$ DISCOVER CHEAP US FREE & CHEAP TRAVEL
HomeHomeschool › Iowa

Homeschool Discounts in Iowa

Big-ticket Iowa museums and attractions with homeschool discount days — typically 30–50% off for kids, sometimes free.

Updated June 2026 · 9 confirmed programs · 1 call-to-confirm

Iowa's two priciest family attractions both write homeschoolers into their programs by name. Living History Farms charges $21 at the gate but books homeschool field trips at $12 a student — with spring and fall 2026 dates already open — and the Science Center of Iowa's October Homeschool Science Series includes a hands-on workshop, a free concurrent parent session, AND all-day museum admission for the $25 workshop fee. Salisbury House goes further still: its educational-tour policy names homeschool groups outright at $5 a student and $2 an adult, a fraction of the $12 walk-in price.

The river cities keep pace. Dubuque's Smithsonian-affiliated River Museum runs drop-in Homeschool Days at discounted admission on second Thursdays October through February — no registration needed at a $27.95-gate attraction. In the Quad Cities, the Figge books docent-led student tours from $3 and the Putnam's group rate is $6 a head, while Cedar Rapids' National Czech & Slovak Museum admits students free on First Saturdays every month. Gather a co-op where group minimums apply (12–15 is the usual bar) and book two-plus weeks ahead.

Confirmed homeschool pricing

Published price on the venue's own homeschool page — most under $20 per child.

Recurring
Tue–Fri
Spring: Apr 30–May 28 / Fall: Sep 2–Oct 30, 2026
$12
per kid · adult $20

Living History Farms

Urbandale · Online booking, 14+ days ahead

Five hundred acres of working history — the 1700 Ioway farm, 1850 pioneer farm, 1900 horse-powered farm, and the 1876 town of Walnut Hill — at a field-trip rate built for homeschool groups. Winter Exploration Programs and family Homeschool Days add off-season routes; watch the events calendar.

Regular admission: $21 adults / $17 kids 2–12 — Over 40% off the gate per student
Homeschool page at lhf.org →
Recurring
Oct Thursdays
11 am–noon; advanced track 1–2 pm
$25
per kid

Science Center of Iowa

Des Moines · Register online; 2026 themes announced late summer

SCI's Homeschool Science Series pairs a hands-on, standards-aligned STEM workshop for kids with a free concurrent session for parents — then turns you loose on the museum and planetarium for the rest of the day. The October series is an Iowa homeschool tradition; themes post in late summer.

Regular admission: $20 adults / $15 kids 2–12 — Workshop + parent session + full-day admission for $5 over the gate
Homeschool page at sciowa.org →
Year-round
By booking
Guided or self-guided group tours
$5
per kid · adult $2

Salisbury House & Gardens

Des Moines · (515) 274-1777 ext 105 or tours@salisburyhouse.org

A 42-room 1920s Tudor manor stuffed with rare books, original art, and 16th-century English oak — and one of the friendliest homeschool tour policies in Iowa, naming homeschool groups alongside schools at $5 a student with $2 chaperones. The 75-minute guided tour suits upper elementary and older.

Regular admission: $12 adults / $7 kids 6–12 — Nearly 60% off for students — and adults pay less than kids' gate price
Homeschool page at salisburyhouse.org →
Recurring
2nd Thursdays
October – February
Reduced
per kid

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Dubuque · None — drop in; (563) 557-9545 to confirm pricing

The Smithsonian-affiliated riverfront flagship — river otters, stingrays, steamboat history, and a National Rivers Hall of Fame — opens its winter second Thursdays to homeschool families at a deep discount with themed drop-in programming. The rare big-ticket aquarium day that requires zero planning.

Regular admission: $27.95 adults / $20.95 youth 3–17 — Roughly 60% off the gate in recent seasons
Homeschool page at rivermuseum.org →
Recurring
School year
60-min programs, Sept–May
$7
per kid

Reiman Gardens

Ames · Book via the tours page; (515) 294-2710

Iowa State's 17-acre garden and year-round tropical butterfly wing runs 60-minute hands-on school programs a homeschool co-op can book — sensory exploration and Next Generation Science Standards content with up to eight adults free. Reiman has hosted dedicated homeschool days in past seasons too; ask when booking.

Regular admission: $12 adults / $6 youth 2–12 — Guided NGSS programming for less than child gate price + free adults
Homeschool page at reimangardens.com →
Year-round
By booking
Request 1+ week ahead
$6
per kid

Putnam Museum and Science Center

Davenport · Group request form, 1+ week ahead

One of the oldest museums west of the Mississippi — Egyptian mummies, the Black Earth | Big River gallery, and a hands-on science center — books self-guided group visits at $6 a head that a homeschool co-op can fill. Educator resource guides map every gallery to classroom standards.

Regular admission: $12 adults / $10 youth 3–18 — 40% off youth admission with free chaperones in ratio
Homeschool page at putnam.org →
Recurring
Tue–Fri
9 am–4:30 pm by reservation
$3
per kid

Figge Art Museum

Davenport · (563) 345-6655, reservations required

The Quad Cities' glass landmark on the levee gives student groups docent-led tours of its Grant Wood, Haitian, and American collections for $3 a head — among the cheapest guided art museum programs anywhere. Co-ops of 15+ qualify; add the art studio for $2 more.

Regular admission: $14 adults / $8 kids 4–12 — Over 60% off the kids' gate price, chaperones free
Homeschool page at figgeartmuseum.org →
Recurring
1st Saturdays
All day, every month
Free
per kid

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

Cedar Rapids · None for First Saturdays; study trips via education office

The Smithsonian-affiliated story of Czech and Slovak immigration — folk costumes, the flood-lifted building itself, and the award-winning Maňa immersive tour — admits students free on the first Saturday of every month. Education staff explicitly welcome 'in-home learning' groups for guided study trips.

Regular admission: $12 adults / $6 students / $4 youth 6–13 — Students free monthly at a Smithsonian Affiliate
Homeschool page at ncsml.org →
Year-round
Fall–Spring
Seasonal programs, ~1.5 hrs
$5
per kid

Indian Creek Nature Center

Cedar Rapids · Online booking; (319) 362-0664

Eastern Iowa's pioneering nature center welcomes homeschool groups by name for naturalist-led, seasonal field trips across 200 acres of prairie, woodland, and wetland — pond studies, maple syruping, snowshoeing, and prairie ecology, year-round in all weather. The grounds themselves are always free.

Regular admission: Free admission, trails open daily — Guided naturalist program for $5/person at an already-free site
Homeschool page at indiancreeknaturecenter.org →

Worth calling about

These venues run homeschool programs but don't publish pricing online. Call before you go.

Recurring
Monthly Fridays
2–3 pm, grades K–8
Call
no public price

Nahant Marsh Education Center

Davenport

One of the Upper Mississippi's last urban wetlands runs a flexible monthly homeschool class series — K-8 natural science capped at 20 students, designed to supplement at-home learning with marsh boardwalks and live native animals as the classroom.

Regular admission: Free preserve & education center
How to reach them: A dedicated monthly homeschool natural-science series with online registration; per-class price posts in the registration portal. (563) 336-3370.
Homeschool page at nahantmarsh.org →

Plus more free and cheap educational outings in Iowa

Already on DiscoverCheapUS — free and low-cost Iowa attractions homeschool families plan whole field-trip days around.

Des Moines

9 free or cheap
  • Des Moines Art CenterFree
  • Iowa State CapitolFree
  • Pappajohn Sculpture ParkFree
  • Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden$12 adults / $9 children 2–12 / Free under 2 / Asian Garden free daily
  • State Historical Museum of IowaFree
  • Blank Park Zoo$20+ adults / $15+ kids 2–12 / Free under 2 (date-based)
  • Science Center of Iowa$20 adults / $15 kids 2–12
  • Living History Farms$21 adults / $17 kids 2–12 / Free under 2
  • Salisbury House & Gardens$12 adults / $7 kids 6–12 / Free 5 and under
See all Des Moines attractions →

Iowa City

8 free or cheap
  • Stanley Museum of ArtFree
  • Old Capitol MuseumFree
  • Devonian Fossil GorgeFree
  • University of Iowa Museum of Natural HistoryFree
  • Project Art at UI Hospitals & ClinicsFree
  • Plum Grove Historic HomeFree
  • The Iowa Children's Museum$12 / $10 seniors / Free under 1
  • Iowa Avenue Literary WalkFree
See all Iowa City attractions →

Dubuque

7 free or cheap
  • Mines of Spain SRA & Julien Dubuque MonumentFree
  • Mississippi Riverwalk & Port of DubuqueFree
  • Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical GardensFree
  • Dubuque Museum of Art$12 adults / Free Thursdays / Free youth 18 & under
  • Cathedral of St. RaphaelFree
  • National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium$27.95 adults / $20.95 youth 3–17
  • Swiss Valley Nature Preserve & CenterFree
See all Dubuque attractions →

Cedar Rapids

7 free or cheap
  • Grant Wood StudioFree
  • Cedar Rapids Museum of Art$10 adults / $5 kids 6–18 / Free Thursday evenings
  • National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library$12 adults / $6 students / $4 youth 6–13 / Free 5 and under
  • Brucemore$12 adults / $7 students 4+ / Free 3 and under
  • Indian Creek Nature CenterFree
  • Ushers Ferry Historic Village$4 adults / $2 youth 5–12 / Free under 5
  • Old MacDonald's Farm at Bever ParkFree ($1 suggested donation)
See all Cedar Rapids attractions →

Davenport

5 free or cheap
  • Figge Art Museum$14 adults / $8 kids 4–12 / Free Thursdays after 5 pm
  • Putnam Museum and Science Center$12 adults / $10 youth 3–18 / Free under 2
  • Vander Veer Botanical ParkFree
  • German American Heritage Center$8 adults / $5 youth 4–17 / Free 3 and under
  • Nahant Marsh Education CenterFree (donations welcome)
See all Davenport attractions →

Sioux City

7 free or cheap
  • Sioux City Public MuseumFree
  • Lewis & Clark Interpretive CenterFree
  • Sergeant Floyd MonumentFree
  • Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome CenterFree
  • Sioux City Art CenterFree
  • Dorothy Pecaut Nature CenterFree
  • LaunchPAD Children's Museum$14 ages 1–65 / Free under 1
See all Sioux City attractions →

Ames

5 free or cheap
  • Reiman Gardens$12 adults / $6 youth 2–12 / Free under 2
  • Art on Campus at Iowa StateFree
  • Farm House MuseumFree
  • McFarland Park & Conservation CenterFree
  • Ames History Museum$8 adults / $5 ages 12–17 / Free under 12
See all Ames attractions →

See all 69 Iowa attractions on the directory →