PreK-12 School Tour Information

Tour Scheduling

Guided school tours include one hour of guided discussion in the galleries with a one hour hands-on art activity, but may be shortened to meet the needs and age of your students. For grades Pre-K through 1, a 90-minute experience  is strongly recommended.  Guided tours may be scheduled from September through June, 10 am–3 pm, Tuesday–Friday. Self-guided tours may be scheduled year round, 10 am–4 pm, Tuesday–Sunday.

Fees and Payment

The cost per student is $7 for guided tours and $5 for self-guided. There is a minimum of 10 paid students. Payment is required on or before the day of your tour. Tacoma Art Museum accepts cash, checks, credit cards, or school purchase orders.

Confirmation

Your school tour is confirmed only when you have received an email confirmation from the education department. Your confirmation letter, directions, and parking instructions will be emailed to you within two weeks  of receiving your request. We will notify you as soon as possible if we are unable to accommodate your group on the date(s) you requested, and work with you to schedule your visit for an alternate date.

Chaperones

We require the following:

• Grades Pre-K through 1: One chaperone is required for every four students.
• Grades 2 through 6: One chaperone is required for every six students.
• Grades 7 through 12: One chaperone is required for every ten students.

This policy applies to both guided and self-guided school tours. Free museum admission is provided for the required number of chaperones (including teachers). Additional chaperones will be charged $5 per person.

Tour Size

Guided PreK-12 school tours can accommodate a maximum of 80  students per visit. All groups  will be divided into subgroups of 15 or smaller  for the duration of your visit. We kindly request that self-guided groups self-divide and visit each gallery in groups no larger than 20.

If any of your students require special accommodations, please tell us when scheduling your school tour. Our staff will work with you to ensure that all of your students have a positive museum visit.

Scholarships

Bus funding is also available.

Lunch

School groups may eat lunch outside on the museum plaza or across the street at Tollefson Plaza at no additional cost. If available, a room inside Tacoma Art Museum may be reserved for your students to eat lunch for an additional $50 fee. Please indicate on the registration form if you wish to reserve this space.

Cancellations

Your visit may be cancelled up to ten business days in advance of your scheduled visit date without a penalty. Due to preparation and staff time, cancellations made less than 10 days in advance will result in a $50 cancellation fee.