7 Places Every Michigander Went On School Field Trips

The field trip is one of the most coveted days of the entire school year, the day when the textbooks stay closed, you get to school early, and you spend the day traveling instead. The bus ride to the field trip was sometimes more fun than the trip itself, much to the chagrin of the teachers, but sometimes it's about the journey, not the destination.

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But the destination is pretty great, too. Michigan has tons of great places to go, or so do its neighboring states. If you went to school in Michigan, you'll have likely taken a field trip to one of these places.

Michigan Adventures / Cedar Point

I know, it's ironic that the first thing on this list isn't someplace educational. Rather, it's an amusement park. For those of us in West Michigan, you likely took a day trip to Michigan's Adventure and rode the daring  Shivering Timbers. However, perhaps your school took a further trip or is on the east side and visited Sandusky, OH, to go to Cedar Point and ride the intense Maverick. This sort of trip was always memorable, mainly because it was just for fun.

The State Capitol in Lansing

Michigan's state capital is in Lansing, and the Legislative Building is a beauty built in the 1870s. It offers guided walking tours of both the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives chambers throughout most of the year.

Public Museums

It doesn't get much more educational than visiting a museum. These come in all shapes and sizes, from public museums to art museums to local historical centers. Grand Rapids has its Grand Rapids Public Museum; Detroit has the Detroit Historical Center; and there are county-level historical museums, such as the Otsego County Historical Museum in Gaylord and the Frankenmuth Historical Association in Frankenmuth.

The Symphony

Music is the language of the world, and the best way to experience it is to witness the professionals. Plus, many students go on to learn an instrument in school, see an orchestra perform, and become more aware of the instrument options available. Grand Rapids,  Flint, Lansing, and Detroit, more have excellent orchestras that you likely attended.

Mackinac Island

Not only is Mackinac Island the #1 summer vacation destination, but it's also a great place for a field trip. The island is beautiful, and the buildings and businesses are very unique. Plus, Fort Mackinac is a well-preserved, unique historical site that offers a great learning environment. Field trips here are so common that there's a whole page for them on the website.

Apple Orchard / Farm

Fall in Michigan is one of its best times of year. West Michigan is home to the Michigan Fruit Belt, one of the best fruit-growing regions in the world. When it's fruit harvesting season, orchards and farms host fun activities that make for a good group trip.

Greenfield Village

Dearborn is home to an open-air museum called Greenfield Village with 7 historic districts offering a variety of events and reenactments from the past. Historic baseball, take a ride in a Model T, and witness farming as it happened for thousands of years.