Your classroom among living collections
The Geelong Botanic Gardens offer a rich and inspiring setting for schools wishing to deliver their own programs.
Whether you’re exploring plant adaptations, sketching heritage landscapes, conducting photography studies or facilitating reflective outdoor learning, the Gardens provide a dynamic and engaging environment for students of all ages.
We warmly welcome independent school visits.
Self-guided visits are free and must be booked.
Important information for schools
Advance booking is required for all school visits, including self-guided excursions.
This allows us to:
- manage visitor capacity across the Gardens
- coordinate multiple school groups
- notify you of any temporary closures due to safety requirements or essential works
- ensure your visit runs smoothly.
On occasion, sections of the Gardens may be temporarily closed. Prior notification ensures we can contact your school if needed.
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Why choose a self-guided visit?
A self-guided excursion allows you to:
- deliver curriculum-linked content in an authentic outdoor setting
- encourage observational skills and inquiry-based learning
- support creative disciplines including art, photography and writing
- foster student wellbeing through connection with nature.
Outdoor learning has been shown to enhance attention, retention and engagement – particularly when students are able to move, explore and interact with their surroundings. The Gardens provide space for this to occur naturally.
Planning your visit
We recommend:
- conducting a pre-visit risk assessment
- allocating appropriate supervision ratios
- briefing students on respectful behaviour in a public garden setting
- identifying clear meeting points within the Gardens.
If you are unsure about suitable locations for your planned activities, our team is happy to provide guidance.