Field Trips are better at the Science Factory!
The Lancaster Science Factory is the perfect place for your next field trip. Groups of students in grades K – 8th will enjoy the 75+ hands-on STEM exhibits that they can explore freely or using our own activity guides.
Our hands-on STEM workshops will add even more educational value to your trip and allow students to do physics experiments, solve engineering problems, create electricity, and so much more!
Navigate the menu to the right to see all of the ways a Field trip to the Lancaster Science Factory can work for your group.
Ready to Book?
For groups of 10 or more, you can complete the form below to get started with your field trip reservation!
We are now taking reservations for the 2024-25 school year AND Summer 2025.
Field Trip Frequently Asked Questions
We have over 75 hands-on, interactive exhibits. Each exhibit is part of one of our seven STEM trails:
- Acoustics and Sound
- Fluid Dynamics
- Light and Vision
- Mechanics and Motion
- Structural Engineering,
- Electricity and Magnetism
- Puzzles and Logic
Activities are aligned with state educational standards. Additional activities and demonstrations may be available in our Maker Space and walk-up Science Café.
454 New Holland Ave Lancaster, PA 17602 Just a couple blocks from the heart of downtown.
Students can be dropped off in our safe loading zone right by our entrance.
FREE bus parking is available in our lot right across the street. To help your driver, we provide this bus parking map that will allow them to navigate to the lots without having to make any u-turns.
Groups of 10 or more with advance registration receive our discounted group rate of $11 per person.
A limited number of chaperones are free (based on the number of students), and educators (including teacher’s aides, support staff, and school nurses) are also free.
All visits to the Lancaster Science Factory are self-guided. Students should be divided into small groups with a dedicated chaperone. All children must be supervised while on the exhibit floor. We also offer several different activity guides that you can use to direct students based on the curriculum.
Yes, we require children to be supervised at all times. Teachers and chaperones are responsible for the behavior of the children and their safety on the exhibit hall floor.
How many you need depends on the age of the children. We require one adult chaperone for every four students in grades 3 and below and one adult chaperone for every five students in grades 4 and above. These chaperones are admitted free of charge. Woohoo!
We start taking school groups when we open at 10 AM. Most groups visit 10am-12pm or 12-2pm or 3-5pm (for after school groups).
We recommend that groups wishing to stay longer than 2 hours add facilitated programs in our STEM Classroom or Maker Space.
The Lancaster Science Factory does not have a dedicated lunchroom and food is not permitted on the exhibit floor.
We do have a classroom that can hold up to 30 students at a time, however, it isn’t always available based on our regular programming schedule. Please inquire when you make your reservation if you need to each lunch during your trip. Weather permitting, there are several local parks that we can recommend for an outdoor lunch.
We currently offer free trips to certain schools and organizations through our Youth Access Program.
For eligibility requirements see the links on the right.
