Options:
Guided: Engage students with Tennessee State Standards aligned activities led by Cheekwood Educators.
Self-Guided: Experience Cheekwood at your own pace using self-directed materials.
When:
Tuesday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM
Group Size:
Minimum: 15
Maximum: 65
Scheduling:
Guided: Must schedule trips at least 4 weeks in advance.
Self-Guided: Must schedule trips at least 2 weeks in advance.
For scheduling guided and self-guided student field trips, please note that Cheekwood is closed to the public on Mondays, and due to capacity constraints, does not offer any student field trips when Metro Nashville Public Schools are on breaks. Please reference the Metro calendar when booking.
Cost:
| Students & Teachers | Required Chaperones | Car Parking Fee | |
| All Schools | Free | Free + parking | $5/car *Buses park for free |
Required Chaperone Ratio:
Cheekwood will follow a ratio of 1 required adult per 10 students. Adults count as teachers, support staff, parents, or other known adults. These required chaperones will enter for free. If they drive separately, they will still need to pay for parking.
Please note: if you have students requiring special accommodations/ support staff, those additional adults are always welcome and do not count towards the ratio.
Additional Adults:
Additional adults beyond the required chaperone ratio can purchase their tickets individually on our ticketing page. These additional adults are strongly encouraged to explore the gardens on their own and meet up with the group during their independent time. This allows our educators to deliver the guided programs in the best possible manner.
*Members may reserve tickets using their benefits
Weather Policy:
Field trips are weather permitting. Field trips can be rescheduled as availability permits. For weather concerns or cancellations, please email [email protected].
View the options below before submitting a School Tour Request.
Guided School Field Trips Options
Immerse your students in nature and explore the parts of a tree, trees as animal homes, and how they seasonally change.
Program Length: 60 minutes
Come dissect a seed and seedling, while gaining a better understanding of the parts of a plant and its life cycle!
Program Length: 60 minutes
Come explore the pollinators that call Cheekwood home! We will examine the parts of a flower up close, distinguish different flower features, and discover creative ways that seeds are dispersed.
Program Length: 60 minutes
Your students will discover the impact of invasive species, tree communication, and the importance of food webs within Cheekwood’s arboretum.
Program Length: 60 minutes
Your students will explore multiculturalism in the beauty of the Blevin’s Japanese Garden.
Program Length: 70 minutes
This tour uses artwork as historical artifacts to address Tennessee’s high school Visual Arts and Social Studies standards. “Common Ground” highlights 19th and early 20th century American art and its shared cultural aspirations and contrasting artistic visions. “Common Ground” provides a vibrant example for students to learn just how much art reflects and responds to the times.
Program Length: 60 minutes
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-directed 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
This self-guided field trip uses a mentor text to demonstrate potential uses of personification and sensory imagery in nature poetry. As students explore the gardens, they consider the real and imagined points of view of the natural objects and elements they observe on their visit before writing a nature poem of their own.
Selected Standards: 6-12.W.TTP.3
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 Carell Trail.
Selected Standards: HS1.VA.Cr1.A ; HS2.VA.R1.A ; HS3.VA.Cr1.A
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