Louisiana Field Trips for Homeschoolers

The location, climate, and melting pot of cultures make Louisiana an exemplary place for field trips. When you need a break from your homeschool routine, then it’s time to spice things up with some fun day trips in Louisiana. To make the most of any homeschool outing, spend some time ahead of your excursion to research directions, admission costs, hours of operation, and whether or not food is available nearby. Also, bring along plenty of fun and educational activities to keep students occupied on long car rides.

To help you locate fun things to do in Louisiana, we’ve organized your field trip ideas by geographical area. Plan out each of your learning adventures on this printable map of Louisiana from Time4Learning. Please make sure to contact each site before you plan your visit, as COVID-19 may have impacted their hours of operations. Plus, as a bonus, we’ve even included a free download of Time4Learning lesson tie-ins that might be the perfect supplement for each trip [at end of article]!

Homeschool Field Trips in North Louisiana

• Germantown Colony Museum, Minden – Explore a preserved settlement of a small group of German immigrants who aimed to build their own “kingdom of heaven” — a Utopian society in the wilderness of North Louisiana in the early 1800s. The cemetary on the site holds the remains of many of the original settlers.
• Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum, Monroe – Explore different types of food service jobs in a recreated restaurant, practice taking care of patients in the discovery hospital, and see how tall a bubble you can surround yourself with at this hands-on learning center for children of all ages. Storytime and other activities are scheduled year round.
• Poverty Point State Historic Site, Pioneer – Sometime between 1650 and 700 BC, a group of Native Americans called the Poverty Point culture occupied a land area approximately 100 miles across the Mississippi Delta. They were an impressively advanced culture of mound builders who established a complex trading network throughout the Eastern U.S. Find out more about this group at this state site.
• Red River National Wildlife Refuge, Bossier City – Start your visit to the Refuge at the Exhibit Hall where you’ll learn about the wildlife that calls these native habitats home. Animals you might spot while hiking in the area include hawks, white-tailed deer, alligators, armadillos, and dragonflies. Environmental education activities are hosted at different times of the year, as well.
• R.W. Norton Art Gallery & Gardens, Shreveport – This is one of the places to visit in Louisiana that should definitely be on your list. The Norton Gallery has the goal of being a “teaching museum” with a full education staff and exhibits that are designed to help students build critical thinking skills as well as appreciation for art. Take a self-guided tour or sign up for one of the many educational programs available.

Homeschool Field Trips in Central Louisiana

• Alexandria Zoo, Alexandria – The animal lover in your homeschool will be delighted to discover more than 160 species of animals from all over the world at this amazing zoological park. As part of the “outdoor classroom” experience, interactive shows and keeper chats happen at various times of day, so be sure to check the schedule for those.
• Cane River Creole National Historic Park, Natchez – This 63-acre site includes two French-Creole cotton plantations, 65 historic structures, and over a million historic artifacts. The park participates in the Junior Ranger program, so if your homeschoolers are working on earning badges, don’t miss this one. You’ll also learn the history of plantation agriculture from the perspectives of plantation owners, slaves, and even tenant farmers.
• Forts Randolph and Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville – Looking for homeschool field trip ideas that tie in with your history curriculum? Then head to the museum and historic buildings of these former Confederate forts. In addition to daily tours, the site offers historic and nature programs, picnic areas, and even hiking trails.
• Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery, Natchitoches – The land this federal hatchery is built on was inhabited for many years by the Caddo Indian Nation. Some of their history and culture is on display in the aquarium exhibits. The primary focus of the hatchery is on restoring depleted populations of alligator gar, so you can learn plenty about the techniques for conservation and habit building that they use.
• William Johnson House, Natchez – Nicknamed “the barber of Natchez,” William Johnson was a freed slave who apprenticed as a barber then opened his own shop in Natchez in 1830. He also built a three-story brick home from bricks of other buildings destroyed by a tornado in 1840. That home is now owned by the National Park Service and has been restored for use as a museum.

Homeschool Field Trips in Acadiana

• Chicot State Park, Ville Platte – When you are looking for family activities in Louisiana that can expend some energy, definitely consider a visit to this 6,400 acre wildlife reserve. There are hiking trails that surround a 2,000 acre lake on the property as well as opportunities to view coyote, raccoons, deer and bobcats. There is even a water playground for warm days!
• The Children’s Museum, Lake Charles – Homeschool families will enjoy the music, visual and performing arts, folk life, and storytelling exhibits and hands-on activities at this destination. The ArtSpace area allows young artists to work with a variety of media to express themselves creatively. Teacher resource pages are available on the website to enhance your child’s learning before and after your visit.
• International Petroleum Museum and Exposition, Morgan City – Offshore oil and petroleum drilling has been an important part of the Louisiana economy for decades. At this unique museum you can learn much about the oil industry, the careers of commercial divers, and how an offshore oil rig operates.
• Tabasco Factory Tours, Avery Island – Very few educational field trips are as intriguing to students as a factory tour. Take the opportunity to visit a place where tabasco sauce has been made for almost 150 years. The tours last between 1 and 1 ½ hours, and include a museum, greenhouse, and salt mine diorama.
• Vermilionville, Lafayette – This unique living history village allows students to step back in time to the 1700s and 1800s to experience both Cajun and Creole cultures. Plenty of elementary and secondary lesson plans are available on the site that will help your homeschoolers make connections to what they are learning. Costumed staff demonstrate arts and crafts from the period, as well.

Florida Parishes and Greater New Orleans

• Audubon Zoo, Aquarium & Insectarium, New Orleans – Although not an inexpensive field trip destination, a visit to Audubon Nature Institute will be one your homeschoolers remember indefinitely. Here you’ll encounter many opportunities to experience nature the hands-on way and there are regular educational activities aimed at homeschoolers ages 8-12.
• Kenny Hill Sculpture Garden, Chauvin – Nicholls State University is host to a most unusual art display on the bayou. Kenny Hill, a bricklayer born in 1950, began creating concrete sculptures to represent life as he saw it. Over 100 sculptures are available to view, including a 45-foot-tall lighthouse, composed of 7,000 bricks. When visiting, take time to also head over to the art studio, which also highlights folk art from the area.
• LIGO Science Education Center, Livingston – Don’t miss your chance to augment your science curriculum with a visit to this cutting edge, world-class scientific research facility. The exhibit hall at the science center aims to educate visitors about the complex topics being explored at the LIGO facility using common subjects such as light, gravity, and waves. Science Saturdays are held monthly from 1-5 p.m. with free admission for all.
• National World War II Museum, New Orleans – No study of World War II should be considered complete without a visit to this place dedicated to the U.S. role in helping to win an Allied victory. Several WWII-era aircraft are on display as well as an interactive submarine exhibit. Students can learn about everything from D-Day to the European theater. Allow at least 2-3 hours for your visit.
• River Road African American Museum, Donaldsonville – Before making this educational trip, be sure to head to the RRAAM website to download their Educator Guide. In addition, there are scavenger hunts to make the visit even more of a learning experience. This is the perfect tie in when learning about Black History Month.