EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Upcoming Field Trip Schedule: The calendar fills up quickly, so schedule your fieldtrip as soon as possible!
FALL 2013: October 1 - November 21
***FALL SCHEDULE IS FULL*** NOW BOOKING SPRING DATES ONLY
SPRING 2014: January 21 - April 8
Click here for printable fieldtrip information
Tour Information
Education, about the Earth and about environmental responsibility, is at the core of our mission. We welcome visits from school groups, scouts, ECHO Rangers, science clubs, and organizations of all kinds and ages.
The Gillespie Museum and Rinker Environmental Learning Center are located on the southeast corner of the Stetson University campus (the intersection of Amelia Avenue and East Michigan), at 234 East Michigan Avenue.
Self-guided Visits
Available during regular visiting hours, August - May.
Conduct your own self-guided visit and enjoy the Museum's exhibits, displays, and hands-on activities. Teachers or group organizers may arrange to preview the Museum by calling or e-mailing; a staff member will help in planning your visit. (Cost: $1 for students and seniors; $2 for adults; teachers and school chaperones are not charged.)
Field Trips
Dates for Fall 2013 (October 1 - November 21): Tuesday & Thursday mornings, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Dates for Spring 2014 (January 21 - April 8): Tuesday & Thursday mornings, 10:00 - 11:30 am
The typical visit includes three activities, chosen from the list below. Undergraduate student staff members guide visitors through each 25-minute session/activity. Teachers/organizers may decide whether or not to have the Museum Shop open for shopping after the educational activities. Many groups also choose to bring lunches for a picnic on the Museum grounds. (Cost: $2 per student/visitor; teachers and school chaperones are not charged.)
Field Trip Activities 
- Tour of the Museum (including our Mineral Collection, Florida Room, and the Underground World)
- Earthquakes and Volcanoes (Earth structure and processes)
- GeoLab (mineral identification lab practical)
- GeoBingo (rock classification activity)
- Digging for Fossils (fossil identification activity)
- Mining for Minerals (a treasure hunt)
- Florida Native Plant Communities (ecosystem study)
- Native Plant Scavenger Hunt (outdoor activity)
- Florida Aquifer (water conservation and management)
- Leaf & Soil Identification Activity - NEW!
Group Size
Ours is a small Museum with a small staff. For self-guided visits, we would ask that no more than 20 visitors tour at any one time. For field trip visits, our maximum number is 60, which will be organized into three smaller groups of up to 20. A good rule of thumb is that for school groups, teachers plan for one adult for every 10 students (usually 1 or 2 chaperones per each smaller group).
Pricing
Self-guided Visits: Field Trips:
Students (under 15)........$1 Students..........................$2
Seniors.............................$1 Teachers/Chaperones...Free
Adults................................$2
Teachers/Chaperones....Free
*(Educational fees may be paid in cash or by check or credit card.)
Logistics for Field Trips
--Scheduling-- Because we have a limited number of mornings for field trips during the school year, it is best to plan as early as possible. You may call or e-mail the Museum (386.822.7330; gillespiemuseum@stetson.edu) to make arrangements.
--Arrival-- Please plan to arrive at the Museum front porch at least ten minutes before 10:00 am. Because many of our student staff members have classes both before and after the scheduled visit, we have a tight schedule. It's very helpful when teachers and chaperones have already made decisions about how to divide groups, before or soon after you arrive. Name tags for both students and teachers/chaperones are not necessary but always helpful.
--Museum Shop-- An extension of our educational mission, the Museum Shop has inexpensive minerals and rocks (as low as 50 cents), handmade jewelry, books and scientific/educational toys. Teachers/ organizers may choose whether or not to have the Shop open after educational programming.
--Lunch on the Grounds-- There are wooden picnic tables on the grounds for picnic lunches. Larger groups (40 - 60) may also want to bring picnic blankets or towels. The Museum will provide trash cans and recycling receptacles. On rainy and extremely cold days, we will move our visitors to the porches of the Museum and/or inside the adjacent Rinker Environmental Learning Center.
Directions
To the museum: The Gillespie Museum is on the southeast corner of the Stetson University campus, at 234 East Michigan (the intersection of Amelia Avenue and East Michigan). Please follow this link to a map and more detailed directions.
Click here for Map and Directions.
For parking: There is parking for cars in an unpaved lot across the street from the Museum/RELC. Once buses have let students off at the front gate of the Museum, drivers may want to park in the larger, more convenient lots on East Ohio (the street just south of East Michigan).
