Field Trip Basics
- School sanctioned scheduled field trips are free of charge for both students and chaperones.
- Field trips are geared for 4th- 12th grades. Lower grades are encouraged to visit the park grounds, gardens, tank park, hiking trail and picnic area, but will not be permitted into the museums.
- Reservations are required and are available every day excluding Monday. The park is closed the entire month of January and opens Friday-Sunday in February.
- Field trips are scheduled to visit both the Robert R. McCormick Museum and the First Division Museum in order to keep the group sizes manageable and to enhance the student’s experience.
- Field trips are available in four time blocks per day: A 9:30- 12:00, B 10:00- 12:30, C 11:30- 2:00 or D 12:00- 2:30. These times include arrival, orientation, visits to both museums and walking time. Lunch will add approximately 45 minutes to your field trip time.
- A maximum of 90 students may be scheduled per time block. If your group exceeds 90 students, you must reserve two back-to-back time blocks or split your group into two days. One chaperone is required for every 10 students.
- Brown bag lunches may be eaten in our picnic area (warmer months/nice weather) or in our restaurant Le Jardin (colder months/inclement weather). Lunch times are assigned based upon your field trip time slot. Box lunches are available for purchase.
(On the left hand menu, click Forms and Additional Resources under Documents to access the menu and order form)
- Scheduling is done on a twelve month rolling calendar, meaning you can schedule a trip as far out as twelve months from today’s date.
Download our Field Trip Planning Kit for complete field trip information. (On the left hand menu, click Forms and Additional Resources under Documents)
To request a field trip date, simply follow these steps:
(Please note, this online system is for school field trips ONLY- to request a date for an Adult Group or Youth Group, please call 630 260 8162)
1. View the availability calendar below to find available dates and times. A larger view is accessible by clicking School Tour Availability under Lists on the left hand menu. Click Expand All to see all the blocks in each date square.
The time blocks you see listed are the blocks available. If you do not see a time block, it is already booked. If the date square is empty, there are no blocks available that day.
If you are interested in a weekend visit- please call 630 260 8162.
2. Based on our availability calendar, complete a Field Trip Request Form. The Field Trip Request Form can be found on the left hand menu, under Documents. Additional valuable resources can also be found under Documents.
3. Email your completed form as an attachment (preferred method) OR
Print your completed form and fax it to: 630 668 5332
or mail to: Cantigny Field Trips
1 S 151 Winfield Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
Most requests will be processed the same day, but please allow up to three business days to process your request form. You will receive confirmation materials via email. Note that your reservation is not confirmed until you receive these materials.
Unable to Schedule a Field Trip to Cantigny Due to Availability?
We encourage you to try our History Trunk Program, request a D-Day resource packet for use in your classroom, or visit the Freedom Museum in Chicago.
History trunks provide an opportunity for students to handle uniforms and field gear used by soldiers in a specific war. Trunks are available for the Civil War, World War I and II, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. A teacher’s guide is included in each trunk. History trunks may be checked out for two weeks and require a reservation made at least one week in advance.
The resource packet about D-Day is available by mail. It includes reproductions of photographs, newspaper articles, maps, letters, oral histories, and other primary sources from the battle. The packet also includes class activities for middle and high school students.
To reserve a history trunk or to request a resource packet, please contact Museum Educator Melissa Neumann at 630 260 8274 or MNeumann@FirstDivisionMuseum.org
Visit the Freedom Museum!
The McCormick Freedom Museum is the nation's first museum dedicated to freedom and the First Amendement. The highly-interactive exhibits inspire students grade 6-12 to express their opinions, debate constitutional issues and reach their own conclusions about the state of freedom both here and abroad.
Due to the interactive nature of the exhibits, all visits are self-guided. Field trips begin with a brief orientation. Afterwards, groups explore the museum under the guidance of accompanying chaperones.
To learn more, or to request a field trip to the Freedom Museum, visit http://www.freedommuseum.us/