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School Field Trips

Join us for a 90 minute narrated
Mississippi River Cruise on one of the Padelford Riverboats

Introduce your students to the Mississippi River by taking them on a cruise aboard a Padelford Riverboat. Cruises depart from Harriet Island, located conveniently across the river from Downtown St. Paul, and travel up river through the heavily wooded Great River National Park an area steeped in the history of early Minnesota and its settlers. A Mississippi River cruise can be tied into nearly any subject your classroom is studying; from literature, history and social studies to math and science!

Padelford Captains Available to Speak at your School

Padelford Riverboat Captains Available to Speak at Metro Area Schools

Speaking appearances by Padelford captains are available upon request to classrooms registered for a Padelford school field trip. Classroom appearances can be tailored to meet your students’ educational needs and classroom interests. Don’t miss out on this opportunity! For more information call Padelford Riverboats at (651) 227-1100.

The Details

Dates

Monday through Friday
April 13 through October 23
10am, 12-noon, 2pm

Fares

Students of all grades $6.00
One complimentary chaperone for every 15 students. Additional adults are at the discounted $6.00 rate. No coupons or discounts apply.

Lunch Specials

All Beef Hotdog with
chips & a soft drink $5.00.
**Lunch special must be ordered and paid for at least seven days in advance of the cruise to receive this discounted prices.**

Payment & Refund Policy

Payment must be received at least seven days prior to the cruise.  We accept checks, MasterCard and Visa.  Late payments are subject to a $25 late fee.  Fares are reduced, so we ask schools to make one check to minimize the time and cost of accounting.  While we can usually accommodate extra people the day of the trip it is possible for a  trip to be sold out.  Therefore your passenger numbers should be as accurate as possible.  Due to the cost and time required for refunds, no refunds will be made for less than $25.

Reservations

Call Padelford Riverboats at (651) 227-1100 or toll free at (800) 543-3908
Or e-mail: Tracy@RiverRides.com
Business hours are 9am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday

Due to operation costs we require groups of 50 or more passengers to start a school field trip. Don't have a group of 50? Not to worry, we can combine smaller school groups to ensure your students have the opportunity to experience the Mighty Mississippi!

Teacher resources

  • Map of School Field Trip route on river including descriptions of landmarks. (PDF)
  • Classroom activities designed to augment our Big River Journey trips. (NPS Website)
  • Full transcript of cruise narration played on field trip. (Word Document)
  • Narration worksheet you may assign your students. (Word Document)
  • Interesting geological facts about the Mississippi. (Word Document)
  • River fact sheet prepared by the National Park Service for Big River Journeys. (PDF)
  • More Mississippi River facts from the National Park Service (NPS Website)
  • A brief history of the Mississippi river in the Twin Cities. (River History)

All trips depart from Harriet Island Regional Park in Saint Paul