CLEVELAND, OH—April 13, 2026—The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has reached a major milestone, celebrating its 250,000th participant in its award-winning Virtual Field Trips program this March. Museum educators surprised the students who helped the Museum realize this achievement with confetti and special activities.
Since launching in 2007, the Museum’s Virtual Field Trips have connected students and educators to real science in real time—bringing topics like dinosaurs, astronomy, wildlife, and human health directly into classrooms. Since its launch, the program has reached learners in 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties, all 50 states, and 27 countries.
Designed to be live, interactive, and standards-based, Virtual Field Trips allow students to engage with Museum educators and authentic specimens from anywhere. The program is free to Title I schools this year, helping expand access to high-quality science education to all students.
“The impact of our Virtual Field Trips goes far beyond the screen,” said Renata Brown, Director of School and Family Learning. “We’re reaching students where they are and inspiring curiosity about the natural world in ways that are engaging, accessible, and meaningful. By connecting to classrooms across the globe, the Virtual Field Trips bring the Museum to a wider audience while fostering cross-cultural connections.
This milestone comes as the Museum continues to invest in its virtual learning capabilities, including the recent addition of two brand new Virtual Learning Studios, including the Barna and Pomeranz Virtual Learning Studio, in the Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears Dynamic Earth Wing. These studios enhance the Museum’s ability to deliver dynamic, broadcast-quality programming, and their location in the galleries allows visitors to observe live sessions as they happen.
In this past year alone, Virtual Field Trips have reached more than 2,800 students. It hit its peak in 2021 during the pandemic when it reached a staggering 46,302 people, allowing the Museum to continue providing outstanding learning experiences despite COVID-19. To learn more, visit the Museum’s website.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass millions of artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,500 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.
Media Contact
Samantha Guenther
Assistant Director of Marketing & Media Relations
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Office: 216.231.4600 x3432
Mobile: 440.429.2902
sguenther@cmnh.org
