Rochester Museum and Science Center gives teachers and educators who book a field trip a free admission pass to visit ahead of their scheduled trip, for lesson planning. It’s tied to booking a trip, so it isn’t a walk-in teacher discount. The field trip page covers the Museum & Science Center, the Strasenburgh Planetarium and the Cumming Nature Center, and it says educators who book with any of them may receive the pass.
If you’ve been planning a class trip and wondering whether you can walk the exhibits first, this is the part for you. The pages don’t state a residency limit, and there’s no teacher membership discount on the membership page, which is worth knowing before you go looking for one.
How To Get The Rochester Museum and Science Center Teacher Discount
Start with the field trip request form on the field trip page. The page says you can expect to hear back from the Guest Services team within 3-5 business days. Once you’ve booked, the museum’s hours and admission page lists Educators, after booking a field trip, as free, with a valid ID required at the Welcome Desk.
The admission page also tells educators to visit the field trip page to learn how to redeem the discount. The field trip page describes the pass in one paragraph and doesn’t list further steps, so ask the Guest Services team how and when to pick it up when you book.
What The Educator Pass Covers
The page describes the pass as a way to explore and aid in your lesson planning ahead of your scheduled visit. It says teachers and educators who book a field trip with the Museum & Science Center, the Strasenburgh Planetarium or the Cumming Nature Center may receive it. The word may is theirs, so treat the pass as something to confirm when you book rather than a guarantee.
School Group Visits
The page says the museum has a 15 minimum requirement for school group visits, with an exception for self-contained classes. If your class qualifies, the request form asks you to note it. Experiences come in three types: in-person field trips that are guided or self-guided, RMSC Delivers, which brings live science experiences to your site, and virtual field trips, which are highly interactive sessions via Zoom.
The page lists programs by grade. Insect Investigations is listed for Grades K-3, and Flight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad is listed for Grade 3-8. The page also has a scholarships section for admission and transportation, and says the museum has limited scholarship opportunities available to fund educational experiences.
Visiting On Your Own
On the hours and admission page, general admission is $23 for adults 18 and over, $22 for seniors and students with a valid ID, and $21 for children 3-18. Children under 3 are free and tickets aren’t required. Active military and veterans pay $20 with a valid military ID at the Welcome Desk, and Museums For All admission is $5 with an EBT card at the Welcome Desk. Admission is always free for members.
Two other lines may help a teacher. NYSUT members receive $5 admission, limited to one ticket per transaction, and that rate follows NYSUT membership rather than the educator pass. The admission page also lists an Admission Happy Hour: visit Tuesday-Friday between 4-5pm and you’ll receive $2 off, excluding holidays and school break weeks.
If you plan to see a Planetarium show too, show tickets must be purchased separately, and the page lists a $4 discount on combined admission when you buy at the Planetarium Box Office or the Museum & Science Center Welcome Desk. Tickets purchased online are valid for the date selected and are non-refundable.
For a group that isn’t a school class, the page lists a group rate of $10 per person, for Museum & Science Center general admission only, and says you must have 10 or more people in your party to be considered a group.
Membership
The membership page lists an individual membership with one adult at $95 and a family or grandparent membership for up to two named adults at $135, with free admission to the Museum & Science Center. It lists no educator or teacher rate. The one teacher item on the page is a Teacher News sign-up, which it describes as valuable teacher-specific news.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The pages don’t say whether the educator pass works at all three sites or only at the Museum & Science Center, where the free educator line appears in the admission table. They also don’t say how many passes a booking earns, whether guests can come along, or exactly how and when to redeem it. Ask Guest Services when you book.
Q&A
Is there a teacher discount at Rochester Museum and Science Center?
Yes, a narrow one: teachers and educators who book a field trip may receive a free admission pass to visit ahead of their scheduled trip. It isn’t a walk-in discount.
Can I get in free without booking a trip?
The admission table lists Educators as free after booking a field trip, so booking comes first.
What do I show?
A valid ID at the Welcome Desk.
Does the museum have a teacher membership discount?
The membership page lists none. It has a Teacher News sign-up for teacher-specific news.
What is the NYSUT rate?
NYSUT members receive $5 admission, limited to one ticket per transaction. It’s listed for NYSUT members, not for educators in general.
How many students do we need for a school group visit?
The page notes a 15 minimum requirement for school group visits, with an exception for self-contained classes.
How long until the museum replies to a field trip request?
The page says you can expect to hear back from Guest Services within 3-5 business days.
Is there help paying for a field trip?
The page says the museum has limited scholarship opportunities available to fund educational experiences, with a scholarships section for admission and transportation.
Can I book virtually?
The page lists virtual field trips as highly interactive sessions via Zoom, and RMSC Delivers brings live science experiences to your site.
More Information:
The details above come from the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s own field trip, hours and admission, and membership pages as they loaded when we checked. Rates and offers change, so confirm the pass with Guest Services before you plan around it. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
