Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History opens a window of discovery into our world’s natural heritage–its animals, plants, geology and people. From a real Brontosaurus skeleton to a beautifully preserved 2500 year old Egyptian mummy, the Peabody Museum’s captivating exhibits have something for everyone! The Discovery Room includes a live leaf-cutter ant colony, poison dart frogs, bearded dragons, and many other live animals, in addition to hands-on opportunities with touchable objects and specimens. Each year, the Yale Peabody Museum offers discounted group visits to more than 25,000 visitors from throughout the Northeast, including thousands of campers each summer. Make a day of it – lots more to see on the Yale campus and around New Haven! Scavenger hunts for the whole museum or specific halls available upon request.

Click here for:

General info and reservations for group visits.

Listing of guided programs.

Information on visiting the Yale Peabody Museum (hours, directions, parking, etc.).

Contact Info

Address: 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT 06511. New Haven County.

Tel: 203-432-3775.

Email: peabody.education@yale.edu.

Website: peabody.yale.edu.

Hrs: Tues.–Sat. 10AM–5PM; Sun. 12PM–5PM.

Contact: Elizabeth Steele, Scheduler, peabody.education@yale.edu.

Trip Info

Grade Level: All grades.

Activity Type: Day Trips, Self-Guided Tours, Guided Tours, Guided Activities.

Recomm. Length of Visit: 2-3 hours.

Cost: Varies by program.

Museums Fun Facts

Museums are collections - of artifacts, paintings, etc. Talk about what types of collections campers have at home – be they stamps, baseball cards, or other items.

Use this comparison to frame some activities: talk about how museum collections came to be. Who collected and gathered the items on display? Compare this to how campers gathered their own collections at home. Also talk about (both with campers and museum staff) how the exhibits at the museum are arranged – such as the lighting and temperature for a certain exhibit.

Have campers set up a “Trip Museum” back at camp, consisting of items they’ve obtained on field trips; think of it as a group show and tell, where everyone participates and contributes to the collection.