Please note: These classes cannot be booked June 9–August 19. For other group opportunities during the summer months, check out our Group Visits.

Group classes at Carnegie Museum of Natural History are educational programs designed for students from Pre-K to high school. These classes incorporate current scientific knowledge and the museum’s collections to engage students with a variety of activities that promote an understanding of the earth, environmental change, evolution, and the impact of these forces on Earth’s inhabitants over centuries.

Our customizable programs include a combination of unique hands-on experiences in our classrooms and guided time in our exhibitions. Classes for Groups are a great way to orient your group to the museum or to delve deeper into a particular area of biodiversity, evolution, or world cultures.

In-Depth Workshops
If your group is interested in exploring science careers in more detail, our 2-hour classes allow time for in-depth inquiry.  A special guest helps you experience how scientists study and care for collections at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Scheduling
Workshops are available Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Classes and workshops must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance. Please schedule early, as the demand for classes is high, especially April–June during peak group visit season.

Reservations
Contact the Group Visits Office at 412.622.3289 or GroupVisits@carnegiemuseums.org for more information. You may also send tour requests via our website at www.cmoa.org/grouptours.

Required Chaperones
Pre-K/Kindergarten: One adult per five students
Grades 1 and up: One adult per ten students
Required chaperones admitted free; additional adults pay $10

Fee
One-hour class: $8 per student
90-minute class: $9 per student
Two-hour workshop: $11 per student
$100 minimum per class or workshop. Payment is due one week in advance of your visit. Additional fees for some classes are noted in program descriptions.

Biodiversity & Ecology

Completely Batty
Recommended for grades K–4
From the tiny bumblebee bat to the flying fox, explore how bats have adapted to diverse environments worldwide. Match features to food sources, play an echolocation game, and learn about habitat protection as you explore bats in their ecosystems in the Hall of North American Wildlife and Hall of African Wildlife.

DNAnalysis
Recommended for grades 6–12
Students work in teams to complete a gel electrophoresis experiment with real DNA that models the questions scientists at Carnegie Museum of Natural History investigate related to species identification and invasive species.
Additional fee: 3-hour class: $14 per student, includes materials fee; minimum $200 per group

Exploring Ecosystems
Recommended for grades 5–8
From life under a log to the diversity of African biomes, explore how decomposers, plants, and animals (including humans!) fit into food webs and influence each other. Practice using observations to make inferences as you analyze an ecosystem in the Hall of North American Wildlife and Hall of African Wildlife.

Going on Safari
Recommended for grades K–4
Take a safari through the Hall of African Wildlife! Explore unique survival adaptations of African animals as you learn more about savannah, rainforest, mountain, and desert biomes.

Insect Mania
Recommended for grades 2–6
What sets insects apart from other invertebrates? Take a close-up look at specimens from our educational collection to find out! Explore the diversity of insects worldwide, and learn about universal features of their physical development, behavior, and important role in ecosystems. You can also try your hand at pinning a real insect.

Evolution, Paleontology & Geology

DNAmazing
Recommended for grades K–8
What does DNA look like? Why is it important? Look at cells under a microscope and extract DNA to take home. Learn how the information contained within DNA enables amazing adaptations—from the pattern on a butterfly’s wing to the traits that make us human. In the museum’s exhibition halls, explore the astounding variety of life on earth and the similarities that connect all living things.

Dinosaur Dig
Recommended for grades K–3
Explore the process of paleontology from excavation to exhibition displays. Touch real fossils and wrap a plaster cast to take home. Explore dinosaur diversity throughout the Mesozoic Era in the Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibition.

Family Dinosaur Dig
Recommended for preschool family groups
Explore the process of paleontology from excavation to exhibition displays. Touch real fossils and wrap a plaster cast to take home. In a special exhibition hall activity, practice your paleontology skills by looking for patterns and making predictions as you explore Dinosaurs in Their Time.

Dinosaur Discovery
Recommended for grades 4–8
Through observation, measurement, and analysis see if you can distinguish between dinosaur teeth, toes, and claws as you examine fossil casts from our educational collection. Explore the evolution of dinosaurs, mammals, and plants throughout the Mesozoic Era in the Dinosaurs in their Time exhibition.

Journey through Geologic Time
Recommended for grades 4–8
Explore the history of earth-changing transformations in geology, climate, and biodiversity throughout geologic time. Discover how paleontologists and geologists date rocks and define geologic eras by examining fossils, and make a plaster cast of a fossil to study at home.

Rock Hounds
Recommended for grades K–8
Explore the rock cycle, rock formation, and various physical and chemical properties of rocks and minerals through hands-on experiments, observation, and analysis. Examine mineral specimens from our educational collection in the classroom and compare them with our world-famous displays in Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems.

World Cultures & Anthropology

Archaeology Detectives
Recommended for grades 5–8
Analyze cultural artifacts in a mock Monongahela American Indian dig site and practice excavation techniques to explore the history of western Pennsylvania’s indigenous people. Apply what you learn in the classroom activity to an exploration of Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians.

DNAnthropology
Recommended for grades 6–12
Students work in teams to complete a gel electrophoresis experiment with real DNA that models collaborative work at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the fields of molecular biology and anthropology .
Additional fee: 3-hour class; $14 per student, includes materials fee; minimum $200 per group

Exploring Ancient Egypt
Recommended for grades K–8
Analyze patterns and make predictions as you explore artifacts left behind by an ancient civilization. Explore the stories that mummies, treasures, and everyday objects reveal about daily life in ancient Egyptian society.

Inuit Know-How
Recommended for grades K–4
Imagine what it would be like to survive an Arctic winter as you examine traditional Inuit tools and toys inside an igloo. Learn how the Inuit depend on animals and other environmental resources for warmth and nourishment. Explore how climate change is impacting the harsh, unique, and fragile ecosystems in the Arctic and how modern Inuit culture is adapting.

What’s in a House?
Recommended for grades K–4
What’s in a teepee, pueblo, or longhouse? How does it compare to what’s in your house? Examine cultural artifacts from four North American Indian cultures and discover how natural resources influence everyday life. Test your observation and identification skills in an activity exploring Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians.
– Virtual Seneca Village Tour: For an additional $2 per student, take a guided virtual tour of a village that could have been found in the western Pennsylvania area 500 years ago. See the Group Visits page for more information about adding an Immersive Experience to your visit.