Field Trips

ATTENTION: PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE WEBPAGE BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH BOOKING A FIELD TRIP. FALL AND SPRING RESERVATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE.

Field Trip Experiences

The Orange Coast College Planetarium is committed to providing an innovative, immersive, and illuminating experience for Orange County and beyond. The Planetarium offers field trip experiences for the Southern California school community from kindergarten through high school.

Field Trip Description

Field trips last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. We start off in the lobby where we talk about how Astronomers study space and we discuss our various exhibits. Currently, we have a fascinating collection of meteorites, Orange County’s only Foucault pendulum, and NOAA Science on a Sphere. Next we take the students into our 50-foot dome theater where we begin with a pre-show that is based on the main theme of the feature film they are seeing. Please see our show library for a list of available shows and their NGSS codes. After the conclusion of the film, we do a tour through the constellations that can be seen on the night of their visit, and finally, a brief Q&A session with one of our Astronomy students. Our field trips are mostly run by current OCC students!

Note: Field trips for our youngest visiting Astronomers may last one hour or less.

SHOW LIBRARY

Aquarium Add-On

We are excited to offer aquarium tours in partnership with OCC’s Dennis Kelly Aquarium! Tours highlight our diverse exhibits that are meant to replicate a variety of different habitats ranging from local marine communities, tropical reefs, freshwater planted systems, and stock restoration projects. The aquarium even features a touch tank!* Tours are fully run by student aquarium managers and last approximately 45 minutes. This add-on is only available most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

If you are interested in only visiting the aquarium, and not the Planetarium, please fill out the request form and indicate that you're only interested in the aquarium in the comments section. The aquarium availability is the same as what's listed on the field trip availability calendar at the bottom of this page.

_{* The touch tank may not be available due to unforeseen circumstances.}

Group Size

Our theater holds a maximum of 124 guests, therefore the maximum number of students we can accommodate is 113, with 11 teachers/chaperones. If your group exceeds this, a second field trip booking will be required. We require a ratio of at least 1 teacher/chaperone for every 10 students. All adults on the field trip are required to act as chaperones.

Although our field trips are automatically private, in previous years our field trips have sold out in early February. If you're open to sharing your field trip with another school to allow greater access to students, we have a special promotional offer! If another school joins yours or you join another school, the minimum flat fee will go from 50 students to 30 students**. For a private school, that is a $200 discount!

For the aquarium add-on, we can accommodate 56 students with 6 chaperones at a time and we have two sessions available per time block. If your school is larger than 56 students, your school will be required to visit the aquarium in two time blocks. Refer to the example schedule for guidance on engaging students during wait times.

_{** This discount is subject to availability and applies only when two or more groups are booked simultaneously. Please note that the discount cannot be applied after payment has been made.}

Fees & Payment

All field trips have a minimum flat fee of 50 students for groups smaller than 50. For groups larger than 50, there is an additional charge for each student and/or teacher/chaperone/non-students/family members. We include 1 free chaperone for every 10 students.

The fees are:

Traditional in-person public or public charter schools (For independent study schools, see homeschool pricing)
- Minimum fee: $350 (includes 50 people)
- $7 per extra student
- $10 per extra adult/non-students/family members
Title I schools with free or reduced lunch percentages >70%
- Minimum fee: $200 (includes 50 people)
- $4 per extra student
- $10 per extra adult/non-students/family members
Private and homeschools
- Minimum fee: $500 (includes 50 people)
- $10 per extra student
- $14 per extra adult/non-students/family members

The aquarium add-on is $5 per person, with one free chaperone for every 10 students.

The invoice must be paid in full before or on the day of the field trip, at the time you arrive. We accept checks payable to “Orange Coast College Planetarium” (if mailed before the field trip, be sure to label it to the attention of Jessica Artinger), credit cards (Visa, MasterCard), or cash if submitted in a single payment (it is not feasible for us to collect individually from each member of your group). No deposit is required to reserve a field trip.

Cancellations & Invoice Changes

Once your program has been approved/confirmed, a contract is generated. Once the contract has been signed, you can only cancel if you give at least 20 business days notice. It is highly recommended that your school not register for a field trip until you have confirmed the funds/grant for the field trip. Changes to the invoice, i.e. changes to the number of students or chaperones, must be made by noon the day before the scheduled field trip. Payment must be made in the amount listed on the invoice and all sales are final. If your group is a "no-show" and/or the field trip was not canceled properly, 50% of the invoice will need to be paid before any future field trips can be booked.

Student Behavior

We kindly ask that the lead teacher take responsibility for supervising young visitors. Post-pandemic, there has been a noticeable rise in behavioral challenges among students. It is crucial for students to remain seated throughout the presentation. Due to the lack of light within the theater, it is dangerous to move around within the theater during a show. For safety and security reasons, any disruptive behavior will prompt the OCC Planetarium staff to halt the presentation or activity until the issue is resolved.

Availability & Schedule

Field trips are available from late August through June 13, 2025. For availability, please see the calendar at the bottom of this page. Please have two dates selected before filling out the Field Trip Request Form. Groups should not arrive more than 10 minutes before their scheduled field trip time.

Confirmations

An email will be sent to the contact person listed on the Field Trip Request Form. They will receive a contract, an invoice, general information sheet, and campus map within 5 business days of filling out the form. A field trip is only fully confirmed once the contact person responds with the signed contract indicating their confirmation of the rules and receipt of their invoice within two weeks of the email being sent. If the field trip is not confirmed, the field trip will be canceled and the date will be made available to other groups. Groups should arrive at the Planetarium no earlier than 10 minutes before the start of their field trip time slot.

Field Trip Schedule with Aquarium Add-On

9:30am Planetarium

If there are more than 56 students, the field trip must be broken into two groups, C and D. There are nearby areas on campus where your group can have their lunch. Lunches can be stored behind our gift shop during your tours. Please remember that there are classes going on, so students are not permitted to run around campus.

9:30-11am: Planetarium Visit
11-11:45am: Aquarium C, Lunch/Gift Shop D
11:45am-12:30pm: Aquarium D, Lunch/Gift Shop C

11: 30am Planetarium

If there are more than 56 students, the field trip must be broken into two groups, A and B. There are nearby areas on campus where your group can have their lunch. Lunches can be stored behind our gift shop during your tours. Please remember that there are classes going on, so students are not permitted to run around campus.

9:30-10:15am: Aquarium A, Campus Tour B
10:15-11am: Aquarium B, Campus Tour A
11-11:30am: Lunch
11:30am-1pm: Planetarium (please allow time after 1pm if your students will be visiting our gift shop)

Parking

We recommend using Lot E off Merrimac Way. Please use Google Maps only and search "OCC Lot E" to find the exact place to park. The Planetarium is located between the Lewis Center for Applied Sciences and the Library. Parking on-campus is $5 and virtual parking permits can be purchased through the Passport Parking app or website. The parking permit is linked to your car's license plate number. Be aware that this is a digital parking pass.
The bus drop-off area is in Lot E off Merrimac Way along the curb in front of the Lewis Center for Applied Science. Buses plated with a CA Exempt plate do not need a parking permit. Private charter buses do need to purchase a parking permit. We recommend parking the buses at the Fairgrounds Lot at the intersection of Arlington Road and Fairview Road.

Gift Shop

The Planetarium Gift Shop offers a stellar array of gift items, books, toys, and apparel for guests of all ages. Items range in price from $0.25 to $100.00. The gift shop will be open during your field trip if students want to bring money to purchase any toys or souvenirs.

Title 1 School Field Trips

We are currently offering a discount on field trips for Title 1 schools whose percentage of students who receive free or reduced lunches exceeds 70%. This discount has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Samueli Foundation. See the Fees & Payment section for more details on pricing.

Field Trip Availability

Please note that an event on the calendar indicates that time and date are available.

To Reserve a Field Trip

Please reserve your field trip two weeks or more in advance to ensure preferred date and time. Please use the Field Trip Request Form, and allow 5 business days for a response.

Spring field trips for 2025 are now open.

FIELD TRIP REQUEST FORM

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