Options:
Guided: Explore Cheekwood led by Educators and Docents.
*In order to qualify for a guided field trip, you must have 15 students that fall in the selected field trip grade range. If you do not have 15 students within the selected field trip grade range the day of your field trip, your field trip will be switched to a self-guided experience.
Self-Guided: Experience Cheekwood at your own pace using a curated map.
When:
Tuesday – Friday, 1 – 5 PM
Group Size:
Minimum: 15
Maximum: 70
Cost:
Students and teachers (one adult per family): Free
Chaperones (additional adults, paid before the day of the field trip): $16
Chaperones (additional adults, paid the day of the field trip at the front gate): $22
Scheduling:
Guided: Must schedule trips at least four weeks in advance.
Self-Guided: Must schedule at least two weeks in advance.
Weather Policy:
Field trips are weather permitting. This includes rain, snow, and extreme temperatures.
Education staff will be in touch with scheduled schools at least 24 hours before a scheduled trip
if a change is necessary. Field trips will be rescheduled as space permits.
For weather concerns or cancellations, please email [email protected].
All Field Trip options listed below are connected to Tennessee State Standards. View the
options below before submitting a School Tour Request.
Guided School Field Trips Options
Learn all about trees in Cheekwood’s Childrens Garden. Explore the parts of trees, trees as
homes to animals and insects, and how trees change through the seasons.
Program Length: 60 minutes
Selected Standards: PK.ESS3.01a. ; PK.LS1.01 a.
Standing Tall at Cheekwood Field Trips are made possible by
Students will learn all about plant parts and their function while
exploring the Cheekwood GROWS kitchen and cutting garden.
Program Length: 90 minutes
Selected Standards: K.ETS2 ; 1.LS1
Learn about traditions, customs, and culture in the Blevins Japanese Garden. Students will compare what they learn to their own lives. Students will also participate in a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony and make their own herbal tea.
Program Length: 90 minutes
Selected Standards: Culture K.02 ; Culture 1.02 ; Culture 2.02
Discover the pollinators that call Cheekwood home and learn why they are crucial to the garden
ecosystem. Dive into learning about the parts of a plant and the roles they play, and why certain
pollinators prefer specific plants.
Program Length: 90 minutes
Selected Standards: 2.LS1 ; 3.LS1 ; 4.LS2
Explore Cheekwood’s Arboretum collection while learning about the Emerald Ash Borer, a forest ecosystem and its food web, along with how trees communicate with one another.
Program Length: 90 minutes
Selected Standards: 4.LS2 ; 6.LS2 ; 6.ESS3
Standing Tall at Cheekwood Field Trips are made possible by
Self-Guided School Field Trip Options
Explore the seasonal displays throughout the year! From Cheekwood in Bloom in the spring, to Harvest in the fall, this self-paced option encourages students and teachers to move through Cheekwood at their own pace.
Discover the pollinators that call Cheekwood home and learn why they are crucial to the garden
ecosystem. Dive into learning about the parts of a plant and the roles they play, and why certain
pollinators prefer specific plants.
Selected Standards: K.LS1; 1.LS1; 2.LS1 ; 3.LS1 ; 4.LS2
Have you ever wondered what animals call Cheekwood home? With this self-guided
adventure, students will explore the different animals and their ecosystems, discuss the
important equilibrium between humans and animals, and brainstorm how to maintain this
balance.
Selected Standards: 6.LS2 ; 7.LS1 ; 8.LS4
Explore the sculptures on the Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail. Students
will learn how art and nature complement one another and start to create their own
sculpture idea for the Carrell Trail.
Selected Standards: HS1.VA.Cr1.A ; HS2.VA.R1.A ; HS3.VA.Cr1.A
Homeschool Days
Beginning in 2023 Cheekwood will be offering quarterly Homeschool Days. Join us for themed mornings of drop-in style activities, just for homeschool groups. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy out on the grounds.
Special discounts will be available on memberships at each Homeschool Day so that families may return often to continue their learning journey at Cheekwood.
Homeschool Days are most suited for ages 5-10 but all ages are welcome to join.
Email [email protected] for questions about our new Homeschool Day experiences.
Admissions
Tickets for Homeschool Days must be purchased in advance and time slots may sell out. All ticketed homeschool guests will be given a wristband at check-in. Only those with wristbands will be permitted to take part in the drop-in activities.
Gardens Only: Access to the gardens including all drop-in activities.
Adults: $15
Youth (3-17): Free
Ages 2 & Under: Free
Gardens and Mansion: Access to both the gardens, including all drop-in activities, and the Historic Cheek Mansion & Museum where docents will be available to answer questions about the historic rooms and galleries.
Adult: $18
Youth (3-17): Free
Ages 2 and Under: Free
Please note that tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable. This event is rain or shine and will move indoors in inclement weather.
Traditions and Customs: Exploring Multiculturalism
in the Blevins Japanese Garden
Date: September 12, 2023
Event Hours: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Description: Cultivate a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture by exploring the Blevins Japanese Garden. Learn about a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, explore Japanese poetry by writing your very own haiku, and discover the elements that make up a traditional Japanese garden.
Standing Tall at Cheekwood
Date: November 28, 2023
Event Hours: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Description: Explore Cheekwood’s arboretum and learn all about trees. Discover them as habitats, how they change seasonally, and how we can protect them from invasive species. Students will learn all about the Emerald Ash Borer and Cheekwood’s response program.
Standing Tall at Cheekwood Field Trips are made possible by