For more ideas see sections Museums & Historical Sites, Healthy Food Resources: U-Pick Farms, & Birthday Destinations.

Butte County

Bidwell Mansion; Chico. Learn about the area’s history with a guided tour of the 3-story, 26-room historic mansion & beautiful grounds. Open M-W, 12-5pm & Sat/Sun, 11am-5pm. Tours last about 1hr & cost $3-$6 (children 4yrs & under free). www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=460. 525 Esplanade. (530) 895-6144.

Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum; Oroville. View the largest known documented collection of hand tools in the United States! Celebrates the tools that built our world with approximately 5,000 items on display. Open daily, 10am-3:45pm. $3/adults, children free. Call for tour info. www.boltsantiquetools.com. 1650 Broderick St. (530) 538-2528.

Chico Museum; Chico. Hosts changing exhibits including prestigious traveling exhibits & exhibits that focus on local Chico & Butte Co. history. Classroom tours avail. www.chicomuseum.org. 141 Salem St. (530) 891-4336.

Chico Community Observatory; Chico. Operates on clear nights year-round. Summer: Th-Sun, 8-10:45pm; Winter: 6-9pm. Explore the night sky at the unique Shoemaker Open-Sky Planetarium. Telescopes indoors. Free. www.chicoobservatory.org. 1 Observatory Way. Located near Horseshoe Lake in Upper Bidwell Park, look for sign at intersection of Wildwood Ave. & Observatory Way. (530) 343-5635.

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area; Gridley. Year-round wildlife viewing on a 9,100-acre wetland area managed for wildlife. In fall & winter see vast numbers of migratory waterfowl. Group tours avail. Special events, wheelchair access, restrooms, visitors museum & paved trail to viewing platform. www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region2/graylodge. Located along the Pacific Flyway, 3207 Rutherford Rd. (530) 846-7500.

Museum of Anthropology at CSU, Chico. Museum tours w/free admission, classroom field trips, workshops & camps. www.csuchico.edu/anth/museum. Tue-Sat 11am-3pm. Ground floor of Meriam Library Complex. (530) 898-5397.

Paradise Gem & Mineral Club; Paradise. Join this fun group for adventures that inspire appreciation for rocks & minerals, earth sciences, lapidary techniques & general rock hounding. Monthly activity nights & field trips that include rock hunting & trips to gem & rock shows. www.paradisegem.org. (530) 343-0894.

Ron’s Reptiles; Chico. Visit to see a variety of lizards, snakes & amphibians, or, Ron’s will come to you for club or school assemblies in Butte & Tehama counties. Open 6 days/week; call for hours. 44 Rock Creek Rd. www.ronsreptiles.com. (530) 893-2095.

The Worm Farm; Durham. This family farm features 9,600 linear feet of windrows of redworms, indoors & outdoors. Learn about Vermicomposting – this is a popular field trip destination, offering groups a hands-on tour of the farm year-round by appointment. Wear your gardening clothes when visiting! Dedicated to providing gardeners with a means of producing healthy plants while positively affecting the environment.www.thewormfarm.net. Located 7 miles south of Chico at 9033 Esquon Rd. (530) 894-1276.

Shasta County

Coleman Fish Hatchery; Anderson. Explore the largest Chinook salmon & Steelhead hatchery in the lower 48 states!   Open daily for informative self-guided tours 7:30am-dusk. www.fws.gov/coleman. 24411 Coleman Fish Hatchery Rd. (530) 365-8622.

Moore’s Flour Mill; Redding. While at the shop you can see the old-fashioned 19th-century millstones used at this wonderful local mill & store. They offer fresh flours, oatmeal & other hot cereals, many different kinds of sugar, spices, teas, pasta, honey & other products that are mostly local & organic. 1605 Shasta St. (530) 241-9245.

Reptile Parties; Tehama & Shasta Counties. Bring a field-trip to your school or group! Brings live snakes, lizards & turtles from around the world to you. Children can pet & hold these live ambassadors of their species. (530) 226-5329.

Shasta Caverns; Lakehead. Fun spelunking experience. Take a boat ride across Shasta Lake, then a scenic bus ride to the cavern entrance. Enjoy a one-hour guided tour through the caverns. 20359 Shasta Caverns Rd. (530) 238-2341 or (800)795-CAVE.

Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake. Take a free guided tour of the dam and power plant. Tours include an elevator ride down inside the dam, where guides will discuss the history, purpose & construction of the dam. One-hour tours offered daily. Call for times. (530) 275-4463.

Shasta Roots & Shoots; Shasta & Tehama Cos. Program founded by Jane Goodall, inspiring youth to make a difference. Service-learning projects promote care & concern for animals, the environment, & the human community. Trail-mapping, pond & river surveys, planting songbird nesting habitat, annual Coastal Cleanup program & more. Ages preschool-college. Free. Schedule an event/outing in your area. www.shastarootsnshoots.com. (530) 347-1687.

Star Parties; Whiskeytown Lake. Join members of the Shasta Astronomy Club seasonally to view the amazing sights in the sky. Telescopes provided. Free. Monthly or bi-monthly viewings held at Mines trailhead parking lot. Begins 30 minutes after sunset, weather permitting. www.shastaastronomyclub.com.  (530) 347-0969.

Turtle Bay Exploration Park; Redding. Schedule a group adventure to learn about the Sacramento River region, science, art, history, forestry & horticulture. www.turtlebay.org. 840 Auditorium Dr. To schedule a group field trip call (530) 242-3108.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area; Whiskeytown Lake. Older kids through adults will appreciate a guided kayak tour as a unique way to get out and enjoy nature. The tours (in summer) are ranger-led, & participants will learn about the natural and cultural values of the park while exploring the coves around Whiskeytown Lake. www.nps.gov/whis/planyourvisit/programes.htm. (530) 246-1225.

Siskiyou County

Liberty Arts Exhibition Explorations Program; Yreka. Educational arts program where school classes tour the gallery & explore element of arts in alignment with CA State standards for Visual & Performing Arts (VAPA). Younger students may meet “Artie” the shy resident know-it-all mouse. After a gallery tour & discussion, students may participate in a hands-on exploration of expression & creation. www.libertyartsyreka.org; 108 W. Miner St., (530) 842-0222.

Mt. Shasta Star Gazers Club; Mt. Shasta. Promotes interest in astronomy & its related sciences. Educational & fun. Monthly meetings, star parties & other events. All welcome to attend.
www.mtshastastargazers.com. Jim (530) 918-9540.

Mount Shasta Fish Hatchery; Mt. Shasta. The West’s oldest operating hatchery raises trout to stock mountain streams, rivers & lakes. Learn how the fish are raised. Feed the fish. Tours by appointment. Free. Open daily 8am-sunset. www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/Mt. Shasta. 1 N Old Stage Rd. (530) 926-2215.

Weed Historic Lumber Museum; Weed. Enjoy logging & town memorabilia, including the town’s original jail cell! Off-season tours avail. by appt. Open daily late May-Sept., 10am-5pm. www.snowcrest.net/whm. 303 Gilman Ave. (530) 938-0550.

Tehama County

Gaumer’s Mineral & Mining Museum; Red Bluff. Educational & entertaining for visitors of all ages. Gold mining, fossils, Native American artifacts, rocks, crystals & fluorescent minerals. Open M-F, 9am-5pm. Private tours avail. www.gaumers.com. 78 Belle Mill Rd. (530) 527-6166.

Sacramento River Discovery Center; Red Bluff. Learn about science in an outdoor classroom! Activities include outings, research projects, seminars & classes. Located on the Sacramento River. Walk native habitat trails, explore a 2-acre native plant garden & more. www.srdc.tehama.k12.ca.us. 1000 Sale Lane. (530) 527-1196.

Reptile Parties; Shasta & Tehama Counties. See listing in Shasta Co.

Ron’s Reptiles; Butte & Tehama Counties. See listing in Butte Co.

Glenn County

Farm Sanctuary Tours; Orland. Visit the animals at this 300-acre sanctuary farm, home to rescued pigs, goats, turkeys, cows & other farm animals, each with a special story. Browse the education center. Guided hourly tours Sats, May-Oct., 11am-3pm. Private group tours by appoint. $5/adults, $3/child 3-12yrs, under 3yrs free. www.farmsanctuary.org. Next to Black Butte Lake & Rec. area, 10 min. w. of I-5, 30 mi. w. of Chico, (530) 865-4617.