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School Group Tours & Visits

Enhance your science curriculum with a school group visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Guided school group tours are led by a docent and paired with Georgia Standards of Excellence. Self-guided school visits, can be enhanced with pre- and post-visit activities tailored to each grade level. The Garden also offers virtual tours.

To register, read the School Group Scheduling Guidelines, then complete the registration form. For questions email tours@atlantabg.org or call 404-591-1543.

 

Guided School Group Tours

*Limited availability remaining in October

Students: $10
Adult Chaperones: Free (one for every eight students)
Additional Chaperones: $10

School groups may schedule a guided tour to explore the Garden with a docent. Read the guided tour options below, then select your tour type upon registration. 

  • Guided school tours are offered August - May, Tuesday - Friday at 10 a.m.
  • Guided tours must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance.
  • Minimum group size: 10 | Maximum group size: 50
  • Groups must include one chaperone for every eight children.
  • One chaperone for every eight children is admitted free of charge. Additional chaperones are charged the student rate. To keep group sizes manageable, we kindly request additional chaperones to not accompany the tour groups.
  • Tours last 1 to 1¼ hour. Include time for your group to assemble before and after.

Please note: Guided school tours are not available in June and July. School groups may only schedule self-guided visits during that time.

Guided Tour Options

Productive Plants
Grades K - 8

Discover the incredible ways plants impact our everyday lives from food to medicine to shelter. Students learn about locally grown produce when they encounter seasonal fruits and vegetables in the luscious Edible Garden, Then, they will travel to the tropical rainforest and desert environments in the Fuqua Conservatory to see important exotic plants such as chocolate, vanilla, rattan and aloe.

Garden Senses
Grades Pre-k – K

Discover the beautiful Atlanta Botanical Garden using sight, sound, touch and smell. Listen to the sound of frogs calling, feel a fuzzy leaf, and smell a flower! Come ready to explore and observe during this interactive tour of the Garden. (Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards, 48 – 60 Months: CD-SC1.4a, CD-S3.4a, Georgia Standards of Excellence: SKL2.a, SKL2.b)

Plant Diversity
Grades K – 3

While most plants have similar parts, they vary in function and appearance according to their environments. During this tour, students discuss plant adaptations as they explore the outdoor gardens and the Fuqua Conservatory – particularly the rainforest, desert and Southeastern bog gardens. (Georgia Standards of Excellence: SKL2.b, SKL2.c, S1L1.a, S1L1.b, S2L1.a, S2L1c, S3L1.a, S3L1.c)

 

Plants Around the World
Grades 4 – 7

Students visit the outdoor gardens and the conservatories as they investigate biomes and habitats. Their explorations include the desert, rainforest and bog gardens which emphasize biogeography and plant adaptations. (Georgia Standards of Excellence: S4L1.c, S7L4.a, S7L4.d)

General Tour
Grades 7 – 12

Students are introduced to the outstanding features of the outdoor gardens and the Fuqua Conservatory.

Self-Guided School Visits

School groups may schedule self-guided visits to explore the Garden without a guide. Download grade-specific Garden Guides below, including onsite activities, a scavenger hunt and pre/post-visit materials based on Georgia Standards of Excellence.

Students: $8 / Free for Title I schools
Adult Chaperones: Free (one for every eight students)
Additional Chaperones: $8 / Free for Title I schools

  • Self-guided school group visits are scheduled Tuesday – Friday at 9:30, 10:30 or 11:30 a.m.

  • Self-guided school group visits must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

  • Minimum group size: 10

  • One chaperone for every eight students is admitted free of charge. Additional chaperones are charged the student rate.

Grade-specific Garden Guides

Pre-K | Kindergarten | First Grade

Second Grade | Third Grade | Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade | Middle School | High School

Know Before You Go

 

Scheduling School Group Tours & Visits

  • To register, please read through these guidelines, and then fill out the School Group Scheduling Form.
  • Tours are limited and scheduled on a first come, first served basis.
  • For multiple tour dates and times, complete multiple online registration forms.
  • Guided school group tours may not exceed 50 students per time slot. If your group is larger, you must select enough dates and times not to exceed the student maximum. A deposit may be required.
  • Late arrivals may be given an abbreviated tour. Guided tours are not guaranteed if a group arrives more than 30 minutes after its scheduled tour time.
  • All tours are rain or shine. 
  • To cancel or reschedule your tour, please contact the Youth Programs Coordinator at least 24 hours before your scheduled tour time by email at tours@atlantabg.org or by phone at 404-591-1543.

Garden Rules and Guidelines

  • The Garden is like a plant museum. Please respect our plant and animal life by staying on the paths and refraining from picking or plucking.
  • Outside food and drinks are not allowed on Garden grounds. Groups may picnic next door in Piedmont Park.
  • Students must be supervised at all times.
  • See the full list of Garden Rules and Guidelines.

Parking

  • There is a fee to park onsite. If your group chooses to park onsite Tuesday – Friday, you can purchase a $10 parking voucher per bus. Payment for bus parking can be included with your tour payment. Small vehicles can park in the parking deck and pay upon exiting. Parking in the parking deck is free for the first 30 minutes, $3 for 31 – 60 minutes and $2 for each additional 30 minutes. There is no fee to park offsite.
  • Bus parking is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come/book, first-served basis.
  • Vehicles have 30 minutes for drop-off and pick-up at the Garden. Vehicles that remain at the Garden longer than 30 minutes will be charged for parking (cost information listed above).

Check-in and Payment

  • Upon arriving at the Garden, you will meet the Youth Programs Coordinator outside of Mershon Hall before entering the Garden.
  • If you arrive via bus, do not unload students until directed to do so. You will be asked for a student count and an adult count for each bus.
  • Group payment can be made in advance by calling the tours office (404-591-1543) or at check-in upon arrival.
  • You must submit one payment, either check, Visa, American Express, Mastercard, or Discover. You may not pay separately. The Garden does not accept cash at this time.

To schedule your school group guided your or self-guided Visit, please fill out the form below.

School Group Scheduling Form

For questions email tours@atlantabg.org or call 404-591-1543.

Discovery Activities

Garden Discovery Activities are a great way to learn more about nature and the Garden before, during and after your visit. 

Learn More