Naper Settlement field trips focus on inquiry-based learning, promoting curiosity and critical thinking skills in elementary and middle school students.  Sign-up for one of our in-person experiences, or enjoy the museum virtually with one of our three virtual field trips.  For questions, please call 630-420-6010 or email us at grouptours@naperville.il.us .

Time Travel Trip

All Grades • October, April-June • $8/Student 
Follow the development of a typical Northern Illinois town as it grows from a frontier outpost in the 19th century to a thriving agricultural center in the early 20th century to today's thriving city. Meet museum educators and volunteers who will engage your students in inquiry and discovery along your self-guided tour of our spacious 13-acre campus. Classes are able to choose the duration of their visit anytime between 9:30 am and 2 pm.

Learning Standards - Grades K-2

Learning Standards - Grades 3-5

Field Watchers

Grade 3 • September-October • This program is free to the first 2,500 registered students through the generous support of the Illinois Soybean Association 
Field Watchers teaches about the history of agriculture and the importance of emerging technologies in the industry. The goal of the Field Watchers program is to connect 2nd-5th grade students to farmers in Illinois while providing inquiry-based STEM learning and experimentation in agronomy and coding. Everyone will become “Field Watchers” learning about soybean plants, virtually connecting to “Field Partner” farmers, and potting a soybean plant. The program continues as students monitor their plants and connect remotely to learn from Field Partner farmers.

Learning Standards

History Station

Grades 2-5 • November-March • $8/Student •  Add asynchronous virtual activities for an additional $50 
The 1800s come alive through sights, sounds, and smells of the past. Students witness forging iron in the Blacksmith Shop, operating a printing press in the Print Shop, and learning about coffee grinding in the Log House. Students will also experience the cultural legacy of the one-room schoolhouse that gave rise to the popularization of the 3Rs (Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic) and cooperative/peer learning.

Learning Standards

Hunt for History*

Grade 2 •  April • $8/Student • *District 203 & 204 and Naperville Private Schools Program
Students become detectives on a quest to learn about their local community, then and now. This interactive program takes students on a hunt throughout the historic buildings where museum educators in period clothing challenge their knowledge of history and engage them in activities sure to make this trip a favorite memory from 2nd grade. The program duration is 2 hours. 

Learning Standards

Building Naperville*

Grade 4 •  March • $8/Student  •  *District 203 & 204 and Naperville Private Schools Program •  Add asynchronous virtual activities for an additional $50 
Building Naperville engages 4th-grade Naperville students in an interactive exploration of commerce, trade, and technology in Naperville’s 19th-century culture and economy to develop geographic, economic, and historical literacy and civic awareness. Students will experience history as they interact with our engaging staff and artifacts to discover how Naperville grew from the Illinois prairie to become the city in which we live, work, and play. This trip includes a highly interactive onsite experience and includes digital tours for teachers to use back in the classroom. The program duration is 3 hours. 

Learning Standards