Recreational Groups
Spend a day filled with fun and excitement at The Dinosaur Place™ and Discovery Depot at Nature’s Art Village in Southeastern Connecticut. Bring your recreational group, camp, day care, or summer school for a day of educational entertainment with hands-on discovery museum activities, an outdoor adventure, a tour of our industrial heritage, or all three! Groups of 20 or more who make reservations in advance are eligible for discounted rates!
Recreational groups can choose one or more activities for kids to build their own custom programs. Picnic areas are available free on a first come, first served basis and group food, beverage, ice cream, and even goody bag orders can be scheduled prior to your visit.
For more information or to book your group trip, please contact our Guest Relations Office at 860-443-4367 or fun@naturesartvillage.com. 3 weeks advanced notice is required to book any group trip to The Dinosaur Place.
The Dinosaur Place™: A True Outdoor Adventure!
Click on the activity or plus sign to see details.
+- Outdoor Adventure: The Dinosaur Place™ (All Ages)
Available Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting.
Bring the learning outside and discover an adventure of prehistoric proportions! During this enrichment activity, your group has the freedom to explore our entire outdoor adventure park at your leisure.
You will enjoy access to:
- Over 40 life-sized dinosaurs with touch-and-learn stations and educational displays
- 1.5 miles of pristine nature trails circumventing a 7-acre lake
- A new animatronic dinosaur exhibit
- The mammoth-sized a“MAZE”asaurus
- The innovative Monty’s Playground
- A towering, active volcano
- Shaded picnic tables for lunch
What a great way to spend the entire day!
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
+- Outdoor Adventure: The Dinosaur Place™ with Splashpad® (All Ages)
Available Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting.
Bring the learning outside and discover an adventure of prehistoric proportions! During this enrichment activity, your group has the freedom to explore our entire outdoor adventure park with Splashpad® at your leisure.
You will enjoy access to:
- Over 40 life-sized dinosaurs with touch-and-learn stations and educational displays
- 1.5 miles of pristine nature trails circumventing a 7-acre lake
- A new animatronic dinosaur exhibit
- The mammoth-sized a“MAZE”asaurus
- The innovative Monty’s Playground
- A towering, active volcano
- Shaded picnic tables for lunch
- New England’s largest Splashpad®
What a great way to spend the entire day!
Large groups must be sub-divided for Splashpad® use at scheduled intervals.
Shoes are required by all on the Splashpad®.
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Indoor Activities: Discovery Depot & Gateway Museum!
If you are interested in hands-on discovery in the Discover Depot or the new Gateway Museum, click on the activity or plus sign to see details.
+- Jackpot Mine: Dig for Minerals & Gems! (Ages 4+)
In this fun activity, students start their own rock and mineral collections! They use their hands to dig for crystals, minerals, and polished stones hidden in our simulated silver mines! The best part is they get to keep it all!
Available year round.
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Duration: 20 minutes*
- Dig Time: 10 minutes
- *An additional 10 minutes is applied to account for time overage, movement of groups, and packing of discovered treasures
Recommended for ages 4 & up.
Children under age 3 are not permitted for safety reasons.
All children must be out of diapers of any kind to participate.
+- Jackpot Mine with Identification: Dig and Identify Minerals & Gems! (Ages 4+)
In this fun activity, students start their own rock and mineral collections! They use their hands to dig for crystals, minerals, and polished stones hidden in our simulated silver mines! Then, accompanying instructors and trained Nature’s Art Village staff help them sort and identify their treasures. The best part is they get to keep it all!
Available year round.
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Duration: 45 minutes
- Dig Time: 10 minutes*
- Identification Time: 25 minutes
- *An additional 10 minutes is applied to account for time overage, movement of groups, and packing of discovered treasures
Recommended for ages 4 & up.
Children under age 3 are not permitted for safety reasons.
All children must be out of diapers of any kind to participate.
+- Thunder Creek: Pan for “Gold”! (All Ages)
Students travel back in time to 1849 – the beginning of the California Gold Rush! They learn the technique of panning and find as many pyrite “fool’s gold” nuggets as they can! We give them each a prospector’s pouch in which to keep their riches!
Available year round!
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Duration: 20 minutes*
- Panning Time: 10 minutes
- *An additional 10 minutes is applied to account for time overage, movement of groups, and packing of discovered riches
Maximum 20 students panning at one time.
Recommended for ages 3 & up.
Children under age 3 are permitted at chaperone discretion.
+- The Bone Zone: Unearth a Dinosaur Skeleton! (Ages 4+)
Students work together as a team of paleontologists to uncover and identify a life-sized recreation dinosaur skeleton in our simulated Southwest dig sites! A trained Nature’s Art Village staff member leads the team and educates the children about the dinosaur they discover! A worksheet about the dinosaur they find will allow for the educational fun to continue back at school and at home!
Available year round!
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Duration: 30 minutes*
- Dig Time: 20 minutes
- *An additional 10 minutes is applied to account for time overage, movement of groups, and answering questions
Recommended for ages 4 & up.
Children under age 3 are not permitted for safety reasons.
All children must be out of diapers of any kind to participate.
+- Geode Cutting & Friendship Geodes (All Ages)
The children in your group will love learning about nature’s lottery tickets! They learn how geodes are formed and opened then watch as one is cut in half right before their eyes. Child pairs then randomly select a pre-cut Friendship Geode and each take half home!
Available year round!
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Duration: 30 minutes*
- Geode Lesson & Cutting: 10 minutes
- Geode Selection: 10 minutes
- *An additional 10 minutes is applied to account for time overage, movement of groups, and Friendship Geode selection/packing
+- Gateway Museum Guided Tour (All Ages)
Take a historic walk back through time and discover a wide variety of exhibits that showcase the rapid transformation of American technology from steam engines to search engines! Your group will find marvels of engineering and stunning, little known artifacts which served as the cornerstone of many of today’s modern conveniences.
Tour groups are led by our knowledgeable trained interpreters who are ready to answer any questions you have!
When your tour is finished you may enjoy the museum for as long as you’d like!
Available year round!
Ask about our special recreational group rates!
Tour Duration: 45 minutes*
- Tour duration is dependent upon number of questions from the children.
Group FAQs
Click on each to view answers to our most frequently asked questions.