Click To Go HomeEducation
HOME Eyes of the Museum EVENTS CALENDAR EXHIBITIONS COLLECTIONS EDUCATION MEMBERSHIP STORE
Education Programs
Museum Art School
Adult Classes
Youth Classes
Family Programs
ARTivities
Family Drop-In Days
Teen Art Café
Community Outreach
Teacher Resources
Educators' Open House
Educators' Art Fair
Educator Classes
In-School PowerPoint Programs
Lesson Plans
Museum Tours
Docent Tours and Programs
Programs

Museum Tours for School Groups

SDMA offers a variety of tour options for teachers and students.

Docent Tours for School Groups

With the help of experienced docents, students grades 1 and up can experience the museum’s collection while fulfilling the standards of the California State Framework for the Visual Arts: Artistic Perception, Creative Expression, Historical and Cultural Context, and Aesthetic Valuing. Tours in Spanish and other languages are available on select days.

Free docent tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. No tours are available on the third Tuesday of the month, which is a free day at SDMA. Docent tours offered are:

  1. American Art
  2. Asian Art
  3. Baroque Art
  4. Customized Tour (per teacher’s specifications)
  5. European (19th- and 20th-Century)
  6. Museum Highlights
  7. Renaissance Art*
  8. Sculpture Court
  9. Special Exhibitions**

*The Renaissance Art Cart can be incorporated into this one- hour tour or may be scheduled by itself as a 30-minute presentation. The cart contains a collection of objects that demonstrate Renaissance art techniques such as fresco painting, gold-leaf application, preparation of colors with pigment, and panel painting.

**Please click here for information about special exhibitions currently on view at SDMA. SDMA does not offer self-guided tours free of charge. For self- guided tours, please contact Bethany Burke for pricing information at 619-696-1915 or bburke@sdmart.org. An instructor must accompany college classes. Classes grades 1- 12 must include one adult per 10 children. A maximum of 40 people (students and chaperones) in the morning and 30 people in the afternoon are admitted each hour.. Tours must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance. Please wait for your confirmation (allow up to two weeks) before scheduling transportation.

REQUEST A TOUR
CANCEL A TOUR

Children’s Workshops: (Tour+project)

Elementary school students (recommended for grades 3 through 6) can practice the second standard of the California State Framework for the Visual Arts: Creative Expression with the children’s workshops offered by SDMA. The two-hour workshops include an introduction to the topic, a guided interactive gallery tour, and a hands-on art project in the Museum.

The choice of four different workshops for a maximum of 30 students is offered on Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, October through May. These workshops cost $2 per student for materials (chaperones are free). No refunds will be issued.

  • The Investigative Eye: With an emphasis on the discovery process, students learn about the elements of art and how to look at and interpret works of art. (Curriculum connection: California State Art Framework Standard 1: Processing, analyzing and responding to sensory information through the language and skills unique to the visual arts).
  • Stories in Art: Students learn to find narrative elements in a work of art and how to interpret the story it tells. (Curriculum connection: Literacy).
  • Our Place in the World: Students learn to identify and appreciate the differences and similarities in art from a variety of cultures (Curriculum connection: California State Art Framework Standard 3; Historical and Cultural Context).
  • Portraits/Faces: Students observe portraits and learn what they can tell us about the time, place, and personality of the people depicted in them. They explore the art elements and techniques used by the artist. (Curriculum connection: California State Art Framework Standard 1: Artistic Perception).

No refunds will be issued. Workshops must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance. Click the link below to submit a request online. All tours must be requested using the online feature; tours will not be scheduled by phone.

REQUEST A WORKSHOP
CANCEL A WORKSHOP

Chaperone Information and Museum Rules

  • Classes must be accompanied by an instructor (for college level) and one adult per 10 children (for school tours).
  • Please stay with your group at all times. Instructors and chaperones are responsible for students’ behavior while at the Museum.

Please review the following museum rules with students before your visit:

  • No food or drink is permitted in the Museum at anytime.
  • Large purses, backpacks, and other personal belongings are not permitted in the galleries; security will have a place for your belongings when you enter the Museum’s rotunda.
  • Walk at all times.
  • Respect other museum visitors by using indoor voices.
  • Remember to look at and not touch the artwork; please stay at least 1 foot away from the artworks at all times.
  • To sketch in the Museum, groups of 10 or more must request prior permission at least two weeks in advance by submitting a sketching permission form; forms are sent with tour confirmation.
  • Sketching is limited to pencils, colored pencils, and crayons. No pens or markers are permitted.

Please Note: Groups failing to respect museum rules may be escorted from the Museum by our security staff. Schools that are asked to leave will be considered a lower priority for future tour reservations.

Transportation and Parking

Please click here for driving directions to the Museum. Bus drop-off for students is at the white curb located between the Organ Pavilion and the House of Hospitality on Pan American Road. Buses should park at the Inspiration Point off Park Blvd. north of President’s Way. Free car and van parking is available at Organ Pavilion and parking lots throughout Balboa Park.