Looking to our future while sharing the past
Offering educational school tours to pre-school and elementary age students has been a part of Center Grove Orchard's history since 1994. While school tours have evolved from being led by tour leaders to self-guided, we still believe it's important that children have opportunities to share in our passion for farm life, by learning about agriculture in a fun and beautiful setting as part of their past and looking to our future.
The perfect interactive outing for your class.
During your visit, students will learn through different activities related to agriculture and farm life in our fun, beautiful 200-acre outdoor classroom—with crops, animals, farm equipment, and more!
School Tours
Tour Options
Apple Tours
September 12 - 29
Pumpkin Tours
October 2 - 27
September 12 - 29
Pumpkin Tours
October 2 - 27
School Tour Fees:
Students, Parents, Siblings: $9.95
Teachers & Aides: Free
Book your spot for FREE today. Payment is due upon arrival for your tour.
Enjoy the Farmyard Activities
- Nearly all the activities on the farm will be open and functioning—Corn Pool, Jumping Pillows, Combine Slide, Hay Bale Maze, and more!
- Weather-related closures of select activities are possible.
Choose your own adventure
School tours are completely self-guided as classrooms explore on their own without a Center Grove Orchard tour guide. Activities are divided into three categories:
- Self-Guided Learning Stations: Use your five senses in these Learning Stations to discover life on the farm.
- Self-Guided Fun Stations: Activities around the farm that are available for a time of play such as the Jumping Pillows, Super Slide, Corn Pool, Honey Beeline, CGO Express, and Hayride.
- Tour Talk: Stations hosted by Center Grove Orchard staff. These stations are time specific and offered at the Apple Orchard and Barn Shows.
Who are School Tours designed for?
- School Tours are designed for pre-school through second grade.
- School Tours are for certified daycares, pre-schools, public / private schools, and home school groups.
- Home school families must provide one of the following to be eligible: affidavit from the school district, evaluator's report from the Fall, or cyberschool documentation.
Additional Information
- Apple Tours provide the opportunity for each student to pick three apples from the orchard.
- Each member of a Pumpkin Tour will get to pick a small pumpkin or gourd from the Pumpkin Patch.
- Picnic tables are available to enjoy lunch.
- Lunch can be purchased at any of our open food venues (dates and times vary) for an additional charge.
- The Country Store will be open for additional purchases.
Pricing & Payments
- Fee per Student: $9.95
- Teachers and Aides: No charge
- Additional Parents or Siblings: $9.95
- Payment is due when you check in for your tour.
- We prefer one form of payment per group.
- We accept: cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, business checks, and purchase orders.
- Admission discounts and Season Passes do not apply to School Tours.
Apple Tours
september
Book your trip anytime between 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Please review FAQs below before booking.
Pumpkin Tours
october
Book your trip anytime between 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Please review FAQs below before booking.
FAQs
HOW DOES A SELF-GUIDED TOUR WORK?
After booking your tour type, date, and time, please arrive at our farm at the time you chose.
Once your group has completed check in (where we'll take a headcount and full payment), you are off to explore the areas of the farm. If you want to learn from one of our tour talks in the Apple Orchard / Pumpkin Patch or Barn Show, you must take your group to that area of the farm at those times.
Barn Shows are at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2:30 PM.
Tour Talks in the Apple Orchard / Pumpkin Patch start at 10 AM and occur every 30 minutes until 2 PM.
We have designated a few areas called “Learning Stations” where groups can stop to think and talk about the five senses.
WHICH ACTIVITIES ARE OPEN FOR SCHOOL TOURS?
Nearly all the activities on the farm will be open and functioning—Corn Pool, Jumping Pillows, Combine Slide, Hay Bale Maze, and more! Weather-related closures are possible.
DOES ANYTHING COST EXTRA ON A SCHOOL TOUR?
Optional purchase of food, drinks, or products in our store will cost extra. Activities such as the CGO Express train ride are included in the price of a School Tour.
HOW DO I BOOK A SCHOOL TOUR?
You're in the right place! Scroll up just a bit and click either the "Book Apple Tour" or "Book Pumpkin Tour" button. Then select your date and arrival time. Enter the correct quantity (see FAQ below for guidance). Finally, enter your contact information and then be sure to click the Confirm button to submit your reservation.
WHAT DO I ENTER FOR QUANTITY?
To allow check-in to go smoothly, choose quantity based on your group's size. Note the quantity for the size of your group, and then look for time slots that have that many openings available --- QTY 1 = 45 or fewer in your group | QTY 2 = 46-90 in your group | QTY 3 = more than 90 in your group.
WHICH FORMS OF PAYMENT ARE ACCEPTED FOR SCHOOL TOURS?
We accept cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, business checks, and purchase orders. Personal checks are not accepted. Admission discounts and Season Passes do not apply to School Tours.
DO TOURS LAST ONLY 2 HOURS?
No. You may stay until it is time to return to school. Limitations of our booking system show a duration of 2 hours; we apologize for any confusion. Likewise, tours are not "Free" as appears in the booking system. 🙂 Payment is due when you check in for your tour.