Field Trip Ideas in Salt Lake City

Outdoor Field Trip Ideas

Animal Adventures: Utah’s Hogle Zoo

Located in Salt Lake City, Utah’s Hogle Zoo opened in 1931 and features over 800 animal species that guests can view and learn about. They have an amazing African exhibit that showcases a giraffe, zebra, nyala, and ostrich mixing and mingling on the grasslands, while African lions graze on the hills of the exhibit. Groups can ride the  Zoofari Express train through the zoo and see the Asian Highlands, an amazing re-creation of a Himalayan village that features five endangered species of Asian cat, including the largest big cat, the Amur tiger. There’s also the Elephant Encounter exhibit which features African elephants and white rhinos.

This is the Place: Heritage Park & Monument

It’s actually called This is the Place and it’s the place for fun all year round! Journey back in time you can get a glimpse of the old West as it was in the early settlement of Utah. With more than 40 historic homes and buildings brought to life by interpreters, the monument marks the end of the 1,300-mile Mormon trail. You can ride one of three trains, the 119, the Jupiter, or the Blackhawk, and tour around the park. There are pony rides for the smaller kids as well as a petting zoo & farm. They teach you how to milk a cow, Clara Bell! Students can also Interact with a blacksmith, tinsmith, and saddle maker.  You’ll be assigned some old-fashioned pioneer chores, like spinning and carding wool. And there’s The Treasure House which tells the story of mining in Utah through hands-on experiences. Students can dig for gemstones in Prospectors Pit, and then identify their rocks at the Assay Station. It’s a time machine adventure taking students back over 100 years and exploring the rich history of the state of Utah!

All Aboard! Union Station Ogden

Union Station, also known as Ogden Union Station, is a train station in Ogden, Utah, at the west end of Historic 25th Street, just south of the Ogden Intermodal Transit Center. A historic landmark, Ogden Union Station Museum is an educational and cultural center that houses four museums: The Utah State Railroad Museum, The John M. Browning Firearms Museum, The Browning–Kimball Classic Car Museum, and The Utah Cowboy Western Heritage Museum. There are also two art galleries: The Gallery at the Station, and The Myra Powell Gallery. Visitors to Union Station and its museum will learn about its role in train travel in the United States, historic migrations, and Ogden’s continuing contribution to technological innovation. With so many museums to venture through, this nostalgic train station is the perfect place to host of a field trip for students!

Indoor Field Trip Ideas 

Take A Dive on the Wild Side! SeaQuest Layton

Experience underwater life like never before at SeaQuest Layton the ultimate land and sea adventure!  SeaQuest offers a wide variety of field trip options for schools, designed to make learning fun and engaging. Students will interact with animals from all over the planet and learn about behind-the-scenes operations at SeaQuest! Age-specific Field Trip adventures are designed for learners of all ages. It’s a great field trip destination for students, parents, and teachers in the Salt Lake City area and beyond.

See the Stars: Clark Planetarium 

Located in downtown Salt Lake, Clark Planetarium offers students a cost-effective, high-quality educational and entertaining experience! Catered to the youth of all ages, field trip groups are guided on a one-of-a-kind journey through many scientific Field trips can last two to three hours, and include a tour of exhibits, theater dome presentation, and Science on a Sphere: a display system that uses computers and projectors to display images and other data onto a large sphere. Educational themes are adapted to Utah science and SEEd grade-level standards.

Where We Come From: Natural History Museum of Utah

Found in the heart of Salt Lake City, the Natural History Museum of Utah features engaging exhibits and over 5,000 artifacts! The museum is a large archive of Utah’s paleontology discoveries, fascinating gems, and minerals found worldwide. Stories are told by the five Native nations that lie within the state’s boundaries. There’s a three-story indoor canyon, and Interactive exhibits that educate about earthquakes, erosion, and how the Great Salt Lake has changed over time. There’s also an amazing observatory deck. Teachers with little ones in the Pre-K to Kindergarten range will appreciate the  Backyard, an intimate, discovery-based environment that invites preschool visitors to experience natural history firsthand!

These are the best of the best when it comes to field trip options in Salt Lake City. There are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities that can fit in any semester of the school year. This list features a number of amazing, fun, and educational experiences out there when it comes to school field trips in Utah. From SeaQuest Layton, to museums or artistic adventures, this list offers great suggestions to make a classroom learning experience feel like the trip of a lifetime!