Homeschool Field Trips

An archaeological park in Cayce documenting 12,000 years of continuous habitation, including Revolutionary and Civil War history, with free guided walking tours most Saturdays.

Field trip details: Free guided walking tours, mostly on Saturdays, led by NPS-trained volunteers; part of the Three Rivers Greenway trail system.

A history museum in a former Winter Colony mansion in Aiken, tracing county history from Native Americans to today, with free field trips for all students.

Field trip details: Free admission; offers free field trips and tours for all Aiken County students, including homeschoolers; traveling trunk program available.

A 1,067-acre state park on the South Edisto River near Aiken, built by the CCC in the 1930s, offering canoeing, fishing, hiking trails, and a swimming area.

Field trip details: Canoe/kayak rentals $20/trip; swimming area open Memorial Day-Labor Day; tackle loaner program available.

A small museum inside Hopelands Gardens honoring Aiken’s Thoroughbred racing history, with exhibits on equipment and famous Black jockeys, free with garden admission.

Field trip details: Located within Hopelands Gardens; free with garden admission.

55k square feet of indoor trampoline park with over 15 attractions! We offer birthdays, field trips, memberships, homeschool hops, military discount, toddler time, glow nights, and more!

Birthday Party: Packages include the option to reserve a table, use a private party room, or book the entire park.

• Party sizes begin at 10 people and include water, 2 hours of party time, and jump socks.
• Pizza, ICEEs, additional jump time, and more are included in higher-level packages.
• Party packages start at $25 per person

A working livestock farm in Pomaria offering hands-on agriculture and outdoor learning experiences for homeschool co-ops.

One and only hands on interactive and mobile gem mining experience in SC! Pan for gems, stones and fossils. We come to you!

A history museum next to Cayce City Hall featuring exhibits on the area’s earliest European settlement, including a replica 1700s trading post, near the Riverwalk.

Field trip details: Located near the 12,000 Year History Park and Cayce Riverwalk for an easy combined visit.

A puppet theater performing stories about world culture, history, and fairy tales for school, scout, camp, and homeschool groups, with field trips available any weekday.

Field trip details: Fee-based; field trips and outreach performances available; elementary through high school.

Columbia’s premier art museum featuring Renaissance, Baroque, French Impressionist, and American art, with guided tours and activities for elementary through high school groups.

Field trip details: Fee-based; guided tours and activities; elementary through high school.

A national park south of Columbia protecting the largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the US, with free ranger-led field trips and a Junior Ranger program.

Field trip details: Free; contact the park to plan a self-guided or ranger-assisted trip; Junior Ranger program available; a short drive from Columbia.

A u-pick strawberry farm open each spring, offering hands-on group visits to learn where food comes from, with u-pick and pre-picked options for families.

Field trip details: Fee-based; all grade levels.

A South Carolina State Parks program providing outdoor classroom experiences that teach stewardship of the state’s natural resources, fusing park and State House visits with academic standards.

Field trip details: Fee-based; self-guided and guided activities; all grade levels; available at parks statewide.

A 348-acre state park on three islands in Lake Murray, about 30 miles from Columbia, with hiking trails, fishing, and wildlife viewing including bald eagles and osprey.

Field trip details: Day-use admission $6 adults/$3.50 children (6-15); nature trails good for birdwatching (bald eagles, osprey).

A hands-on children’s museum in Columbia offering standards-based field trips, camps, and outreach for kids ages 0-10.

Field trip details: $8-$12 admission for SC school field trips; school/group programs run September-May only; standards-aligned lab and classroom programs.

Explore wildlife with a guided safari tour at Eudora Farms. Educators can access the full calendar availability online.

Homeschool groups are welcome.

A 2,177-acre urban state forest with 18 miles of trails, run by the SC Forestry Commission with free K-12 environmental education programs and self-guided Junior Forester kits.

Field trip details: Free K-12 programs address SC 2021 Science Standards; max 50 students/day; $5 daily parking fee; also offers Junior Forester self-guided kits.

A 400-seat performing arts venue on MTC’s Harbison Campus in Irmo, hosting touring and local music, dance, theatre, and film, with group ticket discounts.

Field trip details: Regularly hosts South Carolina Ballet and other touring companies; group/bundle ticket discounts available.

A network of five historic house museums and 14 acres of free public gardens in Columbia, including the nation’s only Reconstruction-era museum, with guided group tours.

Field trip details: Guided group tours available Wednesday-Sunday; discounted tickets for children, students, and military; already featured on kiddingaroundcolumbia.com.

One of the largest urban forests in the US, a 2,100-acre natural area in Aiken with 65-70 miles of sand trails for hiking and horseback riding.

Field trip details: Free; open sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year; no bikes or motorized vehicles allowed.

A 14-acre former estate turned public garden in Aiken, with wetlands, an arboretum trail, and a touch-and-scent trail, hosting free HOPE environmental education field trips.

Field trip details: Free; open daily 10am-sunset; hosts HOPE environmental education field trips through USCA’s Ruth Patrick Science Center.

A 50,000-acre reservoir bordering Lexington and Richland counties, offering boating, fishing, birdwatching, and shoreline recreation, with multiple public access points and family-friendly parks.

Field trip details: Multiple public access points and parks around the lake; Lake Murray Dam and Saluda Shoals Park are popular family destinations.

A 7-acre complex of 36 historic structures in downtown Lexington interpreting county life from the 1770s through the Civil War, with 16 hands-on field trip programs.

Field trip details: 16 hands-on field trip programs for student groups; costumed guides; the Corley Log House program limits groups to 25 students.

A University of South Carolina museum exploring the culture and geography of the American South, offering free self-guided visits and guided tours for all grade levels.

Field trip details: Free; self-guided visits and guided tours; all grade levels.

A 16-inch Cassegrain telescope on the USC Columbia campus offering night-sky viewing for research and public groups, with free Monday-night public viewing when weather permits.

Field trip details: Free or fee depending on program; serves elementary through college groups.

Offers homeschool classes and field trips year-round, fully immersed in nature, taught by experienced homeschool moms.

A 460-acre Nature Conservancy and SCDNR preserve in Lexington County with unique sandstone formations, a waterfall, and longleaf pine forest, free with hiking-only trails.

Field trip details: Free; hiking only, no facilities; already featured on kiddingaroundcolumbia.com; free ranger-led ‘Hikes with a Naturalist’ offered periodically.

Gives students across Richland County and the Midlands access to resources and programs to support academic success.

A 70-acre zoo and botanical garden home to over 2,000 animals, from alpacas and koalas to penguins and kangaroos, with standards-aligned school programs available.

Field trip details: Fee-based; day and overnight trip options; all grade levels.

A 15.5-mile riverfront trail system connecting Columbia, Cayce, and West Columbia along the Broad, Saluda, and Congaree Rivers, with free paved and boardwalk trails.

Field trip details: Free; paved and boardwalk trails, picnic shelters, and river access points; check for seasonal trail closures before visiting.

A 400-acre outdoor classroom in Irmo run by the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission, offering ranger-led science programs for K-12 plus a monthly Homeschool Adventure Learning series.

Field trip details: Homeschool Adventure Learning: monthly, ages 5-7 or 8-12, $6/student; K-12 standards-based programs $6-8/student; guided paddle field trips also available.

A 1,400-acre Sandhills-region park in NE Columbia offering Discover Carolina nature field trips and a historic Segars-McKinney homestead site, with online and on-site options.

Field trip details: Reservations open August 1 for the school year; on-site and online field trip options; no charge for online field trips per SCPRT Discover Carolina program.

Columbia’s producer-only Saturday street market on Main Street, ranked the #1 farmers market in the US by USA Today in 2025, with free parking on Saturdays.

Field trip details: Every Saturday, 9am-1pm, year-round, rain or shine; free street parking on Saturdays; over 400 unique local vendors throughout the year.

Columbia’s professional ballet company (rebranded from Columbia City Ballet to South Carolina Ballet in 2023), offering curriculum-aligned Educational Outreach performances twice each season.

Field trip details: Fee-based; two Educational Outreach performances per season, aligned to SC College- and Career-Ready Academic Standards; all grade levels.

The state’s second-oldest museum, covering South Carolina’s military history from the Revolution through today, with free guided tours and self-guided activities for all grades.

Field trip details: Free; guided tours and self-guided activities; all grade levels.

The state forestry agency offering free, standards-based outdoor environmental education programs at Harbison State Forest and in classrooms, for K-12 students statewide, including homeschoolers.

Field trip details: Free; day trips, guided tours, and self-guided activities; all grade levels.

A 19th-century Greek Revival mansion on Arsenal Hill in Columbia offering free guided tours for school, scout, camp, and homeschool groups by appointment.

Field trip details: Free; day trips and guided tours; all grade levels.

Columbia’s professional orchestra offering educational concerts and outreach programs for school and homeschool groups, aligned with SC academic standards for elementary through high school.

Field trip details: Fee-based; elementary through high school; performances and outreach programs available.

South Carolina’s largest annual event, held each October, offering discounted school group tickets, a dedicated Physics Day, and hands-on agricultural exhibits for all ages.

Field trip details: Seasonal (October); discounted group tickets available; Physics Day is a dedicated field trip event; already featured on kiddingaroundcolumbia.com.

The seat of South Carolina’s state government, offering self-guided and guided tours of the Governor’s office and legislative chambers, free for all grade levels.

Field trip details: Free; self-guided and guided tour options; all grade levels.

Four floors of art, history, natural science, and technology exhibits, plus a digital dome planetarium and 4D interactive theater, with free admission for SC students.

Field trip details: Fee (some free options); day and overnight trip options; elementary through high school.

A historic Lexington County farm offering hands-on school and homeschool field trips covering agriculture, sustainability, and South Carolina history, with rotating seasonal themes and crafts.

Field trip details: 3-hour field trips, Mon-Thu, 9am-12pm; $200 minimum per trip; seasonal themes change monthly (berries, pumpkins, historic crops, etc.); no charge for teachers/staff.

South Carolina’s only nonprofit art-house cinema, showing independent and classic films and offering media education programming, home to the annual Indie Grits Film Festival.

Field trip details: Home of the annual Indie Grits Film Festival; media arts education programs for students.

The state’s second-oldest museum, covering South Carolina’s military history from the Revolution to today, in Columbia.

A University of South Carolina organic garden teaching soil health, biodiversity, and how to bring fresh local produce into daily life, with free guided tours.

Field trip details: Free; self-guided and guided tours; all grade levels.

An official Army museum on Fort Jackson tracing the history of U.S. Army basic training from 1917 to today, free and open weekdays with base access.

Field trip details: Free; Tue-Thu 10am-4pm; note that Fort Jackson itself requires visitors to have a military ID or be sponsored by an ID holder — coordinate access in advance.