Highlights

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Itinerary

Day 1 – Huntsville, AL – Rocket City Trash Panadas Baseball Game w/On-Field Experience or Performance Option

Arrive today in Huntsville, AL for a three-night stay.  Dinner will be included this evening at a local restaurant.  This evening, head to Toyota Field in nearby Madison, AL for a minor league baseball game featuring the home team, Rocket City Trash Panadas.  The name “Rocket City Trash Pandas” combines two key elements: the nickname for Huntsville, Alabama, as “Rocket City,” and “Trash Panda,” a slang term for a raccoon, popularized by the Marvel Cinematic Universe character Rocket Raccoon.

Groups can add an on-field experience before the game.  Perform on the field or create a high-five tunnel to welcome the Trash Pandas on the field before a game. (Games on select dates April-September). (D)

Day 2 – U.S. Space & Rocket Center w/lunch – Intuitive Planetarium – Space Sculpture Trail – Stars & Strikes

This morning, enjoy the ultimate space adventure at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The program includes a guided tour of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum, interactive presentations and demonstrations about life on the International Space Station, a Spacedome® IMAX movie, and hands-on group activity.  A boxed lunch will also be included today with your visit.

Your admission also includes the INTUITIVE Planetarium where you can explore the wonders of the universe with our state-of-the-art digital dome theater. Witness breathtaking celestial shows, embark on interactive astronomy experiences, and ignite your passion for space exploration. (Space Camp option available for groups looking for a more detailed experience.)

This afternoon, head downtown and enjoy the Space Sculpture Trail.  For seven decades Huntsville has played a major role in NASA’s mission to explore space. The Secret Artemis Trail has been created to celebrate just that. 12 one-foot-tall rockets have been hidden around downtown for you to find.

This evening, enjoy dinner and games at Stars & Strikes. This entertainment center has thousands of square feet packed full of state-of-the-art games, from bowling to laser tag, and VR to escape rooms and delicious food, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. (B,L,D)

Day 3 – Hudsonalpha Institute for Biotechnology w/lunch – Huntsville Museum of Art – Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment Center – Von Braun Astronomical Society’s Planetarium & Observatory w/dinner

After breakfast, head to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a nonprofit genome research institute. Located in Cummings Research Park, the 152-acre campus is home to some of the world’s leading scientists, entrepreneurs and educators that are passionately exploring the knowledge and possibilities of genomics to improve human, plant and animal life. The fields of biotechnology and genetics are continuously growing, and Educational Outreach at HudsonAlpha seeks to prepare the future science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce through hands-on, lab-based field trips that engage students in scientific thinking and put high-tech biotechnology tools in their hands.

Explore genetics concepts and biotechnology careers with your class at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. The hands-on, laboratory-based field trips put high-tech biotechnology tools in the hands of your students and engage them in scientific thinking. Please refer to the sections below for a description of our experiences. A boxed lunch will be included with your visit. (Programs are for middle school and high school students)

Next, visit the Huntsville Museum of Art featuring a permanent collection that exceeds 3,000 pieces. The permanent collection focusses on American art of the 1800 and 1900s with a bend towards Southern, regional art. It includes the landmark collection of Art by American Women, the Sellar’s Collection, and the world’s largest public collection of Buccellati silver animals. This collection begs a little more explanation. These are large sculptures of animals crafted of fine silver by the Italian luxury jewelry maker, Buccellati. Select classes or programs are available.

Enjoy some time this afternoon at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment, the largest privately owned arts facility in the United States. With approximately 200 working artists, small businesses, restaurants, and live performance venues, this huge historic textile mill is now a rising home for music, art, and culture. Visitors are encouraged to enter the studios and speak with artists to learn about their work processes, inspirations, and to purchase work. Groups can also participate in a wide range of art inspired activities taught by the artists themselves including chocolate making, screen printing, and painting.

End the day with a pizza dinner atop Monte Sano Mountain at the von Braun Astronomical Society’s Planetarium & Observatory.  (B,L,D)

Day 4 – Depart for Home

After breakfast, depart for home. (B)

Tour Map