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Boy looking at soil through a microscope

Garden Classes represent our signature experiences for school groups visiting the Garden! Led by our Educators, your students will get their hands dirty learning how plants work, the important roles they play in our environment, and the many ways in which we use plants every day. Each program is designed to engage students with inquiry-based conversations, hands-on experiences and content that strengthen curriculum connections to represent a seamless addition to your existing curriculum.

We offer two types of Garden Classes:

Guided Experiences
Designed for groups seeking an in-depth experience around specific topics. Our experiences couple age-appropriate, outdoor learning experiences led by trained instructors with a theme-appropriate guided tour of the Garden. Program includes a Pot-A-Plant session.
Fee: Standard (up to 30 students): $180. Large (up to 60 students): $360

PLSS (PlantLab Student Scientist) Field Investigations
Dig deeper into plant science in the PLSS Field Investigations designed for grades 3 and up. This program offers students opportunity to explore more rigorous botany and STEM topics with our trained instructors. The program includes a take-home planting activity or project for each student.
Fee: $120 (up to 30 students)

In addition we offer a "By Request" option, where we work with you to design a class that suits your group's needs.

Guided Experience: Seasonal Snapshot (PreK–1)

Seasonal Snapshot
Grades PreK–1
September–December & February–May
Capacity: 60 students
Duration: 90 minutes

• Download pre- and post-visit lesson
• Download class overview

REGISTER ONLINE		   Apples on tree What season is it? How do you know? How do the changing seasons affect plants, animals and human beings? Out in the Garden, students will practice their observation skills as they compare and contrast the current season with other times of year. Each student will plant seeds to take with them after the program. What season is it? How do you know? Through pre-post visit seasonal storyboards, students will observe the yearly life cycle of an apple tree. Out in the Garden, students will practice their observation skills as they compare and contrast the current season with other times of year. Students will plant basil seeds to take home.

Guided Experience: Tops & Bottoms (K–2)

Tops & Bottoms
Grades K–2
September–December, February–May
Capacity: 60 students
Duration: 90 minutes

• Download pre- and post-visit lesson
• Download Class Overview

REGISTER ONLINE 		  OnionsWhat do we grow in the Garden? Tops, bottoms and middles! In this class, based on Janet Stevens’ book Tops & Bottoms, students identify and compare the physical structures of edible plants. Students will learn about the variety of plant parts we eat during their visit through the Kemper Center for Home Gardening. They will have an opportunity to view the various fruits and vegetables growing there as well as explore other parts of the Garden while on their tour. Each student will also plant seeds from an edible plant to take home.

Guided Experience: Heaps of Seeds (K–2)

Heaps of Seeds
Grades K–2
September–October
Capacity: 60 students
Duration: 90 minutes

• Download pre- and post- visit lessons
• Download class overview

REGISTER ONLINE

 

   Dandelion seed headFrom acorns to zinnia seeds, the beginnings of a plant are found in an amazingly diverse shapes and sizes. Students will investigate the various ways seeds travel in a series of interactive activities as they explore the Garden.

Guided Experience: Foodology (3–5)

Foodology
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Capacity: 60 students
Duration: 90 minutes

• Download pre- and post-visit lessons
• Download class overview

REGISTER ONLINE

 

   VegetablesAll of our food can be traced to plants! In this experience, students will explore the history and science of agriculture and food production. Tour the William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening to learn about the cultural/geographic origins of our familiar food plants, observe modern-day agricultural practices, appraise contributions made by agricultural pioneers like George Washington Carver, and conceptualize a food garden of their own.

Guided Experience: Rainforest Rendezvous (3–5)

Rainforest Rendezvous
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Capacity: 60 students
Duration: 90 minutes

• Download Class Overview

REGISTER ONLINE		   Plants inside Climatron
Escape to the Climatron® to investigate the strategies plants use to survive in this wet, competitive environment and the resulting diversity of structures and behaviors that can be observed. In a replicated lowland tropical rainforest featuring waterfalls and a diversity of 1,500 plants, learn why this productive biome is so unique and important.


Climatron® is a registered servicemark of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Guided Experience: Botanical Engineering (3–8)

Botanical Engineering
Grades 3–8
September–December and February–May
Duration: 90 minutes

• Download pre- and post-visit lessons
• Download class overview

REGISTER ONLINE

 

   ClimatronSurvival for plants often means finding innovative ways to overcome challenges in the environment! In this tour, we will first explore the adaptations that plants have devised that enable them to survive in some of our planet’s most extreme environments. Next we will look at the solutions humans have devised to replicate these environments so that these plants can survive in St. Louis.

PLSS Field Investigation: Botany and Biodiversity (3–5)

PLSS Field Investigation:
Botany and Biodiversity
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Capacity: 30 students
Duration: 60 minutes

• Download Class Overview

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program.		   SurvivorCarl Linneaus once said, “If the names are unknown, knowledge…also perishes.” Since 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden has served as a world leader in the fundamental science of discovering, classifying, and naming plant species from all around the world. This hands-on session will provide students with a taste of the real world work our researchers do, from collection and classification to identification and nomenclature.

PLSS Field Investigation: Ecology and Engineering (3–5)

PLSS Field Investigation
Ecology and Engineering
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Capacity: 30 students
Duration: 60 minutes

• Download Class Overview

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program.		   Bee on clover blossomAn understanding the interconnectedness of the natural world is vital if we are going to tackle big challenges like climate change and conservation. In this class, students will explore the interdependence between flowering plants and their pollinators, underscoring how this simple relationship affects not just the organisms involved, but the ecology of their local habitats and human quality of life.

PLSS Field Investigation: Plants and People (3–5)

PLSS Field Investigation:
Plants and People
Grades 3–5
September–December & February–May
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students

• Download Class Overview

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program.		   Students sawing woodPlants provide humankind with our most basic resources—food, medicines, fiber, building materials, and a range of other economically valuable products and essential services. This hands-on program gives students an opportunity to explore of the traditional uses of plants as well as glimpse some of the ways in which plants can be used in the future to address environmental and economic concerns.

PLSS Field Investigation: Investigations and Applications (6–8)

PLSS Field Investigation:
Investigations and Applications
Grades 6–8
September–December & February—May
Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 60 students

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program. 		  Faced with 21st-century issues, science and engineering disciplines are increasingly turning to nature for solutions. By coupling investigations in plant science with the engineering cycle, this STEM-focused class exposes students to methods of applying data and evidence from observations of nature to produce enriching policy actions and/or technical solutions to daunting challenges.

PLSS Field Investigation: Sustainability and Services (6–8)

PLSS Field Investigation:
Sustainability and Services
Grades 6–8
September–December & February—May
Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 60 students

Please email schoolprograms@mobot.org to register for this program. 		  The Garden’s stated mission is to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life. The fields of ecology and ethnobotany offer ideal opportunities for students to explore the stewardship, management, and restoration of natural resources that sustain our quality of life. In this class we will explore case studies of indigenous management techniques to inform restoration of natural services.

By Request (6–12)

By Request
Grades 6–12
September–December and February–May
Duration: varies


REGISTER ONLINE

 

   Interested in discussing a topic that isn’t covered by one of our classes? We can work with you to design a class that suits your group’s needs. Complete the online registration form to let us know what you have in mind!
 

Scheduling and Pricing for Garden Classes

All Garden Classes (Guided Experiences and PLSS Field Investigations) are offered September–December and February–May. Classes must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance.

Guided Experiences may be requested online by following the link below:
REGISTER ONLINE

To request a PLSS Field Investigation, please email schoolprograms@mobot.org.

Please note that as a thank-you for the Zoo Museum District’s financial support of the Missouri Botanical Garden, schools located in St. Louis City and County receive a 50 percent discount on all class fees.

Chaperones:
One chaperone is required for every five students who attend. You may bring additional chaperones, but additional adults will be admitted at the normal admission price. Teachers must pay for all 'extra' chaperones prior to their visit, or have an invoice for chaperone admission sent to the school after the visit.

Scholarships are available. Download a school scholarship form.

Download a Garden map for school groups
Go to our "Planning Your Visit" page