We make STEM Come Alive!
We are proud to offer quality STEM programming to meet your classroom needs. We understand your desire for flexible options and continue to offer a diverse selection of in-person, virtual and outreach STEM programs. We look forward to challenging and entertaining your students through hands-on workshops, larger-than-life science shows and learning through play in our exhibit areas. Thank you for choosing Great Lakes Science Center.
Registration Information
In-Person Field Trips
Virtual Field Trips
Outreach at Your School
Reserve your in-person, virtual or outreach experience. Book early as many of our program dates and times fill quickly!
- Please review What To Know About Field Trips
- Register online: our reservations team will follow up with you directly.
- Send us an email at edhelp@glsc.org. Please include the following information with your message: Full contact information, school name and grade level, preferred visit date, arrival and departure times, number of students and chaperones, if you need time to eat lunch, if you'd like to add a hands-on workshop
- Questions? Call our dedicated reservation agents at (216) 621-2400 (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
In-Person Field Trips
| General Admission | $8 per student |
| General Admission + DOME Theater | $11 per student |
| DOME Theater Only | $8 per student |
| Add-on a Hands-on Workshop | Starting at $5 per student |
Workshops for Pre-K - Kindergarten
What To Know About Field Trips
- Field Trips of 10 or more guests (adults, chaperones and students) can be accommodated.
- Chaperones: A 1:5 chaperone to child ratio is required for groups with children under the age of 18. Chaperones within the 1:5 ratio receive free general admission. Additional adults must pay the posted student rates. View the Chaperone Code of Conduct here.
- Admissions Fee: A 6 percent City of Cleveland admissions fee is applicable to all field trips and will be added to your visit.
- Payment: Payment is due for all field trips no less than 14 days in advance of the visit date. Acceptable forms of payment include credit card, check, purchase orders and cash (cash payments must be made in person at the Science Center). Payment upon arrival is not permitted.
- Cancellation: Please let us know in writing at least 48 hours in advance if you need to cancel. Payments are non-refundable and payments made towards a canceled visit will be held as a credit towards a future visit. View the Payment and Cancellation Policy here.
- Title 1 Schools: Ohio schools who receive federal Title 1 services are entitled to free general admission to the Science Center as part of a field trip on any school day. Workshops, DOME Theater films, the Steamship William G. Mather, virtual, and outreach experiences are not included.
- Lunch: Please let us know at the time of reservation if you plan to eat lunch at the Science Center. A reserved lunch space is included with field trip reservations. Schools are welcome to bring brown-bag lunches to be enjoyed and pre-ordered box lunches are also available in advance (orders must be placed no less than 72 hours before your visit). Purchasing lunch in the Science Center cafe is not available for groups. View the 2023 Lunch Order Form here.
- Parking: Complimentary bus parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Busses will receive instructions on where and how to park upon arrival.
Virtual Field Trips
Virtual Exhibit Experience – Life in Space
$150 per experience. Duration: approximately 45 minutes. Recommended class size is 30 students or fewer.
How is life in space similar to life on a submarine? Explore exhibits from the NASA Glenn Visitor Center at Great Lakes Science Center and the USS Requin (SS 481) submarine from the Carnegie Science Center that demonstrate the challenges and solutions of living below or far above the earth’s surface.
Developed in partnership with the Carnegie Science Center.
What to know about Virtual Field Trips:
- Payment: Payment for virtual experiences is due 14 days prior to your visit date. Acceptable forms of payment include credit card, check, purchase orders and cash (cash payments must be made in person at the Science Center).
- Cancellation Policy: Please let us know in writing at least 7 days in advance if you need to cancel. Payments are non-refundable and payments made towards a canceled program will be held as a credit towards a future program.
- Virtual Platforms: We plan to use Zoom for all virtual interactions and will email a link to the contact on the registration form before the session begins. This can be emailed out to your families with students at home. The Zoom call will start at the registered start time of the program. If you have technical difficulties, please contact us at 216-696-2760. If you are unable to use Zoom, please let us know at time of registration and we will try to make an accommodation by using a different service.
Outreach to Your School!
Hands-on Workshops
All of our hands-on workshops are available to be booked as a field trip or outreach to your school (unless otherwise noted).
Workshops for Pre-K - Kindergarten
Outreach Big Science Shows
We bring our larger than life science experiments to your school! Choose from the following themes. Each show ends with time for questions and answers. Please note that a space of at least 20 x 20 feet is required along with a high ceiling. Auditoriums, cafeterias and gymnasiums are usually great spaces. Space requirements will be confirmed after booking.
$400 per show.
Duration: approximately 30-45 minutes.
- Bubblemania - Bubbles come alive while we become “Bubbleologists” and investigate molecules, shapes and colors.
- Fire & Ice - Experimentation with temperature is taken to the extreme when we battle fire and liquid nitrogen in an explosive demonstration of physics and chemistry.
- Magic of Matter - We experiment with chemistry and liquid nitrogen to uncover the “magic” behind why some materials behave in unexpected ways.
- Math in Space - Explore the stages of human flight outside Earth’s orbit and the mathematics that make it possible.
What to know about Outreach Programming at Your School :
- Payment: Payment for outreach experiences is due 14 days prior to the program date. Acceptable forms of payment include credit card, check, purchase orders and cash (cash payments must be made in person at the Science Center).
- Cancellation Policy: Please let us know in writing at least 7 days in advance if you need to cancel. Payments are non-refundable and payments made towards a canceled program will be held as a credit towards a future program.
- Outreach Extended Mileage Fee: Up to 40 miles from the Science Center is included in the program fee. A mileage fee of $2 per mile will be charged for any additional mileage beyond the initial 40 miles. Max distance we can serve is 120 miles from the Science Center.
Discounted Family Memberships for Teachers
Discounted memberships are available for teachers. You and your family can enjoy free general admission to the Science Center, NASA Glenn Visitor Center, Steamship William G. Mather and most traveling exhibitions all year long. Get discounts on our camp programs and free general admission to 360+ reciprocal science centers and museums around the country. Call 216-696-4576 for details.
FREE Admission Every Day for Teachers
Who says kids should have all the fun? The Science Center offers free general admission to Ohio teachers every day. Just bring a copy of your teaching certificate, OEA card, union card, or school ID listing teacher/educator and preview the exhibits before your next field trip.
Educator Resource Fair
The Science Center will host an on-site Educators Resource Fair on October 4, 2023 4-7 p.m.!
Register now
Education Sponsor:
Pre-K - Kindergarten
Grades 1-2
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
