SDSU Explore Tours

Welcome to SDSU Explore tours!

We offer guided tours of popular campus locations for both youth and adult groups. Below, you'll find a list of possible tour stops to choose from along with more information on each site. You'll note below that many of the available tour options are free, but some may require money for food (ice cream at the Dairy Bar) and others may have a recommended donation to help cover supplies.

Each SDSU Explore location has their own limit to how many people they can accept in one tour group. Generally, if your group is over 40 people, we will need to split the group into smaller groups. If we have to split your group, you will still be able to visit all the sites you request.

Here are a few things to remember when you are booking a tour:

If you are bringing a youth group to campus, YOU (teacher, 4-H coordinator, scout leader, etc.) are responsible for your class. You may not drop off your children and leave. We request your group have one adult per 10 children present.
Locations on campus can be busy places. Many groups book a few months in advance, but we ask you to book your tour at least 20 days in advance.
Most tour stops take around 40-45 minutes. Please keep this in mind when selecting how many locations you'd like to visit in one day.
When filling out the tour request form, you'll be asked to provide four date options that work for your group.
If your group is delayed or plans change on the day of your tour, please contact Sarah at 605-688-6226 so we can notify all tour locations.
If you need any additional accommodations (location for lunch, wheelchair access, etc.), please make those notes in the request form.
Submitted tour request forms will be processed in the order they are received. Sarah will reach out with updates if the planning period will exceed one week.
Once your tour is fully booked, you will receive a confirmation of the date and schedule via email along with additional information like parking, loading and unloading zones, etc.

Please contact Sarah Jacobs, South ��ֱ�� Agricultural Heritage Museum education coordinator and scheduler of SDSU Explore tours, with any questions or concerns by calling 605-688-4582 or emailing Sarah Jacobs.

Agricultural Heritage Museum

Youth tours will participate in hands-on activities and tour our museum spaces. Adult groups will receive a guided tour of the museum galleries with additional time for participants to explore on their own and visit our gift shop. Tours are free, but up to $3 is recommended if your organization can cover the cost.

Art Museum

Visitors will participate in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) conversations, focusing on Harvey Dunn's The Prairie is My Garden, and two other artworks on display. Educators can request that the art be relevant to a specific subject matter, material or otherwise. Learners will enjoy a short art activity before leaving the museum. You can find more specialty tour options on their website.

Cow Calf Education and Research Facility

Visitors will learn about beef cattle production and see live cattle at our state-of-the-art facility. Youth groups will take part in hands-on activities to learn about the beef industry while adults will learn about the building, low-stress ��ֱ�� handling, precision feeding and watering, and biosecurity.

Davis Dairy Plant and SDSU Dairy Bar

Visitors of all ages will learn about the role SDSU students have in the plant's operation from making SDSU's famous Cookies N' Cream ice cream and cheddar cheeses to supporting a variety of dairy-based food company's research via the Institute of Dairy Ingredient Processing, housed within the Davis Dairy Plant.

Dairy Bar (Ice Cream Only)

This option is for tours who do NOT want a tour of the Davis Dairy Plant and ONLY want to pick up SDSU's famous ice cream.

Tours will go through all floors of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, showing off the University Suite, media level, suite level and club level. Also, if the weather allows, we will take you on the field. This is a great tour to see all the behind the scenes at one of the best football stadiums in FCS Football!

Equine Teaching Facility (Horse Unit)

Meet newborn foals and pregnant mares, brush a horse, and see what a horse eats. Learn how the horse uses their senses to coexist with people through sight, sound and smell.

Feed Processing Research Unit (Adults Only)

Visitors will learn about how the feed used at the campus's livestock units is manufactured. This includes all herd feed as well as feed used in the numerous feed trials that take place on campus.

McCrory Gardens

Guided tours around the gardens include an opportunity to learn more about how the staff at McCrory grow and take care of their wide variety of plants within the 25 acres of formal gardens. Tours are free, but up to $3 is recommended if your organization can cover the cost.

Meat Counter (Meat Lab)

Visitors on this tour will see our harvest, fabrication, processing and sales facilities while learning about potential career opportunities in the meat industry.

Ruminant Nutrition Center (Feedlot)

Participants will be shown commodities and diets fed to cattle, feed manufacturing demonstrations and tour cattle handling facilities.

Sheep Research and Teaching Unit

Tour groups will see the facilities where the university keeps its flock of Polypay and Hampshire sheep. Depending on the time of year, tours may also be able to see the lambing room in action. Youth tours will have the opportunity to interact with ��ֱ��s and learn about sheep care and the products that sheep produce.

Swine Education and Research Facility

Tours through this facility will be conducted through an observation hallway. Guests will be able to see all aspects of the sows in gestation and farrowing (including sows raising their litters).