Field Trips to Take in Ogden

When you think of taking Field Trips in Utah, your mind probably goes to Salt Lake City first, the city full of religious and pioneer history abound. While we do think Salt Lake City is always an excellent option for student groups, there is a location a bit north of this city, 40 miles north to be exact, that is also quite excellent; Ogden.

Ogden Utah is known for being a gateway city to ski resorts and mountainside fun. It is also full of educational institutions, historic sites, and cultural hubs, perfect for student groups of any ages to explore! Outdoor recreation is not lacking, and the scenery is absolutely stunning. Enjoy ample shopping and dining opportunities, and of course, plenty of options for fun and entertainment!

Below we have given the best options for field trips throughout Ogden based on student age, allowing your group to make the most of your visit, educationally!

 

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Kindergarten and Younger

• George Eccles Dinosaur Park
  • This highly educational and entertaining museum experience allows your group to explore over 100 full-sized dinosaur replicas within a 5-acre park, featuring everything from the largest articulated Barosaurus spine in the world to a Harpactognathus holotype.  Inside the museum, you will find several hands-on activities and labs, as well as several school field trip options. Pre-K/K level groups will be able to enjoy a 30-minute fossil presentation, craft time, and story, 1st/2nd-grade-level groups will take part in a 45-minute hands-on fossil presentation, and 3rd graders and older will take part in a hands-on paleontology presentation lasting 45 minutes.
• Treehouse Children's Museum
  • This fun and interactive learning center feature an iconic main attraction which is, as you may have already guessed, a large tree in the center of the building. This tree is 30 feet tall, over 65 feet wide with branches reaching out 30 feet. It holds roughly 70,000 leaves and serves as the centerpiece to the nearly 30,000 square feet of exhibit space within the museum. The exhibits within were 'carefully designed and built for imaginative play and for retelling favorite stories'. They are meant to intrigue, inspire, and engage children in imaginative play.
• Toads Fun Zone
  • For a fun break while in Ogden with your student group stop at Toad's Fun Zone, the family fun entertainment center that offers fun games and activities for all ages. Spend time in the arcade, hit the batting cages, or head to the mini-golf course while here. There are also go-karts, laser tag, and plenty of food and drink options on-site. This attraction is located right at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and is good in rain or shine, with both indoor and outdoor recreation options.

Elementary School

• Utah State Railroad Museum
  • This is the crown jewel of the Union Station, this museum paying tribute to the role of the 'iron horse' that connected Utah to the rest of the nation. You will see restored locomotives from the 1800s and learn about Utah's role in building the transcontinental railroad. See a locomotive simulator inside that offers an engineers view of the rails, as well as several unique artifacts throughout.
    

     

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• Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum
  • Within this massive manor, you will find paintings, photos, manuscripts, and other various memorabilia from Utah's earliest founders. The artifacts come from 'the time the earliest settlers entered the Valley of the Great Salt Lake', and exploring them allows you to walk back into the history of these hardy pioneer people who migrated 2,000 miles from Nauvoo, Illinois, in search of religious freedom. The artifacts you find within may surprise you, with several different types of things to be seen within the Carriage House, Medical Room, Clothing Room, and overall 3 floors of museum space.
• Ogden Nature Center
  • Welcome to the Ogden Nature Center, the 152-acre nature and education center that was first created in 1975. This nature center was actually the first one in the state of Utah! During your visit, your group can take advantage of the walking trails, ponds, and an education center, with ample natural science learning opportunities around every corner. Spend some time birding while here, with over 149 species of birds found onsite. Visit the various exhibits within the education center, providing up close and personal experiences with birds of prey, snakes, salamanders, tortoises, and spiders. There are also various art exhibits within the L.S Peery Education Center and Visitor Center's Discovery Room.

Middle School

• Historic 25th Street
  • On Historic 25th Street your group will be able to enjoy a true 'mecca for travelers, art collectors, foodies, and outdoor enthusiasts of all types'. Over 1 million visitors annually come to enjoy the regular events, independently owned shops, municipal gardens, and the history of the district in general. Back in the late 1800s, there were brothels, political scandals, and gang rivalries taking place here regularly, but today you will see quite a different scene; mid-day yoga, art strolls, bike races, and live theater performances. Take a stroll through the municipal gardens, visit Ogden's Farmers Market, see a show at the Wise Guys Comedy Club, and even visit the Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum. There are regular community events held on H25, such as Christmas Village, Witchstock, and the September Art Stroll.
    

     

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• Fort Buenaventura
  • First founded in 1846, For Buenaventura sits on an 84-acre river tract just east of the Weber River. When exploring this site your group will learn fur trading and battle history, get to see authentic Native American artifacts, walk the various hiking trails and/or fish the ponds, and learn all about the Fort itself within the Visitor Center. In 1847 Mormons bought the fort and surrounding land and renamed it Brownsville. Much before this, however, the land was as fortifications during battles, as a trading post for fur trappers, and as a long-time home to Utah's Native Americans and more recently, pioneer settlers. School groups will have the option of taking part in hands-on lessons about these topics, and after the lesson, you can choose up to 4 Stations such as fire starting, black powder, and trapping. You will also learn about the era of Mountain Men in this region and popular men of the time like Jim Bridger, Miles Goodyear, and Jedediah Smith.
• Union Station
  • This train station was actually the third major one for Ogden, holding 33 hotel rooms, a restaurant, and even a barbershop during its heyday in the early 1900s, the station running for over 3 decades successfully. The depot was considered a 'bustling focal point of northern Utah'. "The railroads changed Ogden from a sleepy agricultural backwater to a bustling transportation and manufacturing hub, the railroads funneled everything they did through this station," says Charles Trentelman, a member of the Union Station Foundation Board of Directors. Ogden Union Station has been operating as a museum collection since 1978, holding museums, art galleries, and a marketplace space. This spot is considered to be one of the area's best educational and cultural resources, with the following museums/galleries within to explore.

High School

• Gallery 25
  • On Historic 25th Street you can find Gallery 25, the oldest in the area. In operation for over 18 years now, this gallery is actually a co-op of over 50 local artists such as Bradyn Beal and Gerald Wood. When you visit you can 'immerse your senses in a wonderful selection of art', a surprising variety of styles and mediums offered here. If you are looking to buy or admire quality art, this is the place to go, with something for every interest and pallet!
• Hill Aerospace Museum
  • The museum is located on 30 acres and first opened to the public in 1986. Hill Aerospace Museum sees around 320,000 visitors each year, the guests eager to see over 70 aircraft on display inside two onsite galleries and an outside airpark. There are thousands of artifacts throughout these areas depicting the history of aviation of the United States Air Force, Hill Air Force Base, and the State of Utah in general. We highly suggest your group takes part in the onsite STEM education program, which is housed within the Lt. General Marc C. Reynolds Aerospace Center for Education. ACE, as it is more commonly called, inspires over 37,000 K-12 students each year, bringing aerospace history to life. Your group will have the chance to explore the extensive onsite collection including ordinance and munitions, aerospace ground equipment, military vehicles, uniforms, and historic artifacts.
• Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery
  • Located within the DOVAD Kimball Visual Arts Building, a part of Ogden's Weber State University, the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery makes the perfect art education stop during your adventure! This art center features contemporary art exhibits and educational programs covering the 'art of our times'. The gallery is free and open to the public each September through April, with occasional special exhibits or workshops available during the summer. The exhibits within are regularly rotating, as are the artists, with subjects such as Perspectives in Printmaking and Student Art Series. There are regular lecture series here throughout the season, and the gallery is closely connected with the Weber State University Department of Visual Art and Design.
• HALO
  • Located at the Compass Rose Lodge in Huntsville, Utah, this observatory allows guests to 'view neighboring celestial bodies with great detail', giving glimpses of the rings of Saturn, Jupiter's Galilean Moons, and other spectacular deep sky objects such as galaxies, nebulae, and globular clusters. Your group will have a hands-on experience using telescopes such as the 8-inch Meade LX200, donated from Weber State University, and the 16-inch aperture Ritchey-Cretren Style telescope with hyperbolic shaped mirrors just like the Hubble. Depending on the weather conditions you may be able to take a tour such as the nighttime Starwalk Tour while here.
    

     

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College Visits

• • Weber State University
    • This campus in Ogden, Utah, serves the community as an 'educational leader, cultural center, and entertainment hub for the region'. There are over 225 certification and degree programs offered here, as well as 16 additional grad programs. Some popular majors here at Weber include Business, Communication, Education, Health, Professional Trades, Visual and Performing Arts, and Writing and Literature. Your group can take a Daily Tour while here, which includes a 1.5-hour walking tour and 15-minute information session with admissions staff, or you can opt-in for a School Group Tour, with options for 10th grade and up, and 10th grade and below. The older student tour will allow you to tour with a student ambassador and can be tailored for specific activities, concerts, or games. This tour also allows you to meet with admissions staff and learn about majors, admissions, financial aid, campus housing, and more. The younger student tour involves a campus-wide scavenger hunt with special prizes!
  • BYU
    • Brigham Young University, or BYU, was founded, supported, and guided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This religion-based university aims to 'assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life' and does so well with an excellent mix of faith-building and higher education options on campus. BYU hosts several different schools that cover the following major subjects: Business, Education, Engineering, Social Sciences, Fine Arts and Communication, Humanities, International Studies, Law, Life Sciences, Nursing, Mathematics, and Religious Education. Within these different schools, you can pick up one of many different majors, with specific examples like accounting, biochemistry, computer engineering, acting, dance, philosophy, wildlife conservation, and so much more.

Check out more in our 'Field Trips to Take in' Series.