School & Teacher Programs
Visit With Your Students
Bring learning to life with a school visit to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
Our school programs invite students to explore plants and the natural world through hands-on, memorable experiences. Choose from guided programs designed for specific grade levels or plan an independent visit that supports your classroom learning.
Request a School Visit
Ready to bring your students to the Botanical Garden?
We’ll respond within three business days. Please submit your request at least two weeks before your preferred visit date.
Why Choose a School Visit?
- Guided and independent visit options
- Interactive programs designed for specific grade levels
- Hands-on learning that supports Iowa Academic Standards for Science
- Flexible options for small and large groups
- Reserved visit times that help your group make the most of the Garden
- Up to two additional hours to explore following your program
- Optional lunch spaces
- Unique indoor and outdoor spaces to discover
School Visit Offerings
Petals & Pages
Audience: PreK-Kindergarten
Group Size: 8-50 students & adults
Length: 45 minutes
Cost: $8 per student
Chaperones: Free within a 1:8 ratio; additional chaperones pay general admission ($14)
Help curious minds bloom! Petals and Pages combine stories, plant science, and sensory exploration to build an early love of reading and the natural world. Students will enjoy story time, explore Garden spaces using their senses, and create a scent sachet to take home.
Supports Iowa Early Learning Standards:
Area 4: Social Development and Social Studies, Standard 2
Area 8: Science, Standard 3
Pollinator Palooza
Audience: Grades 1-3
Size: 8-150 students and adults
Length: 45-60 minutes
Cost: $8 per student
Chaperones: Free within a 1:8 ratio; additional chaperones pay general admission ($14)
Get ready to buzz! Through this interactive guided experience, students discover how flowers work, investigate their different parts, and explore the important relationships between plants and pollinators. Along the way, they’ll meet unique pollinators from rainforest and desert ecosystems and discover how pollination connects to foods we eat every day.
Supports Iowa Academic Standards for Science:
Life Science, LS2: Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
Rainforest Trek
Audience: All Ages
Group Size: 8-150 students and adults
Length: 45-60 minutes
Cost: $8 per student
Chaperones: Free within a 1:8 ratio for PreK-8th grade and 1:15 ratio for grades 9-12; additional chaperones pay general admission ($14)
Take a trek through the tropics without leaving Des Moines! Students explore the conservatory through interactive learning stations, investigate products that come from rainforest plants, and visit the Botany Lab to discover the fascinating ways tropical plants have adapted to their environment.
Supports Iowa Academic Standards for Science:
Life Science, LS2-1: Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Sensory Walk
Audience: All ages; sensory-friendly
Group Size: 8-30 students and adults
Length: 45 minutes
Cost: $8 per student
Chaperones: Free within a 1:8 ratio for PreK-8th grade and 1:15 ratio for grades 9-12; additional chaperones pay general admission ($14)
Explore the Botanical Garden through the senses. This sensory-friendly, guided walk offers flexible, interactive ways to discover the colors, textures, scents, and sounds of the plant world. Each participant will also create a scent sachet to take home.
Independent Study
Audience: All Ages
Group Size: 10-150 students and adults
Length: Up to 2 hours
Cost: $6 per student
Chaperones: Free within a 1:8 ratio for PreK-8th grade and 1:15 ratio for grades 9-12; additional chaperones pay general admission ($14)
Make the Garden your classroom. This independent visit gives educators the flexibility to lead their own learning experience throughout the Botanical Garden. It’s a great fit for art, photography, and other classes, school groups, or clubs. Seasonal scavenger hunts can add another layer of exploration, with themes focused on plants and ecosystems or plants and water.
Plant Pet Program
Audience: Kindergarten through middle school, including specialized non-core subjects
Group Size: One classroom
Cost: Free, based upon availability
Bring the plant world into your classroom with a ready-to-grow experience. Plant Pet Kits include everything students need to care for their own plant while learning along the way.
Add Lunch to Your Visit
Need a place for your group to eat? Lunch options are available for groups traveling longer distances, visiting multiple destinations, or simply wanting more time together at the Garden.
Length: Up to 60 minutes
Complimentary spaces: Outdoor grassy hillside, outdoor Belvedere, covered Veranda, or indoor balcony. These spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis, dependent on group size, and cannot be reserved. Groups are responsible for removing their trash.
Reserved indoor spaces: $50 for 60 minutes. Includes tables and chairs, a private reserved space, and trash removal.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell us a little about your group, and we’ll help you plan a school visit filled with discovery, learning, and memorable connections to the plant world.
Can’t Visit Us?
Please go to our outreach page to learn more about bringing the Botanical Garden to your classroom.
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