Planning your Visit
Group reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and must be secured by submitting the required reservation contract along with the non-refundable deposit. We are unable to accommodate group reservations at the door without these requirements. Groups that arrive without a confirmed reservation will be admitted based on availability and charged the standard general admission rate.
Children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult while at the Exploration Station. One adult is mandatory for every five children and must be supervised at all times. On the same note, adults must be accompanied and supervised by a child when visiting our facility.
Public Group (Tuesdays – Fridays 10am-5pm)
● Explore the Learning Center for 2 hours
● During business hours only: First slot 10am- Last Slot 3pm
● NO Access to the lunch room (MPR)
● Minimum of 25 guest with a Maximum of 50 guest
● 10% off Gift Shop Purchases during the visit
Public Group Fees:
● $5 per child
● 1 free chaperone (adult 18+) for every 5 children
● $3 Additional adults
● $100 Non-Refundable Reservation Fee (added to the fee total)
● Groups must be paid 14 days prior to the day of visit
Private Group (Mondays Only)
● Explore the Learning Center for 3 hours
● Mondays: First Slot 10am- Last Slot 3pm
● Includes the lunch room (MPR) for 3 hours
● Minimum of 40 guest with a Maximum of 180 guest
● 10% off Gift Shop Purchases during the visit
Private Group Fees:
● $5 per child
● 1 free chaperone (adult 18+) for every 5 children
● $3 Additional adults
● $200 Non-Refundable Reservation Fee (added to the fee total)
● Groups must be paid 14 days prior to the day of visit
Extra Fees
● $75 Lunch room (MPR) Access during Public Group for 2 hours
● $55 for extra time in the facility
Booking your Visit
To start the reservation process please send the following information to explorationstation@btpd.org.
Contact Information (organization, phone, address, email as well as the contact person for the trip phone and email).
- Date of trip
- Private Visit 3 hour ( Monday’s Starting at 10am) or Public Visit 2 hour (Tuesday- Friday)
- Arrival and Departure times (Public Visits must start at 9:30am)
- Special Accommodations Needed
- Total Headcount (Adults 18+ and Children. You receive 1 free adult chaperone for every 5 children.)
- Students Age (ex: 5-7)
- Students grade (ex: K-1st)
- Lunch Plans
Once the above information is received a team member will contact you to review the contract.
To secure your reservation you must return the completed and signed contract with the applicable reservation fee. Total facility fees are due in full at least 14 days prior to the date of the trip. Please note that the non-refundable reservation fee will not be refunded for cancellations, or no shows.
Exploration Station has partnered with Strickler Planetarium for a great field trip package!
Exploration Station and Strickler Planetarium have partnered up to offer a discounted rate to any group wishing to visit both destinations on the same day. Any group that books a field trip to both the children’s museum and planetarium will receive $1 off admission per student from each institution. The Strickler Planetarium is just a few blocks away from Exploration Station on the grounds of Olivet Nazarene University. The planetarium has been shown to fit almost any age group. For reservations to the planetarium, click on the link: Strickler Planetarium , or for more information please call 815-939-5395
Be sure to mention that you are visiting the planetarium as well in order to qualify for your group discount when booking your trip to the museum!
Teachers
Are you concerned about the rising prices of transportation and limited funds for field trips?
Below are some links to look at regarding grants that might apply to your class/school!
Target Field Trip Grant Information
*Please note that Exploration Station is not responsible for these grants nor will be applying for these grants for teachers/schools. It is up to the teacher/school to complete the process if they so choose to move forward after further research.