Field Trips
Geography is about exploration and travel. The conference field trips have been designed with this in mind. During the days surrounding the conference, we offer you the opportunity to join one of our exciting, informative and enjoyable excursions.
Don't Just Learn Geography...Experience It!
Field trips are one of the most exciting parts of the NCGE Conference. Don’t miss your chance to join! All trips require pre-registration. Browse the opportunities below and sign up early to secure your spot.
Unless indicated, all field trips begin and end at the Courtyard by Marriott Richmond Downtown – 1320 E. Cary., Richmond, VA. 23219
Please check-in no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of the trip.
Friday, October 16, 2025 @ 8:00am – Noon (EST)
School Interrupted – Moton School
Cost – $30
Space is Limited | Registration Required | Shuttle Cost Included
Join VGA Local Host Ambassadors as they travel to Farmville, VA to visit the birthplace of America’s student-led civil rights revolution—tracing the historic 1951 walkout led by 16 year old Barbara John’s. Moton guides bring to life the story of this landmark case, from Massive Resistance to the Brown v Board of Education decision that changed the landscape of American education.
Friday, October 16, 2025 @ 8:00am – 4:00 pm (EST)
Archaeology in Action – Jamestown
Cost – $30 Shuttle + $15 entrance fee
Space is limited | Registration Required | Shuttle Cost Paid at time of Registration
The Jamestown Rediscovery team continues to excavate parts of the island—Listen as an archaeologist or education specialist tells the story of the first colonists or describes the most spectacular archaeological discoveries. The 1907 Memorial Church provides space to contemplate the beginning of English representative democracy in North America. Break for lunch or a quick snack at the Dale House Café by the water’s edge before continuing on to the Archaearium, a museum that houses some of the most spectacular of the three million artifacts uncovered since the Jamestown Rediscovery Project began in 1994.
Friday, October 16, 2025 @ 8:00am – 4:00 pm (EST)
Topographies of Liberty – Colonial Williamsburg
Cost – $30
Space is Limited | Registration Required | Shuttle Cost Included
Travel to Colonial Williamsburg which represents the political, economic, and geographic beginnings of American democracy, serving as the proving ground where the core principles of self-governance, individual liberty, and anti-imperial resistance were first institutionalized. As the capital of Virginia—the largest, wealthiest, and most populous of the 13 colonies—it bridged the gap between British royal rule and an independent democratic republic. Positioned securely between the York and James rivers, Williamsburg acted as a defensible geographic shield, protecting the new nations from disease and a critical staging area for the Continental Army. Today, it provides glimpses into the past through historical interpretation and archaeological discoveries.
Friday, October 16, 2025 @ 9:00a.m. – Noon (EST)
Check-in & Meeting Location:
American Civil War Museum
480 Tredegar St, Richmond, VA 23219
Learning Along the Fall Line – James River
Cost – $10 | Registration Required | Walking Tour
The Fall Line dictates the city’s historic trade, industrial growth, and modern identity as a cultural and recreational hub. Join us for a Virginia Geographic Alliance sponsored exploration of this urban corridor including the pedestrian bridge spanning the James River through the Fall Line rapids, and historic Brown’s Island. Geographers Mary Finley Brook and Todd Lookingbill will lead the tour and discussion. Extend your learning on your own with an optional visit to the American Civil War Museum following the tour.
Friday, October 16, 2025 @ 9:00a.m. – Noon (EST)
Check-in & Meeting Location: TBD
House to Highway – Jackson Ward
Cost – $10 | Registration Required | Walking Tour
Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood tells a quintessential American story of racial resilience, prosperity, targeted systemic displacement, and complex modern gentrification. It visually and historically embodies the contradictory nature of mid-century urban development and the ongoing struggle for neighborhood preservation. University of Richmond Historian Julian Hayter and VGA Co-coordinator Annie Evans will lead this tour in collaboration with The Valentine, sponsored by New American History and the Digital Scholarship Lab.