Southern California's premier modern and contemporary art museum.

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SCHOOL TOURS | Scheduling a Tour | Planning Your Visit | Preparing For Your Visit

Please use the TOUR REQUEST FORM to schedule your tour!

The Orange County Museum of Art provides FREE guided tours for public school students, grades 2-12. These interactive tours provide a meaningful art experience in an exciting learning environment.

Exhibition Tours for 2012:

One-hour guided tours are offered to groups of 30 or more 2-12 grade students. Tours can be scheduled Tuesday through Friday beginning at 10 am, depending on availability. Students are divided into smaller touring groups of 10 or fewer students. We ask that schools provide one adult chaperone per 10 students. Each touring group will be led by a gallery educator who will follow their own path through the galleries, engaging students in focused observation and discussion of 4-6 objects in our galleries.

Guided tour plus hands-on art lessons are offered to school groups of 30 or more public school students in grades 2�8. Tours can be scheduled Tuesday through Friday from 10 am-12 pm.

Self-guided visits are permitted for high school groups of up to 30 students per hour. Self-guided visits are scheduled Wednesday through Friday from 12�4 pm. Self-guided visits must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance to ensure availability. Only visits scheduled in advance will receive complimentary admission. Teachers are encouraged to visit the Orange County Museum of Art prior to their scheduled time in order to plan their visit. Click here for more information about self-guided visits.

Guided Tours for School Groups Grades 2-12:
- Meet California state curriculum standards for the Visual Arts
- Support interdisciplinary learning with connections to social studies, language arts and science
- Encourage critical thinking through inquiry and discovery
- Are conducted in small groups that allow each student to participate
- Are adapted to specific age levels
- Can be supplemented by pre-visit activities and post-tour hands-on art projects for grades 2-8

Tours are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend that you book your tour at least 6-8 weeks prior to the date you are requesting and no less less than 2 weeks.

1. Consult the type of tour that best meets your curricular needs and your students� interests.

2. Select possible dates and times that you would like to bring your group to the Orange County Museum of Art. Guided tours are offered Tuesday through Friday beginning at 10 a.m. Please consult your school�s vacation, testing, and activities calendars before scheduling your tour.

3. Fill out the TOUR REQUEST FORM and contact the Education Department 6-8 weeks in advance of your desired date. Since date, time, and other details of your request may have to be adjusted, please do not assume a date is reserved for you until you receive confirmation. Please inform the Education Department if you have students with special needs.

4. After your visit is scheduled, you will receive a confirmation letter via email. Your tour is not confirmed until you have received the following materials. Please read them carefully.

* Confirmation letter
* Museum Visit Guidelines
* Chaperone Guidelines

5. Before your museum visit, a gallery educator will contact you to learn about your goals and expectations for your visit. This brief conversation will help the educators plan a learning experience tailored to the needs of your students.

6. If you must cancel your tour, please notify the Education Department as soon as possible. Voicemail is available 24 hours a day at (949) 759-1122 ext. 204.

Is there a fee?
Tours for public school groups are always FREE when booked in advance and confirmed through the Tour Assistant.

Do I need to schedule in advance?
Yes, all groups must schedule their visits 6-8 weeks ahead of time. Tours are booked on a first-come first-served basis.

Are lunchroom facilities available for students?
There is no space at the museum for group lunches. Schools can have lunch at Irvine Terrace Park (Evita Drive and Seadrift Drive, Newport Beach) or Corona del Mar Main Beach (Jasmine Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, Newport Beach). Schools that stop at Corona del Mar Main Beach should call ahead for availability and parking fees.

Can my students stay and view the galleries after their guided tour?
High school groups can arrange to view the galleries on a self-guided basis after their guided tours. Self-guided groups must be chaperoned and follow museum rules. Please arrange for this when you book your tour.

How many chaperones do I need to provide?
Please provide one teacher or adult chaperone for every 10 students.

Does the museum assist with transportation costs?
For public schools, the museum provides a $100 in bus reimbursements, as available. Availability is dependent on grant funding and is not guaranteed.

Students have the best museum experience when they know what to expect and what is expected of them.

Pre-Visit Lesson
Prior to your visit you will receive an email containing an interdisciplinary pre-visit PowerPoint lesson to help prepare your students for what they will experience during their museum visit. Please adapt the lesson to your classroom needs and complete with your students prior to their visit.

Museum Preview
Present your confirmation letter to admissions staff to receive FREE admission prior to your scheduled museum visit. This is your opportunity to review the current exhibition for any works you would like our gallery educators to highlight or exclude from your students� tour.

Chaperones
Please arrange for chaperones for your student groups. One adult is required for every 10 students. The chaperone is required to stay with the group during the entire tour and is responsible for disciplining students within their group. Please distribute the attached chaperone guidelines to all chaperones visiting the museum.

Name Tags
Please provide each student and chaperon with a name tag. Our tours are interactive and dependent on students� responses. Tours run best when gallery educators can call on students by name during their tour.

Arrival
Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled tour. Your bus will be greeted upon arrival and students will be directed to the gallery tour or the post-tour hands-on art project. If you are running late, please notify the Tour Assistant at (949) 759-1122 x 204.