Educational Programming at TFFC

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is currently closed to the public for renovations with a tentative reopening in Spring 2025. More details about the renovation can be found in this news release.

 

Guidelines for Group Visits

Thank you for choosing to visit the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. We hope you find the following information helpful in planning your field trip to our facility. Please share this page and information with all leaders of your group.

By reserving a field trip slot, your youth, school, club, and scout groups gain the opportunity for dedicated times of our three most popular activities: fishing, native fish feeding dive show, and hatchery tram tour. Organized youth, school, club and scout groups of 10 or more students who make reservations at least 14 days in advance are eligible for a discounted group rate. Please be aware that TFFC experiences high visitation during the spring. We recommend contacting us early for best selection of dates and times. Have an alternate date selected when making your reservation request.

Making a Reservation | Pre-trip Planning | Travel | Field Trip Payment | Student Behavior Expectations

Making a Reservation

Please know that reservation requests are pending until processed with confirmed dates. Reservation confirmations and detailed schedules are sent via email.

Pre-trip Planning

You will move through the three activities at the Center within these subgroups based on the number of students at our facility. Each group of students must have adequate chaperones:

  • All students must be chaperoned at all times.
  • Students 2nd grade and younger are required to have one chaperone for every three students to fish at TFFC. Groups not meeting a 1:3 requirement will be able to participate in an alternate program. Students in 3rd grade are required to fish in pairs.
  • Chaperones must accompany students in the gift shop which has a 15-student limit.
  • Please instruct any adults not included in the school billing to go directly to Admissions to pay and receive their wristbands. They will need to state that they are with your school group.

Carefully review the Guidelines for Student Behavior listed below with your students.

Picnic areas are located on the TFFC grounds. Snacks are available for sale in the Gift Shop and from vending machines. No food or drinks are allowed in the theater or on the tram. TFFC does not have storage space. Please leave coolers, lunches and personal belongings on the bus. If you prefer, you can have extra adults take these items to a lunch picnic area, but do have a monitor stay with your belongings.

General Daily Schedule

Our group programs begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m. One sample schedule follows. Please note that the order of activities is subject to change for your field trip.

Example Schedule
Time Activity Place Notes
9:30

 Arrival & Orientation Bus Parking  
10:00–11:00 Fishing Anglers Pavilion  
11:00–11:30 Texas Native Fish Program Dive Theater Inside Visitor Center
11:30–12:00 Lunch Picnic Area  
12:00–1:00 Hatchery Tram Tour & Wetlands Walk Wetland Trail Tram waiting area and loading outside Gift Shop
1:00–1:30 Exhibits Visitor Center  
1:30 Departure Bus Parking  

Weekday groups: Schedules are provided for weekday groups with reservations made at least 14 days in advance. After booking confirmation, please expect another email from our Outreach staff two weeks prior to your field trip to finalize your schedule.

Weekend groups: Schedules are not provided for weekend groups. Please plan your visit according to published TFFC activities.

Travel

Get Directions

Please call or text (903) 343-4017 when you leave your campus so that we can prepare for your arrival.

If you will be arriving later than 9:30 a.m., please call or text us at (903) 343-4017. Please tell the person answering the phone which school/youth group you are with and an estimated time of arrival.

If your group is running more than 15 minutes late, we cannot guarantee that all activities will occur as scheduled.

Field Trip Payment

We prefer to bill you after the trip using a prearranged purchase order. If you need to pay on site for the trip, a formula sheet will accompany your confirmed reservation.

We accept one (1) payment in full for the entire group. We accept purchase orders, school/organization checks, VISA, MasterCard or cash.

  • Please make checks payable to Texas Parks and Wildlife. We are unable to give a refund if the amount of your check exceeds the final bill.
  • If using a Purchase Order, pre-approval is required. Information will be sent with your confirmed reservation.
  • Advise additional adults not paid for by the school that they will go through Admissions prior to entry.

Student Behavior Expectations

Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center staff and volunteers want everyone involved to have fun while learning about our natural resources. We consider your field trip to TFFC to be an extension of your classroom. As such, our expectations are that teachers, chaperones, and students will conduct themselves in a manner that reflects acceptable behaviors in your classroom. Please make sure all teachers, chaperones, and/or group facilitators understand this information.

  • Teachers/chaperones are responsible for keeping their group together and for monitoring student conduct. Students must always stay with their teacher or chaperone.
  • Follow school rules. Be courteous and respectful of other visitors. Help students to use their quiet voices and walk through the exhibits. Do not allow students to climb on exhibits or railings.
  • Leave no trace! Please make sure to keep TFFC looking the way you found it when you arrived. Dispose of trash appropriately, and please remind students and chaperones not to pick any of the foliage (leaves, flowers, etc.) around the grounds.
  • Keep talking and noise to a minimum during presentations such as the dive show, tram tour, and fishing orientation. Please be respectful of the presenters. Students, teachers and chaperones are asked to refrain from using cell phones during presentations, except to take photographs.

Related Links

For more information, contact:

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