The Museum offers hands-on programs and activities that can be customized to grade level and curriculum. All programs align with the New Mexico Education Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards and are dedicated to the topics of energy, forces, nuclear radiation and the history of nuclear science. Programs at the Museum may be enhanced with self-guided or docent-guided tours.
To book a program please fill out our online form (Reserve Your Field Trip) or contact our Education Coordinator (mfullerton@nuclearmuseum.org or 505-245-2137, extension 120).
Self-Guided Tours ($6/student) - Self-guided tours are available for groups up to 200 students. Guide students around the museum on your own. Volunteer museum docents (brown vests) are often around the museum to answer questions.
Guided Tours ($8/student) - Guided tours are available for groups up to 60 students. A docent or education staff member will guide your group around the museum. Guided tours last about an hour are typically best for older students. Groups are welcome to explore the museum on their own after their guided tour.
Education Program* ($8/student) - Education programs are available for groups up to 60 students and last about an hour. You can read about our education program options below. After your education program, you are welcome to explore the museum on your own.
Station Rotations* ($9/student) - Station Rotations are available for groups of 60 - 180 students. They consist of 20 minute rotations to different hands-on activities around the museum. Groups are welcome to explore the museum on their own after their station rotations.
Education Program + Guided Tour* ($9/student) - An education program with a guided tour is available for groups of up to 60 students. Groups do one of the education programs for about an hour and then tour the museum with a volunteer docent or museum staff for an additional hour.
Two Education Programs* ($9/student) - Two education programs are available for groups up to 60 students. Each education program lasts one hour for a total of a two hour visit. After your programs, you are welcome to explore the museum on your own.
For questions and further information, please contact our Education Coordinator, Mollie Fullerton, at mfullerton@nuclearmuseum.org or 505-245-2137, extension 120.
* Education programs and stations rotations are only available during the school year (Mid-August up to Memorial Day). Self-guided and guided tours are available year-round.
We welcome groups of all ages and sizes! Groups of 10 to 180 students can design a program to suit their needs with the help of our staff. Your program can include, but is not limited to, the activities listed below. Small group programs (10-59 students) typically last about an hour. Large group programs (60-180 students) typically consist of a variety of 20-minute activity rotations.
We can also bring science and history programs and activities to you.
Choose Your Own Ed-Venture (All Grades) Participate in a variety of hands-on science and history activities selected to match classroom goals and curriculum. Teachers should contact the Education Coordinator to talk about their areas of study and select relevant activities. Sample activities include liquid nitrogen, dry ice, Ozobots (robotics), slime, magnets, Van de Graaff generator, elephant's toothpaste, Geiger counters, acids and bases, Hovercraft, kid-in-a-bag (air), vacuum chamber, and rockets.
Secrets and Spies (Grades 4-9) Loose lips sink ships. Will yours? Students exercise their problem-solving skills as they assume roles as Los Alamos scientists and spies during the Manhattan Project. Decipher primary sources along with a secret spy mission while experiencing Los Alamos's wartime security theater.
Get a Half-Life (Grades 6-12) This program provides an introduction to nuclear radiation. Using Geiger counters to measure the radioactivity of common substance and radioactive isotopes, students will discover the difference between the three types of radiation and model methods of reducing radiation exposure.
60 Minutes to Doomsday (Grades 6-12) Time is running out! Prevent the next nuclear disaster before it's too late... Students will work together in an effort to save the world in this role-playing adventure. By using logical reasoning, 'intelligence', debate and rhetoric each nation will present their argument and hopefully they will be able to stop this tragedy.
Isotope Discovery (Grades 10-12) Students will explore the Periodic Table of Elements, build their understanding of isotopes and the types of radioactive decay, and learn about the relationship between isotopes and the line of stability using an interactive chart of the nuclides.
Split Over the Atom (Grades 9-12) Nuclear power may be coming to a town near you. Students will take on the roles of various interested parties in a mock public hearing to debate the possibility of a new nuclear power plant being built in their community. The students will use probability, discussion, and critical reasoning skills to explore if nuclear power is the right choice for their community.
The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History’s Einstein Express Program offers field trip busing assistance to Title 1 public schools in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. The program provides up to two buses (at the same time) per school per year for transportation to and from the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.
This program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. Funding for the year is limited, so apply early! Funding is for buses only and cannot be used for Museum admission, programs, or tours that require an additional charge. Selection of a self-guided tour ONLY is not eligible under this busing assistance program.
You can find the application and more information HERE.
How do I book a visit?
You have three options:
How many chaperones do we need?
We require one adult chaperone per every 10 students.
Can we eat lunch at the museum?
The Museum doesn’t have indoor lunch facilities, however large groups can eat outside the front of the Museum (no tables) and smaller groups can use the picnic tables (seat 32) under the shade structures in Heritage Park (unavailable in summer). Nearby Manzano Mesa Park also makes an excellent spot for a picnic lunch with its shade structures and picnic tables.
If you are booking an education program, you may be able to eat lunch in the classrooms (depending on the size of your group, other bookings that day, etc). If this option is available on the day of your visit, we do ask that you clean up after yourselves (clean up trash, wipe down tables, sweep). Contact our Education Coordinator, Mollie Fullerton, at mfullerton@nuclearmuseum.org or 505-245-2137, extension 120, for more information.
When do we need to pay?
Payment (credit card, cash, or check) or Purchase Order is due on the day of your visit. A 5% discount is available to those who pre-pay (card only).
Does the museum provide any financial assistance for Title I schools?
Yes! Albuquerque area Title I schools can apply for the museum to cover the cost of busing with our Einstein Express program. You can find the application and more information HERE.
The museum’s Nuclear Science Week (takes place in October for 6th – 12th graders) and Discover STEM Week (takes place in February for 4th – 8th graders) programs include free busing as well as admission. During your visit, students will rotate around the museum participating in a variety of hands-on science activities. Applications for Nuclear Science Week are currently available and Discover STEM Week applications are available in October.
Can’t make it to the museum? We can come to your classroom with one of our outreach programs! Outreach programs last one hour and are for one class of 15 – 30 students.
For pricing and further information, please contact our Education Coordinator, Mollie Fullerton, at mfullerton@nuclearmuseum.org or 505-245-2137, extension 120.
The Atomic Heritage Foundation and the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History have forged a new partnership to preserve the history of the Manhattan Project and the Atomic Age. This significant agreement ensures the Atomic Heritage Foundation’s extensive collection of oral histories, interpretive vignettes, and articles about the Manhattan Project and its legacy will remain available to the public for the foreseeable future.
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Enjoy the 1964 film, Godzilla vs. Mothra, in an outdoor screening at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History on Friday, November 1. Doors open at 5 pm to enjoy local food trucks and brewery, Japanese Taiko drumming, and information on the history of Godzilla from a UNM film and digital arts lecturer. The movie will begin at dark in the nine-acre outdoor exhibit area, and museum admission applies.
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The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History will host "Science is Everywhere" Winter Day Camp 2019 for children who Pre-K through 7th grade. Experience the wonders of science in one-day sessions, December 23, 26, 27, 30 and January 2,3. Sessions include "Prankenstein" "Rocket Science," "Robots are Everywhere" "Electrifying" and many more!
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