Group Tours

We do our best to accommodate groups who are interested in touring the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, whether it is for an intense scientific inquiry or simply to see what type of research goes on at the Center. Tours are appropriate for youth in at least fourth grade and should be requested at least one and a half months in advance. Once the request is submitted, a team will review it during a weekly planning meeting and reply in approximately one week. 

To find out if we can accommodate your group, please complete the request form.

• Due to limited staffing and budgets, groups tours are being supported by donations. Without these donations, we will not be able to offer this community service in the future. A suggested donation schedule is provided below. Evening and weekend programs as especially expensive to deliver because they are outside of normal business hours. 
• To find out about other research centers you can tour on Ohio State's Columbus campus, visit go.osu.edu/stemvisit.

Tour Details

• A tour of Byrd Center allows your group to see the different facilities and to hear directly from some of the scientists who work at the center. They will give you background information on their area of expertise and explain some of the science behind their research.
• Typically, large groups are divided into 2 smaller groups, and a plan is devised to enable all members of the group to visit each session. Tours for school group often include a supplemental presentation, hands-on activity, or question and answer session.
• Tours for up to 45 people can be arranged according to the interests and backgrounds of your group. While we infrequently offer tours for larger groups, they require additional staff volunteers and planning. 
• For groups larger than 45 people, please consider arranging an additional tour at another location to allow us to split your group in half and have a rotation. To find out about other research centers you can tour on Ohio State's Columbus campus, visit go.osu.edu/stemvisit.
• We will structure the tour to address your group's needs. The time spent at the Byrd Center is usually between 1.5 and 2.5 hours.
• Due to ongoing maintenance, groups larger than 8 people will not be able to enter the freezer. The ice core freezer may be closed to any tour group on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Tours will still see the Class 100 Clean Laboratory and the Polar Rock Repository, and can see the freezer through a window. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Suggested Donation Schedule

Visits by Byrd Center Researchers and Students

Instead, you may want to have someone from the Byrd Center visit your classroom or group. Center researchers and students often make presentations outside our facility to groups of all ages.

To find out if we can accommodate your group, please complete the request form.

• Requests should be submitted at least one month in advance.
• We cannot guarantee a visit, but we do our best to accommodate all groups.
• There are limits to how far we can travel, but in cases of long distances, we work to arrange a presentation remotely over Skype or Zoom.
• We do our best to send a speaker appropriate for the interests of your group.

En-ROADS Climate Negotiations Simulation

Request to have someone from the Byrd Center facilitate a 1 to 1.5-hour in-person or online workshop using the En-ROADS climate negotiations simulation developed by Climate Interactive.

To find out if we can accommodate your group, please complete the request form.

The workshop allows participants to explore climate change impacts as well as various solutions.