Tours, Field Trips & Outreach

Tours, Field Trips & Outreach

Harry P. Leu Gardens offers amazing educational tours designed to enhance your overall experience of the gardens. A variety of educational tours are offered including: adult self-guided, adult guided and incredible school/scout tours.

SCHOOL and SCOUT FIELD TRIPS
Bring your students to LIFE with a fun and educational field trip to Leu Gardens. Our outdoor living classroom will stimulate young minds to consider the amazing world of plants, and their interactions with insects and other animals – including us!  Our programs have been designed to complement the Florida Standards for Life Science.

Please note: The Leu House Museum is not offered for any school tours.

Student GUIDED Tours
Schedule a guided tour with one of our trained Garden Guide docents.  Your group will visit the various gardens to discover how plants adapt to their native biomes. With all guided tours, you are welcome to stay at the gardens afterward as long as you wish. You can reserve a special picnic area for your group where you can enjoy your bagged lunches after the tour.

Garden Tour
Guided tours are limited to 65 students per day, divided into three groups.  Free bus parking. Minimum group size 10.  Our guides have a wealth of information and are always willing to answer questions.

  • Fee: $8 per student, one free adult for every 7 paid children, additional adults pay $15.00 each

Birds Around the World Tour
Introducing a new “Birds Around the World tour” for school children. This program is designed for 3rd thru 5th grade. During the tour, students will visit unique birdhouses placed by interesting trees from around the world. Their guide will challenge them to find the continents on a blow-up globe. They will learn about the trees and the birds native to those regions that rely on the trees. Limited to 40 students per day. Multiple days can be scheduled to accommodate all classes. Tours begin at 10:00 a.m. for 1 1/2 hours.

While on the tour the students will also be on the lookout, with binoculars in hand, to search for the native birds that frequent Leu Gardens. Their guide will have identification sheets with photos and links to the vocalizations of many native birds they might see or hear.

Goals is to inspire an excitement for bird watching in the students at their own homes, school, or neighborhoods. By learning how to attract and identify our native songbirds, we hope to instill in the students a passion for learning about, and protecting, wildlife.

  • Fee: $8 per student, one free adult for every 7 paid children, additional adults pay $15.00 each

Student SELF-GUIDED Tours
Enjoy the garden on your own self-guided adventure.  Your students can hone their wayfinding skills by following the garden map to explore the winding paths through the gardens. No limit to the number in attendance, however, plan on dividing your students into groups of 25 or less with one adult per seven students.  Free bus parking. Minimum group size 10.

  • Fee: $6 for students, one free adult for every 7 paid children, additional adults pay $15.00 each.

Enhance your students with a 45-minute Invincible Invertebrates presentation or Botany 101 in our classroom before you visit the gardens:
Amazing! Invincible Invertebrates Presentation:  Students will meet up-close and personal live invertebrates that will help them understand the concepts of pollinators, decomposers, predator/prey adaptations, and life cycles before they venture into the gardens.
Botany 101! (grades 3 – 5) The study of plants is fascinating and important since our lives depend on them!  This hour interactive presentation will enhance your field trip as we explore photosynthesis, pollination, plant defenses, and more.

Each presentation is limited to a maximum of 50 students.  If you have more than 50 students, you may schedule additional presentations (one group will visit the gardens first then meet in the classroom at a designated time) or additional days.  The Presentations are only available for student self-guided tours and are an additional cost of $40.00 for one group, $60.00 for two groups, $80 for three groups.

Notice: Due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), face coverings are mandatory for indoor presentations and attendance will be limited.

Register: to schedule a field trip please complete this form with two date options.  You will receive a confirmation email.  Questions ? please email sandra.linn@orlando.gov or call 407.246.3621.  To register for an outreach program please contact Sandi Linn.

OUTREACH
WOW! Invincible Invertebrates OUTREACH to your school!
Leu Garden can come to your school with live invertebrates.  This hour long program will challenge your students with a PowerPoint Q and A presentation, as they meet the invertebrates.  Concepts will include pollination, decomposers, predator/prey adaptations, and life cycles. This program is recommended for third grade and above.  Maximum 50 students.  Two programs, back-to-back, may be scheduled.  Please contact Sandi Linn 407.246.3621, sandra.linn@orlando.gov to register for an outreach program.

  • One presentation is $100.00
  • Two presentations, back-to-back, is $150.00

SCOUT PROGRAMS
Boy Scout and Girl Scout Badge programs please call Sandi Linn 407.246.3621 for specific programs to meet badge requirements.

 

ADULT GROUP TOURS (Educational Tours)
Reservations: Reservations are required at least three weeks in advance by calling the Education Department at 407.246.3621 or emailing Sandi Linn. Please have date of the tour and number of people in the group. A confirmation and map will be emailed or mailed. Full payment must be made on the day of your tour. Payment may be made with a check, credit card or cash.

Adult Self-Guided Groups
Fee: $13 per person

  • Minimum group size 10 adults.
  • This rate is only offered for educational learning.
  • Reservations are required at least one week in advance. To receive a discount, call the Education Department at 407.246.3621 or email sandra.linn@orlando.gov. Please have the date of the tour and the number of people in the group.
  • Full payment is due on the day of your tour. Advanced payment is accepted. Payment may be made with a check, credit card or cash.
  • Comfortable shoes and attire are suggested.
  • Free bus parking.

Adult Group Guided Tour
Fee: $17 per person

Our guided tours are led by trained docents. There are two types of guided group tours:
1. Gardens only (approximately 1.5 hours)
2. Gardens and Leu House Museum (approximately 2 hours)

  • Minimum group size 10 people.
  • Reservations are required at least three weeks in advance by calling the Education Department at 407.246.3621 or emailing sandra.linn@orlando.gov. Please have the date of the tour and the number of people in the group.
  • No other discounts, coupons or Leu Gardens Guest Passes may be used. If your group consists of Leu Gardens members, they must also pay $17 per person due to the special nature of the tour.
  • Comfortable shoes and attire are suggested.
  • Free bus parking.