Closed until further notice

The Washington State University Pullman K-8 Field Trips Program will be closed until further notice due to insufficient staffing and funding. Email and phone messages will be periodically monitored during the closure and the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center manager will respond to inquiries as frequently as possible. Your patience and understanding during this time are greatly appreciated.

Updates about the program’s status will be made available as plans evolve and staffing for the program expands. The Brelsford WSU Visitor Center, located at 150 E. Spring St. in Pullman, can also assist with campus and visitor information, daily parking and other wayfinding or directional assistance. Visitor center staff can be reached by email at visitor@wsu.edu or phone at 509-335-4636. 

High school (9-12 grade) group visits can be coordinated through the Office of Recruitment.

Despite the program’s formal closure, self-guided visits are welcomed and encouraged! Please contact the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center directly for help with routine campus visit logistics such as parking and transportation, dining options and directions.  

If you’re interested in planning a self-guided visit for your group, a suggested outline of the day is provided below. 

Self-Guided WSU Pullman Field Trip:

Groups are welcome to begin with a stop at the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center, where groups can pick up a visitation packet, ask questions, receive directions and wayfinding tips, use the facilities, fill water bottles and take photos with the 15-foot WSU letters outside. We also have a photo challenge/scavenger hunt that can be provided in advance to increase engagement and enthusiasm while exploring campus.

If you’d like to take advantage of this offering, please send a follow up email to visitor@wsu.edu to confirm the date of your desired self-guided field trip.

Following the WSU Pullman Campus Tour Map (this links to a PDF of the official Pullman Campus Map) from the visitor center is a great way to see and experience campus! It offers a great base for the day and there are many museums, exhibits and activities along it that are free and open to the public without reservation or advanced arrangements.

Below are a few of the attractions that can easily be added along the route. These locations open to another link for further information on each attraction.

• Charles R. Conner Museum: A natural history museum filled with a large collection of taxidermy animals on the main floor in Abelson Hall. It is free and open to the public 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, no prearrangement necessary. The website does also have various activities for students to complete while visiting. The curator typically tries to have copies of the activities available at the entrance, but if there’s anything in particular you’d like to have them do while there, then printing copies of the desired worksheets in advance is recommended.
• Anthropology Museum: Features Native American history from the Pacific Northwest along with occasional rotating exhibits. The museum is free and open to the public 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Groups do not need to prearrange visits for this museum either, but it is a fairly small space so I would recommend splitting into smaller groups to rotate through the exhibits to allow the students an opportunity to see as much as possible. It is located on the first floor of College Hall.
• Geology Museums: There are a series of geology exhibits inside Webster Physical Science Building that are also free and open to the public 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. The exhibits are primarily located on the first floor in the main lobby area. There is no need for special arrangements here either.
• Compton Union Building: There is a small art gallery on one end of the building with the campus bookstore on the other end and lounge and student study space in between. It’s a great glimpse into life at college, which is often a big hit among elementary and middle school students. It is also located next to the Terrell Library, which has a rooftop greenspace that’s accessible from outside the CUB and offers a great view of the practice football field. It’s even possible to get a look inside Martin Stadium from there and the walking bridge behind the CUB. You would also be able to connect to Terrell Mall from this direction and either explore there or continue down along Wilson Road to Stadium Way where you can view the stadium and Cougar Pride statute from the front!
• The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU is another wonderful museum on campus that is free and open to the public. The museum also offers guided tours for K-8 groups that can be prearranged with the Curator of Education and Programs, Kirstin Becker. Tours can be booked by emailing kristin.carlson@wsu.edu
• Another great addition to the day is a stop at Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe, where students can explore the observation room to watch cheese and ice cream be made and enjoy a scoop of ice cream. This is an activity that can be prearranged and does require payment for ice cream. This is a great way to either end the day or spend lunchtime. There is a nice grassy area outside the building with a couple of picnic tables that make it easy to have ice cream and a sack lunch!
• A great way to end the day is with a stop at the Bear Research Center: The grizzly bear research center is generally a fun stop for students when timed right (the bears are typically active from late spring to early fall)! There is some informational signage, but the main attraction is being able to watch the bears play in the grassy field. You can stop by any time since it does not include scheduled programming. It is located at the intersection of Grimes Way and Terre View Drive, making it convenient to stop at the end of a visit.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in visiting WSU Pullman and encourage you to visit the Brelsford WSU Visitor Center website to learn more about what our campus and community has to offer. We hope to host your students again soon!