for educators

School Tours

Minnetrista offers a variety of multi-disciplinary school tours for Grades Pre-K through 5. These programs are active and engaging, while also standards-based and content-rich for your educational demands. Minnetrista is the perfect place for homeschooling families to gain alternative educational experiences! Check out the age-appropriate school tours below to get started.


School Tour Details

60 Minute Experience
Available for Pre-K
Cost: $5/student

  • One guided tour

  • Lunch space (must reserve)

  • Exhibition/gallery time (guided) additional $2/student

Half Day Experience
Available for grades K & up
Cost: $5/student

  • One guided tour

  • Lunch space (must reserve)

Full Day Experience
Available for grades K & up
Cost: $7/student

  • Two experiences (guided tours or exhibition walk through)

  • Lunch space (must reserve)

  • Visit The Orchard Shop

Exhibition Experience
Available for Pre-K & up
Cost: $5/student

  • Exhibition/gallery time

Special rates apply to some tours. A minimum of ten paid admissions is required for all tours. There must be a minimum of one adult for every ten students. Teachers and homeschool parents are admitted at no charge. One chaperone is free for every five kids. $8 will be charged for additional chaperones. Maximum of four classes per tour. School tours are offered Wednesday through Friday.

We have field trip scholarships available for Delaware County Schools when the number of students participating in the free/reduced lunch program is fifty percent or higher. Ask about this opportunity when you email schooltours@minnetrista.net or call
765.287.3552 to book your visit.


School Tour Programs

Pre-K Tour Programs (60 minutes each)

Johnny Appleseed

September–November

Johnny Appleseed knew that tiny seeds had great potential. On this tour, students will learn that although small in size, an apple seed has the potential to grow into a magnificent tree. Each seed and apple holds great possibility to become many different things.

Garden Explorers

April–May

Students will explore gardens up close to discover how flowers grow and observe different bird calls. They’ll use binoculars to spot birds and learn that crows “caw” while robins “sing.” Through sensory exploration, they’ll look for colors and shapes in nature using their eyes, ears, nose, and sense of touch.

Grades K–2 Tour Programs (90 minutes each)

Garden Detectives

June–August

Become a garden detective at Minnetrista! Students will follow clues to identify plants, animals, insects, and more in our gardens and discover how life grows and works together.

Nature Adventure

June–August

Embark on an exciting adventure at Minnetrista's Nature Area! Students will delve into Indiana’s three distinct habitats—wetland, woodland, and prairie. They will engage in bird-watching, identifying various species, and enjoy a thrilling scavenger hunt.

Backyard Ecology

April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Creepy Crawlies

Step into the buzzing world of Backyard Ecology at Minnetrista! Students will be immersed in hands-on activities, from planting seeds to exploring seed dispersal mechanisms. They'll uncover the interdependence of plants, insects, and animals and gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Johnny Appleseed

September–November

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Creepy Crawlies

Johnny Appleseed’s stories and antics will captivate your class. Your students will explore Minnetrista’s history with apples through a behind-the-scenes look at our cider-making process.

Creepy Crawlies

September–November; April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Habitat Hunters

Kids are often afraid of spiders, touchy about insects, and spooked by things that crawl. This program will bring your students up close and personal with the amazing and important world of nature’s most prominent, yet misunderstood, animal populations.

Habitat Hunters

September–November; April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Creepy Crawlies

Explore three of Indiana’s natural habitats in the Minnetrista Nature Area—tallgrass prairie, woodland, and wetland. By applying observation skills, using scientific tools, and playing games, your students will discover the importance of each of these habitats and the plants and animals that call them home.

Grades 3–5 Tour Programs (90 minutes each)

Garden Detectives

June–August

Become a garden detective at Minnetrista! Students will follow clues to identify plants, animals, insects, and more in our gardens and discover how life grows and works together.

Community Growth

September–November; April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Nature Connection

Students will explore water as a crucial natural resource for human survival. Using historical objects, dioramas, and water table models, they will explore how technology, land, and communities change overtime and how we can solve environmental issues.

Nature Connections

September–November; April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Community Growth

Explore three unique habitats in Minnetrista’s Nature Area: wetland, woodland, and tallgrass prairie. By applying observation skills, using scientific tools, and having fun, your students will discover the importance of each of these habitats and how both plants and animals adapt to them.

Nature Adventure

June–August

Embark on an exciting adventure at Minnetrista's Nature Area! Students will delve into Indiana’s three distinct habitats—wetland, woodland, and prairie. They will engage in bird-watching, identifying various species, and enjoy a thrilling scavenger hunt.

Digging into Geoscience (New in 2025!)

September–November; April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Community Growth

Through fun hands-on activities students will explore weathering, erosion, plate tectonics, and the rock cycle. In our Nature Area students will see working examples of erosion prevention and bioswales.

People of the Woodland (New in 2025!)

September–November; April–May

Pairs well with:

  • Tours—Community Growth

Using authentic objects and hands-on activities in our Nature Area students will be transported back in time to understand how the Lanape people used the natural resources available in the woodland for their survival.

Multi-grade K-5 Tour Programs (90 minutes each)

Garden Detectives

June–August

Become a garden detective at Minnetrista! Students will follow clues to identify plants, animals, insects, and more in our gardens and discover how life grows and works together.

Nature Adventure

June–August

Embark on an exciting adventure at Minnetrista's Nature Area! Students will delve into Indiana’s three distinct habitats—wetland, woodland, and prairie. They will engage in bird-watching, identifying various species, and enjoy a thrilling scavenger hunt.

Betty’s Cabin

Storytime Saturday

Every Saturday

Bring your little ones to Storytime Saturday! Join one of our experience guides for a cozy storytime perfect for children 5 and under and their families. Each month, we’ll feature a special seasonal story that celebrates the time of year. 

Betty’s Cabin Activities are presented in partnership with Patterson Block Muncie.

2025 Exhibitions

Ball Stores

Open Now

Step back in time at the Ball Stores exhibition, a captivating journey through the history of this beloved shopping destination. Adorned with the iconic brown plaid, the intimate exhibition boasts a rich collection of objects and artifacts that illustrate the memories shared by those who experienced the magic of the Stores firsthand.

Ball Stores is presented by Defur Voran and supported by eKeeper Systems.

 

Good Night Forest

June 7–November 2, 2025

Visitors will feel like they are stepping into a beloved children’s storybook as they encounter whimsical scenes and engaging sensory activities in this nature-inspired experience. Designed to help build confidence and cultivate scientific curiosity, children will discover and learn about animals that emerge in their neighborhoods and local forests after the sun goes down.

Good Night Forest is organized and produced by the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, with support from Ball Brothers Foundation and George and Frances Ball Foundation.

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend

July 12–September 28, 2025

The narwhal, with its unique spiral tusk, has inspired legend and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. Take a deep dive into the narwhal's Arctic world to explore what makes this mysterious animal and its changing ecosystem so important. Through first-hand accounts from scientists and Inuit community members, the exhibition will reveal how traditional knowledge and experience, coupled with the latest scientific research, heighten our understanding of these fascinating animals—and our changing global climate.

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

 

Open Space: Art About the Land

November 8–January 4, 2026

Since 2001, Open Space: Art About the Land has encouraged artists to derive inspiration from the land. This year's offering will be shared between two venues, with one showing at Minnetrista and a sister exhibition hosted at the Anderson Museum of Art. As always, this project supports Red-tail Land Conservancy’s mission to preserve and restore vital habitats where people and wildlife thrive in East Central Indiana. 

Open Space: Art About the Land is in partnership with eKeeper Systems.

 

A Community Portrait: Winter

November 22–February 1, 2026

Back for the holidays with new images and stories to explore, A Community Portrait turns our neighbors into art through the beauty of portrait photography by Tom Styrkowicz. Join us for the culmination of this three-year-long project that seeks to illuminate our community through the unique individuals who call it home.