School Field Trips
The space centre is a science education venue located just south of Te Awamutu (see map). Schools visit us from around the Waikato and occasionally beyond.
Numbers: We can accommodate up to 75 people including all students and adults. This is a strict safety limit; we cannot admit more than 75 people.
Cost: $8 per student. Teachers and adult helpers are free, up to the adult/child ratios listed below. If you really need more adults (e.g. support for special needs students), let us know in advance. Non-essential adults will be charged at the normal rate ($12).
You can pay in advance, on the day of the visit, or we can invoice you after the visit. If you can't afford our standard rates, we have some subsidies available for schools or students in high need. Please ask if you'd like to apply for a subsidy.
Bookings: Use our booking form to request a visit, or contact us if you'd like to discuss it first.
What to expect when you visit
You should allow about two hours for your visit, plus any time for lunch etc. When you arrive, there will be a short welcome from our staff. From there, you simply start exploring the venue. Things to do include:
- Various displays and interactive activities.
- Complete challenges to earn a badge with your "astronaut wings". Challenges are suitable for various ages and abilities, from simple treasure hunts to quizzes for space nerds.
- Virtual reality show featuring a tour of the Solar System. The standard show is 15 minutes but the 11-minute version is often more practical, especially for larger groups.
You can take a break at any time for a run around outside, have some food, etc.
To finish the visit, we can gather all students for a Q&A session and wrap-up.
NOTE: If your last visit to the space centre was before 2023, please be aware that school visits no longer include Dave's presentation. We have added new activities to keep the visit duration the same (around 2 hours). Dave's presentation is available on our Youtube channel.
How to prepare for your visit
Primary / intermediate schools: It helps to have students organised into groups of 8 to 15 per group, with 1 or 2 adult supervisors per group. We recommend the following adult/student ratios:
- Year 0–3: 1/5
- Year 4–6: 1/6
- Year 7–8: 1/8
Important: Your adult helpers will need to actively supervise and assist students—this is the only way we can make it work. Please make this clear to your volunteers, and only bring people who have agreed to this condition.
To help with the educational experience, you might like to watch Dave's presentation before your visit. The whole talk is 40 minutes but you don't have to watch all of it. Make a note of any questions and bring them when you visit.
Secondary schools: You don't really need to prepare anything. You probably don't need additional adult helpers—your normal teaching staff should be sufficient.
Facilities & Accessibility
The venue is wheelchair-accessible. There are two toilets in the main building. The female toilet doubles as the disabled toilet.
If you need to eat snacks or lunch while you're here, you can do so either outside (on grass or concrete), or in a room next door to the main building.
Directions and Parking
See our map. Cars and vans can park on the grass beside the main building or on Whitmore Street. Please do not park in the neighbour's property. Buses can park on any of the three roads surrounding the Space Centre, or on the tar seal next to the church. Your bus driver may like to drive around the whole triangular block before choosing exactly where to park (it's a small block).
Other stuff
- Our venue is small and we need to strictly manage visitor numbers, so please avoid bringing additional people (e.g. pre-school siblings or other family members).
- It's possible that other customers will be here during your visit.
- If you need a Risk Assessment & Management Form you can use our RAMS template (we don't need you to send it to us, it's just for your own records if you want it). You can find more compliance information and documents here.
- If you have any questions please contact us.
Ready to book?
Go to the booking form.