Brookside Gardens – Plant Your Visit – Field Trip

Scheduling

The best way to schedule a guided Field Trip Program to Brookside Gardens is to fill out the Brookside Gardens Field Trip Request Form 2026-2027 on the Youth Education section of the Brookside Gardens website. The form opens in August, and requests are taken for the whole school year.

When should I request my field trip?

ASAP! Due to demand, submitting your field trip request online in August or September is highly recommended.

When should I visit?

Although wildlife and plants do not follow a perfect schedule, below is a general overview of seasonal changes in the Gardens:  

Outdoor Attraction – Wildlife	Typical Peak
Bees, bugs, and pollinators (not including outdoor butterflies)	May to September
Outdoor Butterflies	June to October

Outdoor Attraction – Plants	Typical Peak
Cherry blossoms, tulips, daffodils	Late March to April
Rose Garden, Perennial Garden, and wildflowers blooming throughout the Gardens	May to September
Fall leaves changing colors	October to November
Seeds, berries, grasses	October to February

Field Trip Programs

We offer six guided Field Trip Programs:

1. Plants & Pollinators: Grades PreK – K
2. Plants & Pollinators: Grade 1 and Up
3. Erosion & Water on the Landscape: Grade 4 and Up
4. Water Quality in the Watershed: Grade 5 and Up
5. Service Learning: Grades 9 – 12
6. Horticulture: Grades 9 – 12

Detailed descriptions are available on the Brookside Gardens – Youth Education webpage. We do not offer any guided programs that include entry to The Butterfly Experience during any time of year.

Bus Parking

The Visitor Center public parking lot has two designated bus parking spaces near the front of the building.  These parking spaces are reserved for guided Field Trip Programs.

Lunch Off-Site

Picnicking, eating, or drinking anything other than water is not allowed in the Gardens.

Most field trips end at or before 12 p.m. Please plan to return to school or go off-site for lunch. There are nearby Montgomery Parks properties that allow picnics. You can use these resources to learn more:  Montgomery Parks Directory and Montgomery Parks Website.

Self-Guided

If we are booked for the season, you can still come to the Gardens on a self-guided visit. While we can’t provide a dedicated educator, we can provide tips and tools to help you have the best day possible at the Gardens.

Letting us know when you are visiting is much appreciated. Before visiting, review the Garden Rules: Brookside Gardens – Garden Etiquette – Montgomery Parks. It is your responsibility to prepare staff, chaperones, students, and their families to follow all of the Garden rules. School groups, including chaperones, will be asked to leave if Garden rules are not followed.

Weather

What happens if it rains?

Field Trip Programs are completely outdoors, regardless of the weather. Please check the weather forecast in advance, as well as on the day of your scheduled field trip.

It is your responsibility to prepare your staff, chaperones, students, and their families for a 100% outdoor field trip in all kinds of weather. This includes communicating the expectation that we will be outside, as well as the importance of dressing appropriately, and bringing rain jackets, boots, coats, gloves, hats, water bottles, umbrellas, etc. depending on the forecast. We do not provide any clothing, rain gear, or indoor options on rainy days.

Do you ever have to cancel or reschedule?

Schools can decide at any time to cancel their field trip due to hazardous weather, and we urge you to communicate this to us as soon as possible. We encourage schools to follow official guidelines from their district and inform us of any changes. If Brookside Gardens leadership or Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) provides official guidance that causes a change in operating status, we will communicate the new plan to the teachers when they arrive for their field trip. We will not cancel because of weather unless directed to by the M-NCPPC. In the event of an M-NCPPC cancelation due to weather, the team will contact teachers to inform them and try to reschedule, when possible, but we cannot guarantee availability.

What is a field trip like in the winter?

The air may be colder, but the Youth Education Team continues to run field trips during the winter. Field trips remain outdoors even in winter, and students and chaperones should be encouraged to dress appropriately.

Chaperones

Chaperones other than school staff may accompany a field trip group at no cost. Ratios listed below outline the recommended and maximum ratios of chaperones to students:

• For Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1^st Grade
  • Recommended ratio of 1:8
  • Maximum ratio of 1:5
• For 2^nd Grade and Up
  • Recommended ratio of 1:15
  • Maximum ratio of 1:8

These ratios do not include school staff.

If you schedule a guided Field Trip Program, the maximum number of parent chaperones will be included in the Program Summary document that you will receive through email after we confirm your program date. These ratios do not apply to self-guided field trip groups.

Accessibility

If you have an accommodation request, please submit it via the Field Trip Request Form.  Montgomery Parks has a dedicated accessibility office and you can learn more about Program Access and the services they provide here: Ensuring Inclusive Recreation: Program Access – Montgomery Parks.

Preparing Students

You might have a student that would benefit from reviewing the Social Narrative for what to expect on a field trip to Brookside Gardens. It is available online here: Brookside Gardens Field Trip Social Narrative. Social narratives aid children by helping them learn how to respond appropriately to daily activities or events, and we think it’s a great overview for anyone who will be coming on a field trip, regardless of their age.