Homeschool Discounts in New York (2026) — New York homeschool days upstate

New York's best homeschool deals cluster upstate, where science centers, aquariums, and living-history museums run dedicated homeschool programming for a fraction of a regular family visit. In Rochester, the RMSC runs Homeschool Afternoons — a facilitated 50-minute STEM session plus full museum admission for $25 a student, with parent chaperones just $5. At Niagara Falls, the Aquarium of Niagara holds all-ages Homeschool Classes on the second Tuesday of each month, September through May, for $15 a student. Syracuse's Everson Museum of Art opens its docent tours and art-making studios to homeschool co-ops, and the Genesee Country Village near Rochester runs seasonal homeschool tour days.

Downstate, Long Island's Cradle of Aviation Museum — where Grumman built the real Apollo Lunar Modules — gives homeschool groups of 10 or more a discounted $12 museum rate (versus $18 general admission), with the museum/theater combo at $20. Most of these are pay-as-you-go single sessions or group field-trip rates, so a co-op can show up once without committing to a class series. Pair them with the dozens of free and cheap educational outings in our New York directory below — from the free New York State Museum in Albany to the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse. In the Southern Tier, Corning is the cheapest school trip in the state: the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Museum both admit everyone 17 and under free every day, and both run free guided curriculum tours for school groups. Cooperstown answers it: the Fenimore Art Museum is free for everyone 19 and under, and Fenimore Farm next door names homeschool groups outright and holds a spring Home School Day at $7 a student. If your venue runs a homeschool day we missed, email info@discovercheapus.com.

Your New York homeschool toolkit

Local resources worth bookmarking

Start here

New York homeschool laws

Notice, recordkeeping & assessment rules — straight from the source.

Read New York's requirements →

Check your local library

Free museum passes, classes, makerspaces & interlibrary loan — the cheapest field trips there are. Ask what they offer homeschoolers.

Find New York libraries →

Always ask about homeschool rates

Many venues give 30–50% off (sometimes free) and never advertise it. Call ahead and ask for a homeschool, education, or co-op rate before you pay.

State parks & history

Free and cheap educational programming statewide — nature centers, historic sites, junior-ranger days.

State parks → · New York history →

Free New York homeschool printables

Print, pin & take along — no email needed

Free PDF worksheets to bring on any New York field trip. Print as many copies as you like.

My New York Study

A one-page state study your child fills in — capital, state symbols, flag, and a place to visit.

Download PDF →

Field trip scavenger hunt

A find-it checklist that works at any museum, park, or downtown outing. Reusable every trip.

Download PDF →

Nature journal

A draw-and-observe page for park, trail, and garden days — senses, sketches, and a leaf rubbing.

Download PDF →

Landmarks I want to see in New York

A checklist to fill in — the parks and famous places in New York you want to visit, with a box to tick off each one.

Download PDF →

See all our free printables →

Confirmed homeschool pricing

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

Offers

Homeschool Classes

Recurring sessions (spring & fall) · Themed STEM topics by grade band; register for the next date

$25

per kid · adult $5

RMSC

Rochester · Grade-banded (e.g., grades 1–6 and 2–9) · Pre-registration required, online or by phone

The Rochester Museum & Science Center runs Homeschool Afternoons throughout the spring and fall — a 50-minute educator-facilitated program diving into a STEM topic like Earth science or water quality, followed by the rest of the afternoon to explore the museum's three floors of exhibits on your included admission. Sessions are grade-banded, and parent chaperones are just $5, making it one of the best-value homeschool programs in western New York.

Regular admission: $23 adult / $21 youth 3–18 regular admission — Facilitated STEM program plus admission for the price of a regular ticket

Homeschool page at rmsc.org →

Offers

Homeschool Classes

Second Tuesday monthly, Sept–May · 11:30am–1pm; one theme explored across the school year

$15

per kid · adult $8

Aquarium of Niagara

Niagara Falls · All ages, K–12 · Pre-register online; registration closes the Monday before each class

The Aquarium of Niagara runs all-ages Homeschool Classes on the second Tuesday of every month from September through May, each a 90-minute hands-on session built around a yearlong theme (recent years went 'Inside the Aquarium,' exploring resident species, animal care, and behind-the-scenes areas). Families register month to month — no series commitment — and students take home a project after each class. At $15 a student and $8 an adult, it's an easy add to a Niagara Falls day.

Regular admission: Class fee is separate from general admission — 1.5-hour educator-led class for $15, drop-in by the month

Homeschool page at aquariumofniagara.org →

Offers

Group Visits

By reservation, Wed–Fri from 10am · Self-guided visit, guided tour, or tour + art-making

$3–8

per kid

Everson Museum of Art

Syracuse · All ages · Tour Request Form 4+ weeks ahead; questions to llaptsevitch@everson.org

I.M. Pei's Everson Museum of Art opens its galleries to student and community groups through its tour program, and homeschool co-ops can book like any school group. Choose a $75 self-guided visit, a $100 45-minute guided tour, or a $200 90-minute program pairing a tour with 45 minutes of art-making in painting, drawing, printmaking, or collage. Each fee covers up to 25 people, so a full co-op pays about $3–8 a student for a real museum-and-studio day in a landmark building.

Regular admission: $14 adult / $5 child regular admission — Flat group fee works out to roughly $3–8 per student for a group of 25

Homeschool page at everson.org →

Offers

Field Trips

Tue–Sun; book 48 hours ahead

$12

per kid · adult $12

Cradle of Aviation Museum

Garden City (Long Island) · All ages; classes grade-banded · 10+ students; reserve at least 48 hours ahead

Long Island's aerospace museum, on the old Mitchel Field where Grumman built the real Apollo Lunar Modules, offers homeschool groups of 10 or more a discounted $12 museum rate (versus $18 general admission), with a museum/theater combo at $20 and add-on educator-led museum classes for $2–3. Homeschool co-ops easily meet the 10-student minimum. Free downloadable scavenger hunts and educator guides help families build a lesson around the visit.

Regular admission: $18 adult / $16 youth 2–12 regular admission — About a third off regular admission for groups of 10+

Homeschool page at cradleofaviation.org →

Offers

Field Trips

Weekdays 9am-3pm · By reservation

Free

per kid

Corning Museum of Glass

Corning · Pre-K to 12 · Book 3 weeks ahead; 1 free adult per 10 students

The largest glass collection in the world, with hot-glass demonstrations running all day and an innovation wing on optical fibre and Pyrex. Guided tours are written to New York State Learning Standards and split by age band, and a ticket is valid for two consecutive days.

Regular admission: $25 adults / Free 17 & under — free for every child at a $25-a-head museum, guided tour included

Note: Every visitor 17 and under is admitted free every day, with no group, booking or paperwork needed - so a homeschool family can simply walk in. On top of that the Museum charges no fee for guided, curriculum-based tours for K-12 education groups, and admits one adult free per 10 students; additional adults pay the $25 gate. Tours run 1.5 hours and must be booked at least three weeks ahead (four to six preferred) through the Education Department on 607-438-5450. Tour topics run from Exploring Shapes and Colors for early years to The Science of Glass and Museum Careers for secondary.

Homeschool page at visit.cmog.org →

Offers

Field Trips

Museum hours · By reservation

Free

per kid · adult free

The Rockwell Museum

Corning · Pre-K to college · 1 chaperone per 10 students; book 2 weeks ahead

A Smithsonian Affiliate in Corning's 1893 former city hall telling the story of America through its artists - nineteenth-century Western painting and sculpture alongside contemporary and Native American work, a few blocks from the Museum of Glass.

Regular admission: $14 adults / Free under 17 — free guided tour for students and every chaperone

Note: School tours are free for students AND chaperones - there is no per-head charge at all. Add-on art projects are $25 per class, not per child. Kids and teens under 17 already enter free any day without booking. One chaperone is required per 10 students, and tours must be booked at least two weeks ahead through the pre-registration form or Ann Recotta on 607-974-5505. Programmes run pre-K through college, including a Grade Four Haudenosaunee art and culture tour.

Homeschool page at rockwellmuseum.org →

Offers

Homeschool Days

Home School Day in spring · programs Sept-Dec & Mar-Jun

per kid

Fenimore Farm & Country Village

Cooperstown · K-12 · 10-student minimum on some programs; book ahead

An 1840s rural New York village rebuilt on a working farm - printing office, pharmacy, blacksmith, schoolhouse and doctor's surgery, worked by interpreters in period dress, with heritage-breed livestock and the Empire State Carousel. Known as The Farmers' Museum until its rename.

Regular admission: $17.50 adults / $10 juniors 7-12 / Free under 7 — $7 a student against a $10 junior gate, chaperones free

Note: Homeschool groups are named as eligible and the museum runs a dedicated Home School Day for its Museum Quest programme in spring - 12 May in 2026 - with pre-registration required. Museum Quest is $7 a student at staffed drop-in learning stations across both Fenimore sites. The rest of the year, guided thematic tours run $5 a student in September, October and April, and three-hour hands-on workshops in period trades and farm life run $7.50 a student for grades 4-12, September to December and March to April. Minimum 10 students for some options; teachers, chaperones and one-to-one aides go free. Book on 607-547-1513.

Homeschool page at fenimorefarm.org →

Offers

Field Trips

Apr & Sept-Dec · By reservation

Free

per kid

Fenimore Art Museum

Cooperstown · K-12 · Walk in free, or book a $5 guided tour ahead

American folk art, Hudson River School painting and one of the country's great collections of North American Indian art, in a 1930s neoclassical house on the site of James Fenimore Cooper's farm, looking down Otsego Lake. Across the road from Fenimore Farm.

Regular admission: $17.50 adults / Free 19 & under — free for every child and teenager against a $17.50 gate

Note: Every visitor 19 and under is admitted free every open day with no booking at all, so a homeschool family can simply walk in - the lowest-friction offer on this page. For a facilitated visit, guided tours and self-guided school tours are $5 a student and workshops $7.50, with teachers and chaperones free at one adult per ten children and extra adults at $9. Programmes run April and September to December, with Museum Quest in May and June. Book through schoolprograms@fenimoreart.org or 607-547-1461.

Homeschool page at fenimoreartmuseum.org →

When everything’s free

Big-ticket museums with a recurring free-admission day — open to everyone, no homeschool sign-up needed.

Year-round

26 museums

FREE

Admission days

Free-for-all guide

Free museum days across New York

New York City · Hudson Valley & Capital Region · Western & Central New York · Queens · Bronx · Manhattan & more

No group minimums and no booking forms — just show up on the right day. From free weeknights and weekend days to resident-free museums, these are the recurring free-admission days at New York’s major museums, each verified on the museum’s own site.

Why it’s here: the cheapest field trip there is — no per-kid ticket and no reservation.

See all New York free museum days →

Worth calling about

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

Offers

Homeschool Days

e.g., Spring Nature Discoveries Homeschool Tour, June 10

Call

no public price

Genesee Country Village & Museum

Mumford (~20 mi from Rochester)

One of the largest living-history museums in the country, Genesee Country Village recreates a 19th-century Genesee Valley village with 68 historic buildings, costumed interpreters, heritage gardens, and a nature center. It runs themed homeschool tour days through the year — maple sugaring in spring, nature discovery tours in early summer — at special homeschool rates, but the museum only posts pricing once you register, so confirm the current rate first.

Regular admission: ~$25 adult general admission

How to reach them: The museum schedules seasonal homeschool tour days (Maple Festival, Spring Nature Discoveries, and more) but lists pricing only at registration. Check the homeschool programs page or call to confirm the current per-student rate before you go.

Homeschool page at gcv.org →

Offers

Group Visits

Call

no public price

Museum of the Earth

Ithaca

Four and a half billion years of Earth history around a Hyde Park mastodon skeleton, a Stegosaurus, a right whale hanging overhead and a 500-foot mural of deep time. Programme topics run from local geology and glaciers to coral reefs and climate change.

Regular admission: $12.50 adults / $7.50 youth 4-17 / $1 with EBT

How to reach them: The Paleontological Research Institution offers a group admission rate for parties of 10 or more and hands-on programmes pitched to the group's age, but the per-student figure is not published. One adult chaperone is admitted free per 10 youth, and the museum asks for at least that ratio. Email education@priweb.org or call 607-273-6623 at least two weeks ahead; presentations work best with 25 or fewer.

Homeschool page at museumoftheearth.org →

Gear up for your field trip

A few inexpensive things that turn a museum or nature day into a richer lesson — favorites from homeschooling families.

Kids' field journal

Sketch and note what they see at each stop

Shop on Amazon →

Compact binoculars for kids

Zoos, nature centers, living-history farms

Shop on Amazon →

Bug viewer & magnifier

Turn any nature trail into a science lesson

Shop on Amazon →

Kids' sketchbook

Art-museum and outdoor sketching days

Shop on Amazon →

Scavenger hunt cards

Keep little ones engaged on long visits

Shop on Amazon →

Junior ranger activity book

Pairs with park and museum trips

Shop on Amazon →

Homeschool resources we love

Homeschool curriculum Science experiment kits Kids' art supplies Educational workbooks

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Plus more free and cheap educational outings in New York

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

New York City

3 free or cheap

Grand Central TerminalFree
New York Public Library — Stephen A. Schwarzman BuildingFree (including all guided tours)
9/11 Memorial Plaza & Reflecting PoolsFree (Memorial Museum is separate, paid admission)

See all New York City attractions →

Long Island

7 free or cheap

Sagamore Hill National Historic SiteFree grounds & museum / Home tour by ticket
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park$8 per vehicle (seasonal parking)
Nassau County Museum of Art$15 adults / $5 under 12 / Free sculpture park
Cradle of Aviation Museum$18 adults / $16 youth 2–12 & seniors
Long Island Children's Museum$20 per person / $5 with EBT / Free under 1
Old Bethpage Village Restoration$15 adults / $12 children 5–12 / Free under 5
Raynham Hall Museum$15 adults / $10 students / Free under 5

See all Long Island attractions →

Niagara Falls

3 free or cheap

Niagara Power VistaFree
Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center$15 adults / $10 youth 6-12 / Free under 6
Old Fort Niagara$21 adults / $13 children 12 & under / Free 5 & under

See all Niagara Falls attractions →

Buffalo

6 free or cheap

Buffalo City Hall Observation DeckFree
Buffalo AKG Art Museum$24 adults / $10 youth 5–18 / Pay-what-you-wish First Fridays
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site$12 adults / $7 youth (6–18) / Free under 6
Pierce-Arrow Museum$20 adults / $10 children (12 and under)
Buffalo History MuseumPay-What-You-Wish (suggested $12)
Forest Lawn CemeteryFree

See all Buffalo attractions →

Rochester

8 free or cheap

Highland ParkFree
Mount Hope CemeteryFree
George Eastman Museum$23 adults / $9 youth 5-17 / Free under 5
Susan B. Anthony Museum & House$20 adults / $8 students / $3 Museums For All
Memorial Art Gallery$20 adults / $9 ages 6-18 / Half-price Thu eves
Seneca Park Zoo$16 adults / $13 youth 4-14 / Free under 4
Corn Hill Historic DistrictFree
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo)Suggested admission $2 ($5 during 6x6)

See all Rochester attractions →

Syracuse

6 free or cheap

Erie Canal MuseumPay-what-you-wish ($12 suggested)
Onondaga Historical MuseumFree (suggested donation)
Everson Museum of Art$14 adults / $5 kids 6-12 / Pay-what-you-wish Wed & Thu eve
Rosamond Gifford Zoo$9 adults / $5 youth 3–17 / Free 2 and under
MOST – Museum of Science & Technology$18 adults / $14 youth 2-15 / $2 with EBT
Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center$7 adults / $5 youth 6–17 / Free 5 & under

See all Syracuse attractions →

Albany

8 free or cheap

New York State CapitolFree
Empire State PlazaFree
New York State MuseumFree
Albany Pine Bush PreserveFree
Albany Rural CemeteryFree
USS Slater$14 adults / $10 youth under 18 / Free 5 & under
Albany Institute of History & Art$12 adults / $8 children 6-12 / Free select First Fridays 5–7pm
Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site$5 adults / $4 students / Free 12 & under

See all Albany attractions →

Saratoga Springs

9 free or cheap

Saratoga Spa State ParkFree walk-in / $10 per vehicle
Congress Park & Canfield CasinoFree park / $15 adults for History Museum
Yaddo GardensFree — gardens closed until further notice
Saratoga Race Course$7-10 general admission / Free morning workouts
Saratoga National Historical ParkFree
Saratoga Mineral Springs Self-Guided TourFree
New York State Military MuseumFree
Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore CollegeFree (suggested donation)
Skidmore College CampusFree

See all Saratoga Springs attractions →

Ithaca

5 free or cheap

Cornell Botanic GardensFree (metered lot $1.50/hour)
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of ArtFree
Cornell Lab of Ornithology & Sapsucker WoodsFree
Sciencenter$12.50 per person / $3 with EBT
Museum of the Earth$12.50 adults / $7.50 youth 4-17 / $1 with EBT

See all Ithaca attractions →

Corning

5 free or cheap

Corning Museum of Glass$25 adults / Free 17 & under
The Rockwell Museum$14 adults / Free under 17
Heritage Village of the Southern Finger Lakes$10 adults / Free 17 & under
Painted Post Erwin Museum at the DepotFree (contributions welcome)
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum$14.50 adults / $11 youth 7-17 / Free under 7