Delaware Museum of Nature and Science
If you’re looking for a great field trip to learn about ecosystems, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science has exactly what you need.
If this name is unfamiliar to you, it’s because Delaware Museum of Natural History recently got a facelift, both in person and a new name. This “metamorphosis” included a major change to their galleries and updated their name to the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science. However, the same friendly people are still there and the popular Nature Nook for the younger crowd remains unchanged.
Our whole family has always loved this museum. My youngest calls it “The Dinosaur Museum” from the years past (who wouldn’t love a dinosaur themed Christmas tree???).
Pre-pandemic, we would keep a yearly membership and one year we even had a birthday party there for my oldest. THAT was a lot fun!! When you have a membership, it’s a great to pop in for frequent visits.
DMNS has been at the top of my homeschool group field trip wish list for a while. I think it’s the perfect trip during the winter when you need an indoor adventure. I almost forget they also have plenty to do outside as well (when you go, check out back when the weather is nice!).
Discovery Tours
Back to the homeschool field trip. DMNS calls their programs “Discovery Tours“. Since our homeschool group has a range of ages, we did the Delaware & Beyond tour. They also have tours targeted to younger grade levels, topics including dinosaurs, habitats, extinction, and the cycle of life.
Delaware Ecosystems
The Delaware & Beyond discovery tour starts out by examining Delaware’s ecosystems, which include:
- Bayshore Dunes
- Salt Marshes
- Bald Cypress Swamps
- Temperate Forests
Did you know that horseshoe crabs go back to the same beach every year to lay their eggs? If the beach is no longer there (due to something like construction), they just won’t lay eggs!
Our tour guide would give us a lesson about each ecosystem, and then allow us plenty of time to explore. From birds in the trees to 3D exhibits, there is a lot to discover! Just watch out for the snakes.
Ecosystems
The “beyond” portion of our tour included:
- Oceans
- Arctic Tundra
- Tropical Rainforest
- African Savannah
We started in the Ocean ecosystem and the kids got to hold a real shark jaw, a starfish, and see a sea sponge (too fragile to pass around). There’s even a real whale skull overhead. My kids love the deep dive video portion of the ocean exhibit. That and the interactive wall display with different animals and the zones of the ocean reinforced what we had just learned at home in our marine biology unit study.
After the Ocean, my next favorite ecosystem was the Tropical Rainforest. I learned another new animal fact here too. The live animals on display are gorgeous blue poison dart frogs. Now, these frogs can be deadly to humans, so why have them on display (even if they are in a safely secured enclosure, of course)? It turns out that the poison dart frogs do not make their own poison. The substance that makes them dangerous comes from their food. Frogs in captivity do not feed on their wild natural prey, so they don’t produce poison.
And of course, the Paleozone
A trip to the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science wouldn’t be complete without seeing everyone’s favorite dinosaurs. The new Paleozone features dinosaurs that lived right here in our area. Did you know that Delaware has a state dinosaur? If you didn’t, don’t worry, I didn’t know either.. and we’re big dino fanatics in this house.
The Dryptosaurus was just recently signed into law as Delaware’s State dinosaur. DE lawmakers worked with students from Shue-Medill Middle School to draft the bill. The students researched the dino-possibilities, then the school voted for the final decision. Governor Carney signed the bill at the school in October 2022.
For Field trip organizers:
Scheduling our field trip was very easy. Both the Registration Coordinator and School & Community Program Manager were lovely to work with, both in person and via email. All of the information you need, including the registration form are on the School & Group Programs webpage.
Cost: $10 per participant
$13 per additional adult (1 free adult per 10 paid participants)
Real Mom Talk
We love the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (even if I keep calling it the wrong name… you know, old habits). All of the staff are super friendly. Our tour guide was great. He was very nice and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to schedule another field trip for our group here or recommend it to another group.
One museum icon that did not make it through the metamorphosis was our old friend the triceratops. This dino-favorite greeted us and other kids out front for many years. Unfortunately, its construction materials started to deteriorate over time, and it couldn’t take the weight of all its small friends climbing aboard any longer. (Oops! Sorry!!!)
R.I.P. Triceratops
We will miss you!
ACCESS Cardholders: DMNS is not on the Philly Art-Reach list, however, they generously accept us for discounted admission. Thank you, DMNS!! We truly appreciate it!
Do you need an easy-to-use field trip report that’s good for multiple ages? My Field Trip Report, PDF Printable Pack could be just what you need!
