Absolutely! For those planning a field trip to the West Virginia State Museum, we recommend browsing our structure programming and tour offerings on our website under the School and Group Visits tab.

It's also important to note that the West Virginia State Museum is located within the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex. Our convenient location also allows many groups to add on additional tours in addition to a self-paced visit to our museum. When you're ready to schedule, contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 or Nathan.L.Barner@wv.gov to schedule your field trip.

Have questions about what will work best for your group? Contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 or Nathan.L.Barner@wv.gov

When you're ready to schedule your field trip, contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 or Nathan.L.Barner@wv.gov to schedule your field trip. Then, be on the lookout for a confirmation e-mail!

When you are ready to book your field trip, be ready to provide the following information:

• School/Organization Name
• Trip Organizer's Name and Contact Information
• # of Students/Participants and # of Classes (if applicable)
• # of Chaperones
• Grade Level(s) or Age Group (Non-Student Groups)
• Tours & Programs Selected
• Preferred Date of Trip
• Alternate Date of Trip
• Anticipated Arrival & Departure Times
• Lunch Plans (if applicable)
• Accommodations or specific requests your group requires

Groups of all sizes and ages are welcome! We simply recommend that you bring at least 1 adult chaperone per 10 students/children.

Tours at the West Virginia State Museum allow you and your students to immerse yourself in West Virginia's history at your own pace. The museum itself is a walk through a timeline of the state's history beginning with the ancient coal forest through contemporary times. Audio and visual elements provide narration along the tour and scenic elements, along with 26 themed Discovery Rooms filled with artifacts, information, and first-person accounts of each moment in time recreate history around you. Groups participating in our structured programming also receive special educational handouts and scavenger hunts to enhance your visit.

Yes. As we approach the winter holiday season, West Virginia Legislative session, and spring, many visitors enjoy taking an advantage of a field trip to the State Capitol Complex and West Virginia State Museum. Regardless, we encourage you to visit whenever it works best within your schedule!

It depends on what your group plans to do during your visit and how long you have! Some groups stop by just to see the museum, while others spend several hours on the Capitol Complex.

However, to give you an estimate, a group who takes advantage of a Capitol Tour, West Virginia Documentary, Self-Guided Monument Tour, Self-Guided Museum Tour, and has lunch on-site typically spends at least 3 hours of their day with us. Large groups (> 50) are split into smaller groups for their Capitol tour and typically rotate through the Grounds Tour and/or West Virginia Documentary. Don't forget to allot time for visiting the Gift Shop (if applicable)!

For your ease of reference, timing estimates are as follows:

• Guided Tours of Capitol: ~30 minutes
• Self-Guided Tours of Capitol Grounds and Monuments: ~30-45 minutes
• Self-Guided tours of the West Virginia State Museum: ~1 hour
• West Virginia Documentary: ~30 minutes
• Museum Education Workshop: ~30-45 minutes
• Lunch on site: ~20-30 minutes

Adequate adult supervision is required for all visiting groups. We recommend that there is one adult for every 10 students. For example, if you are planning to bring a group of 50 students, we would recommend you to bring at least 5 adult chaperones.

There's a lot to see and do while you're here! That being said, we are flexible! We do our best to work with you and your group to ensure that you are able to take full advantage of your educational trip to the State Capitol Complex and West Virginia State Museum.

Yes, groups may bring their own lunches. Group seating is available on the plaza deck of the Culture Center for a picnic-style lunch, weather permitting. In the event of inclement weather, our staff will assist field trip coordinators with indoor lunch arrangements. Students will be instructed to store their lunches in secure storage upon arrival.

On-site dining options are limited. The Capitol Complex Food Court is located in the basement of the State Capitol and is open Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We kindly request that large groups seeking to eat in the Capitol Complex Food Court communicate their needs at least 24 hours in advance. Please contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 for questions and more information.

For those looking at a catered option, some groups opt to contact local restaurants in the area to make such arrangements.

Yes! Visit Teach & Learn to access lesson plans, teacher materials, and student handouts to help you prepare for your visit. We have also developed pre- and post-visit lesson plans specifically designed for a field trip to the West Virginia State Museum.

• K-2 Field Trip Lesson Plans
• Grades 3-5 Field Trip Lesson Plans
• Secondary Level Field Trip Lesson Plans coming soon!

We also offer materials for chaperones and teachers! These double-sided trifold brochures have all of the essential information that you need for the day of your trip. If printing, don't forget to make sure your printer settings are set to bind on the short edge!

• Chaperone Guide
• On The Day of Your Visit: Teacher's Guide

Yes, all bus passengers will need to unload/reload at the Bus Turnaround Loop. Enter the Bus Loop the intersection of Greenbrier Street and Washington Street East and turn right at the Guard House.

Buses are not permitted to park, unload, or reload passengers on Greenbrier Street, Kanawha Boulevard, or California Avenue.

Buses will need to park at Laidley Field. After leaving the Bus Loop, bus drivers will travel west on Washington Street East and turn right onto Elizabeth Street, cross over the railroad tracks, and take an immediate left to enter the bus parking area at Laidley Field. Drivers should park inside the ticket booth fenced area.

All bus passengers will need to unload/reload at the Bus Turnaround Loop. Enter the Bus Loop the intersection of Greenbrier Street and Washington Street East and turn right at the Guard House.

Buses are not permitted to park, unload, or reload passengers on Greenbrier Street, Kanawha Boulevard, or California Avenue.

Parking options for Culture Center visitors can be found in the following areas:

Metered Parking Lot

Enter the lot at the corner of Washington Street E and Greenbrier Street. Parking is $0.25 per half-hour (max. 4 hours) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

*After 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and state holidays, there is no charge for parking in these spaces.

Accessible Parking Spaces

Designated metered accessible parking is available in Metered Parking Lot located at the Greenbrier Street entrance in addition to a small number of metered spaces in the bus loop in front of the Culture Center. Vehicles must display proper Mobility Impaired or Disability parking placards or signage in these spaces.

Meters for parking at the Capitol Complex accept quarters. Visitors may also pay via mobile phone using the PayByPhone app. Additional info can be found here.

**Parking may be limited when the Legislature is in session.

Additional Free Public Parking

Additional free public parking is available at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field.* If parking here, take Exit 99 toward WV-114S (Greenbrier St/State Capitol Exit) and keep right at the fork. Turn right onto Elizabeth Street and continue straight to Lots A and B.

*Laidley Field is located about two blocks from the Capitol Complex. The Capitol Shuttle service is provided Monday through Friday between the Capitol Complex and Laidley Field parking area in three shifts. Learn more here.

Culture Center visitors are also welcome to be dropped off and picked up in the bus loop. Stairs and ramps are located at the front of the Culture Center that allow visitors entrance to the building. Entry doors are located on both the left and right of the front of the building. An automatic accessible door (operated by an ADA Push to Open Button) is located on the right-hand entrance.

Don't worry! If possible, please contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 to let us know and we will work with you to accommodate your new arrival time.

Unfortunately, there is not space for buses to park directly at the Culture Center. Instead, all buses will need to park at Laidley Field after unloading passengers in the Bus Turnaround Loop.

After leaving the Bus Loop, bus drivers will travel west on Washington Street East and turn right onto Elizabeth Street, cross over the railroad tracks, and take an immediate left to enter the bus parking area at Laidley Field. Drivers should park inside the ticket booth fenced area.

No, all educational tours and programming offered by the West Virginia State Museum are free of charge.

Upon check-in, all personal belongings and any packed lunches will be securely stored in designated bins. You may also elect to have your students leave backpacks and other large bags on the bus.

The West Virginia State Museum features exhibits from the entirety of the state's history—from prehistory through contemporary times. Visitors to the museum enjoy an immserive and interactive experience while journeying through the timeline of West Virginia's history.

Please contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 to let us know and we will do our best to work with you and accommodate your needs.

Please contact Nathan Barner, Museum Education Coordinator at (304) 558-0220 ext. 185 to let us know and we will do our best to work with you and accommodate your needs.

Typically, if school has been cancelled or delayed, groups work with their school and our Education team to reschedule their visit.