Educational Tours

Reservations Required

Reservations are essential. To make your visit more enjoyable, Grandfather Mountain will limit the number of groups visiting each day. Contact Kim Rupard at the Grandfather Mountain office at 800-468-7325 or 828-733-2013 as soon as possible to make sure your preferred date is available.

Groups pay by cash, check or credit card upon arrival. Purchase Orders are not accepted.

School Group Admission Rates
Students through grade 12	$5
Chaperones	one FREE for each 8 students
Additional adults	$12
Bus drivers (when teachers also drive, they are counted as chaperones)	FREE

Hours (Ticket Sales End One Hour Before Closing)
Spring	8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Summer	8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fall	8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Winter	9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shuttle Service

Because sharp curves near the top of the mountain restrict commercial motor coaches and some school busses to the lower part of the mountain, Grandfather provides free shuttle service to the top in its own busses.

Group Size For School Outings

Our staff can only take small groups on each tour through the animal habitats, no more than 30 students with accompanying adults. Other small groups may visit the Nature Museum, movie theater, gift shop, restaurant or rest rooms while waiting for the first group of students to complete the 45 minute habitat tour.

Because of limited space in the Nature Museum gift shop, please take turns visiting the shop in small groups of eight students, each with at least one adult chaperone. The gift shop in the Swinging Bridge Visitor Center is larger and can accommodate more people. Greater numbers of students can visit the Swinging Bridge gift shop together when closely supervised.

Supervision

It is important that students be more closely supervised than normal during their visit. They need to be on their best behavior because Grandfather Mountain has other visitors, many of them senior citizens who deserve special courtesy and consideration.

Please ask you students to give the tour guides at the animal habitats the same attention they would pay to you in your classroom. They will be encouraged to ask questions as long as the entire group remains under control.

Days of Operation

Open Daily except Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day, weather permitting in winter.

Length of Stay

Average is 3 hours. Approximately 1/2 hour to walk through the habitats (45 min for guided tour), 1 hour in the theater/museum/shop, 1/2 hour at Mile High Swinging Bridge/Visitor Center, 1/2 hour lunch. The stay easily can be shorter or longer, depending on group size. The stay will be longer if the group asks for a habitat tour or naturalist program.

Food Service

The 80-seat Nature Museum Restaurant serves hot, tasty food at school-friendly prices. Meals ordered in advance will be ready and waiting for your class at the time that best fits into your schedule.

From the special "Express Eats" menu, students may choose between a slice of French bread Pepperoni pizza, a plain hot dog, or a grilled cheese sandwich. Each is served with chips and a 12-ounce drink. All combo meals are served at one low price, tax included.

The Mountain has over 100 picnic tables in scenic locations throughout the park, including a covered picnic area situated next to the Nature Museum. Your group is welcome to bring its own picnic, or our staff will be happy to prepare box lunches for you.

"I just recently visited Grandfather Mountain for the first time and had a beautiful experience. I will highly recommend visiting Grandfather Mountain to everyone I know. "

Amanda

Duffield, VA

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