Field Trips to GMHC: The Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center offers a wide variety of educational programs in the areas of marine science and maritime history. Last year, 3,000 students from 67 schools and enrichment programs participated in a single or multipart educational experience at GMHC. GMHC offers customized programs to public and private school, camp, after school, home school and other groups for students in grades PreK-12.

Examples of Field Trip Learning Units Offered: Plankton Lab - Investigating Invasive Species - Water Quality Lab - Rocky Shore Ecosystem Exploration - Algae Lab - Waves and Tidal Energy - Crystal Lab - Sea Pocket Aquarium Tours - Fitting Out Exhibit Tour - Local History Site Tour - Finfish and Algae Aquaculture Labs - Sustainable Energy - Simple Machines - Moon and Tides - Marine Food Webs - Water Cycle Lab - Habitats and Adaptations - Models and Mapping - Mollusk Dissection - Fish Dissection - Boatbuilding

Booking a Program at GMHC: To book a program, please contact Mary Kay Taylor by     or call 978-281-0470.

Program Availability: Field trip programming is available to school groups, afterschool, and enrichment programs during weekday hours from 8:30am-5:00pm. A GMHC staff person must be involved in all programs that: 1) take place when our site is not open to the general public 2) Include the use of/ access to any portion of the site that is not open to the general public. This includes, but is not limited to, GMHC's classroom, lab, boat shop, hauling piers, restricted portions of the main pier and floating docks. 3) Involve the use of any tools, chemicals, heavy machinery, or live specimens. 4) Include the use of any small watercraft. Field trips may include a self guided tour of our site and galleries during times when our site is open to the general public. Groups of 8 or more participants must schedule their visit to GMHC at least 1 week in advance and adhere to GMHC's chaperone policy. GMHC retains the right to refuse activity requests when staff determines it cannot provide appropriate programming.

Program Fees:Program fees range from $4 - $19 per student depending on group size, length of visit, and program choice.

Chaperones: We require all groups to have one chaperone for every 12 students. Chaperones are expected to rotate through each learning station with the same group of students throughout the visit. All Chaperones and tour leaders are admitted free of charge.

Planning Your Program: Your trip will be reserved with the receipt of a signed confirmation letter detailing the agreed upon terms of the program. All group leaders are invited to visit the Heritage Center and Sea Pocket Lab free of charge prior to their scheduled trip.

Pre and Post Visit Options: Our education staff is available for pre- and post-trip visits to your school to prepare students more fully for their GMHC experience and to extend their learning experience beyond your field trip. Please ask for additional details and fee schedule if you are interested in this option.

Weather: GMHC reserves the right to modify program units in the case of inclement weather.