create their botanical illustrations using the Garden as inspiration. At the end of this activity, students will be better able to appreciate how art plays a role in scientific discovery.
Botanical Specimens: Framing Nature– Students interact with pressed plant material collected from the Garden. Students then mount their chosen pressed plant, resembling an herbarium specimen. At the end of this activity, students will be better able to understand what a botanist is and why they study plants.
Plant Biology: Flower Dissection– Students get familiar with the anatomy of a flower through dissection. This activity allows students to be better able to identify the different anatomical parts of a plant and their functions.
Wild Adventures: Carnivorous Plant Encounter– Students get up close and personal with our carnivorous plants! By the end of this encounter, students will be better able to understand how adaptations help organisms survive.
Master of Disguise: Butterfly Camouflage– Students learn how camouflage is an excellent adaptation for animals like butterflies, who must survive in their environment. In this activity, students color their butterflies to help them blend in our garden and protect them from being eaten by bird predators (aka, our staff!).
BEAKS!: What’s on the Menu? – In this activity, students experiment with various “beaks” to uncover the perfect match for each type of food. Students learn how beak adaptations plays a role in their survival.
Schedule Your Visit
The Garden can accommodate a maximum of 45 students per visit. Please note that your group must have one teacher/chaperone for every 5-10 students.
For questions about K-12 field trips, please contact fieldtrips@ucla.edu.
