On-site Field Trips
A visit to Seacoast Science Center and Odiorne Point State Park will be the highlight of your students’ year!
Seacoast Science Center is the ideal setting for your environmental education field trip. Located in beautiful and historic Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, New Hampshire, there are seven different natural habitats and 135 acres to explore! Choose a program that best aligns with your classroom learning goals, then wrap up your visit inside SSC where you can experience even more hands-on learning with our live animals and interpretive exhibits.
Please select from our Guided or Self-Guided Options listed below.
On-site Guided Program Options
Eager to get your feet wet in the tide pools, participate in a mock seal rescue, or taste some salty glasswort? Sign up now to participate in one (or more) of SSC’s on-site programs! Each session is led by a Seacoast Science Center naturalist who will ensure that your program excites and engages each student and aligns with your learning goals.
When you book your program, we will also schedule a time for your group to explore the exhibits at Seacoast Science Center.
All SSC guided outdoor programs include:
- Up to 20 students per group (cost indicated is per group cost)
- Trained instructor/s to lead and teach the program
- Admission to Seacoast Science Center and Odiorne Point State Park for all students plus 1 teacher or chaperone per 8 students (additional chaperones fee: $10/adult)
- Enjoy Odiorne Point State Park’s nature trails, historic WWII fortifications, seven different natural habitats, scenic picnic areas, fields, and playground.
Virtual Field Trips are also available, featuring live, naturalist-led programs delivered to your classroom or student’s homes via a gated connection. Learn more about Virtual Field Trips.
Rocky Shore Exploration
- Grades: K-12
- Program Length: 1-hour or 90-minute outdoor program
- Cost: $220 for 1 hour; $275 for 90 minutes
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
This introduction to the diverse and dynamic rocky shore habitat will excite and inspire your students! The program begins with a lesson on the unique ecology of the rocky shore intertidal zones, followed by a tide pooling session. Students will learn how to best observe, identify, and classify organisms through guided exploration. Educators receive informational materials before the trip to assist with planning and classroom activities.
Rocky Shore Investigation (Citizen Science Program)
- Grades: 6-12
- Program Length: 2-hour outdoor program
- Cost: $295
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
Students will become community scientists in this hands-on rocky shore field science program. Student-collected data will contribute to local ongoing research on the impacts of invasive crabs and help scientists identify new solutions to the problem … such as eating them! Students will receive a brief training on crab identification, safe handling and data collection, then head to the rocky shore for their field investigation. Students will practice scientific inquiry skills, collect data, observe and understand the impacts of invasive species, and explore concepts of biodiversity and ecosystem health. Associated wrap-around curricula are available for teachers.
Salt Marsh Exploration
- Grades: 6-12
- Program Length: 2-hour outdoor program
- Cost: $295
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
The salt marsh, situated between land and sea, is an important ecosystem for animals and humans alike, serving as a nursery, sponge, filter, food source, and migratory safe haven for wildlife. Your group will be introduced to this ecosystem in Odiorne Point State Park, where they will experience the salt marsh up close. Students will use science skills and practices to investigate the marsh and its inhabitants. Lines of inquiry include adaptations, energy cycling, values, interdependence, history, and human impact.
SSC Marine Mammal Rescue and Response
- Grades: K-12 (1-hour program) or Grades 6-12 (90-minute program)
- Program Length: 1-hour or 90-minute outdoor program
- Cost: $220 for 1 hr; $275 for 90 minutes
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
Meet an SSC Marine Mammal Rescue expert and learn about the team’s response efforts, as well as the biology, conservation, and rehabilitation of the marine mammals they work with. On a mock rescue, students will learn more about the tools, procedures, and precautions that these marine scientists take when working in the field and lab. At the end of the program, students will investigate ways they can help keep our ocean and marine wildlife healthy.
School of Hard Rocks
- Grades: K-4
- Program Length: 1-hour program
- Cost: $200
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
Odiorne Point State Park is the ideal spot to make the study of geology come alive for your students! This program begins with an illustration of the rock formation cycle and tectonic plate movement. Students will learn how to identify rocks at outdoor stations, then head to the rocky shoreline to examine the unique rock formations in the Park and discover evidence of glacial activity.
Sharks Alive!
- Grades: K-4
- Program Length: 1-hour program
- Cost: $200
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
Sharks are one of Earth’s most amazing and dynamic fish. Dive in with our experts to learn more about shark anatomy, behavior, and the acute senses that make them one of the ocean’s greatest predators. Your students will also get an up close view of the live sharks and skates that live in SSC’s Edge of the Sea exhibit
Whale of a Program
- Grades: K-5
- Program Length: 1-hour program
- Cost: $200
- Number of Participants: 20 or fewer per group
What makes a whale a whale? In this program, students will learn about the anatomy, migratory routes, and behavioral patterns of these giant marine mammals. Students will look at the adaptations that make it possible for these animals to survive in the ocean and how some species have evolved to become the largest animals on our planet. Fantastic images, hands-on activities, and real whale bones make this program unforgettable.
Visit For Educators for additional resources!
Self-Guided Visits
Explorer Group: SSC & Park
- Cost: $8 per participant, $12 per adult
- Cost for NH schools during the school year: $6 per student, $8 per adult
If you would like to bring your class or group to Odiorne Point State Park and explore on your own, you must register as an Explorer Group. This includes entrance into Odiorne Point State Park and admission into Seacoast Science Center.
Explorer Group: Park Only
- Cost: $2 per participant, $4 per adult
- Cost for NH schools during the school year: FREE
If you would like to bring your class or group to Odiorne Point State Park and explore on your own, you must register as an Explorer Group. This program includes entrance into the State Park ONLY and DOES NOT include admission into Seacoast Science Center.
To Schedule Your Program or Group Visit
Please click on the inquiry button below and provide general details about your program of choice. Our registrar will get back to you within 2-3 business days to discuss details and schedule your program.
Please contact Amanda at 603-436-8043, ext. 17 or registrar@sscnh.org if you have any questions. Once booked, we will make sure you have all of the information you need to make the most of your visit.
Your booking confirmation is the formal confirmation that your program is scheduled. When you receive your confirmation email, please be sure all dates and times are correct.
Please watch for your confirmation email, read the materials sent, and communicate the information to all teachers and chaperones. You can find a downloadable Field Trip Packet below.
Cancellation Policy
All programs are delivered rain or shine. Severe weather such as thunder and lightning will result in program cancellation and rescheduling. If you cancel a program 2 weeks (14 days) prior to your program date, you will receive a 50% refund. “No shows” and cancellations made fewer than 14 days prior will not receive a refund and are still required to pay the program fee.
Financial Assistance
Assistance may be available for groups with financial constraints. Please call Amanda at 603-436-8043, ext. 17 or email registrar@sscnh.org to inquire about availability and request a Coastal Education Fund application form.
