School Groups
SPECIAL NOTICE: UNDER RENOVATION
The Museum is currently under renovation while it makes big changes to its galleries. The first phase will be complete with the exciting re-opening of the BMA Contemporary Wing on November 18, 2012.
This ambitious renovation means there are some important temporary changes to school tours, including size limits and tour topics. Please read all new tour information carefully to find an experience that is right for your class.
Please also note that there is local construction on Charles Street that may cause traffic delays. Plan accordingly by budgeting adequate time for your trip to the Museum. More information on the Charles Street Construction and Beautification Project can be found here.
As always, our school tours are FREE and open to all school groups. We look forward to seeing you in the galleries.
Guided Pre-K–12 Tours
The BMA invites Pre-K-12 and university students and their teachers to participate in engaging tour experiences with art that inspire creativity, foster critical thinking, and explore the human stories of art. All tours are led by trained Docents (volunteer gallery teachers).
Guided tours are offered to groups of 10 or more elementary, middle, high school, and university students Wednesday through Friday beginning at 10 a.m. Tours generally last one hour and are limited to 90 students. If your school group is large, it will be divided into smaller groups of 10-15 students.
Lead Your Own Tour (Self-Guided)
TOURS LED BY TEACHERS OR TOUR OPERATORS (SELF-GUIDED) TOURS ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE. To request a time for a Pre-k-12 or university group, please fill out our convenient online School Tour Request Form (PDF).
THESE TOURS...
- Are limited to 90 people.
- Must be booked at least 6 weeks in advance using our convenient online tour request forms (see above).
- Are offered afternoons AFTER 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
- Are offered on Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Please note that availability may be limited due to weekend tours and events.
- Must provide their own worksheets and pencils or other assignment materials.
- Must give priority to previously scheduled docent-led tours in the galleries.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SELF-GUIDED TOURS
- Visit the BMA before your scheduled visit to make plans.
- Take advantage of FREE online teacher resources available through the BMA for preparation, pre-visit activities, or follow-up activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee?
Tours for school, homeschool, and university groups are always FREE.
What will a BMA tour be like for my students?
Your tour will last about one hour and will be led by a Docent (gallery teacher). The Docent will actively engage your students through questions, dialogue, looking, writing, and hands-on activities. All tours are designed to help students sharpen observation and critical thinking skills and make connections with prior knowledge and experiences.
What are the tour topics?
The BMA offers a wide range of tour topics. Choose one that best fits the needs and interests of your students. Please consult the Tour Topics (PDF) list.
Do I need to schedule in advance?
YES! All groups must schedule their visits at least six weeks ahead of their desired date for a tour. Tours are booked on a first-come first-served basis. To schedule a tour, please use our convenient School Tour Request Form (PDF).
May I guide my students through the galleries myself?
Yes. These tours must be scheduled at least six weeks in advance and are booked on a first-come first-served basis. Please use our convenient School Tour Request Form (PDF). It is highly recommended that you prepare for your tour by visiting the Museum before you bring your students.
How many chaperones do I need to provide?
Please provide one teacher or adult chaperone for every 10 students. Chaperones are required to stay with students and to model and encourage good behavior.
What should I do if I need to cancel my tour?
Please notify the Education Coordinator as soon as possible. Voicemail and email are available 24 hours a day at 443-573-1821 and tours@artbma.org.
Are lunchroom facilities available for students?
Unfortunately, there are no student lunch facilities in the Museum. In good weather, groups may eat bag lunches in the BMA Sculpture Gardens. (Please make arrangements to use the garden for lunch when you book your tour with the Education Coordinator.) Students must keep food and drinks away from the sculptures and refrain from touching or climbing on any part of the artwork including its base. Students should dispose of all trash and leave the area as they found it.
Can we bring bags, backpacks, or lunches into the Museum?
The Museum encourages visitors to leave backpacks or orther large items on the bus or at school. If a bag is larger than 11x14 inches, it must be checked in a free locker. Teachers may bring one bag and students who have medications or medical devices (such as an inhaler) may bring those in a bag provided the bag meets the size requirement of 11x14 inches or smaller. LUNCHES ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE MUSEUM AND MUST BE LEFT ON THE BUS.
Is the BMA wheelchair accessible?
The BMA galleries and Sculpture Gardens are fully wheelchair accessible.
Is parking available?
Information about parking, including maps and directions, will be emailed to you along with your tour confirmation materials. detailed information on individual parking can be found here. Buses may pull into the BMA driveway to drop off and pick up students. Buses may not park in the driveway or on Art Museum Drive.
Is photography permitted?
Visitors may take photographs in collection galleries as long as no flash, lights, or tripod are used. However, artworks in temporary exhibitions and artworks on loan may not be photographed. Videotaping is not permitted in the galleries. Photographs may not be reproduced, distributed, or sold without permission from the BMA. If you have scheduled a guided tour, please have an advance conversation with your Docent about the most appropriate time to take photographs during the tour.
Scheduling a Tour
All school tours of the BMA are FREE!
Tours are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Please book your tour at least six weeks prior to the date you are requesting. Scheduling is required for both guided and self-guided tours.
7 Easy Steps
1. Consult the Tour Topics (PDF) and choose the tour that best meets your curricular needs, your students’ interests, and the size of your group.
2. Select possible dates and times that you would like to bring your group to the Museum. Guided tours are offered Wednesday through Friday beginning at 10:00 a.m. Remember to consult your school’s vacation, testing, and activities calendars!
3. All tour requests must be submitted at least six weeks in advance on our convenient School Tour Request Form (PDF). Please fill out the form completely. Incomplete information may delay your tour request. 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. The tour request form may be submitted in the following ways:
By email (preferred) to tours@artbma.org
By fax to 443-573-1581
By mail:
School Tours, Education Department
The Baltimore Museum of Art
10 Art Museum Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
Please inform the Education Coordinator if:
- Your students would like to eat lunch in the Sculpture Garden
- You plan to stay in the Museum after your guided tour is finished
- You have students with special needs
- Your students are part of an ESOL or ESL program
4. After your visit is scheduled, you will receive confirmation by email, followed by a packet of information in the mail. Your tour is not confirmed until you have received the email and printed information:
5. About a week before your visit, a Museum Docent (volunteer gallery teacher) will contact you to learn about your goals and expectations for your tour. This brief conversation will help your Docents plan a learning experience tailored to the needs of your students.
6. Prepare for your visit by reviewing the confirmation informatino, including Gallery Guidelines, with all students and chaperones. Students have the best museum experience when they know what to expect and what is expected of them. Some teachers find it helpful to review the Gallery Guidelines on the bus on the way to the Museum.
7. If you must cancel your tour, please notify the Education Coordinator as soon as possible. Voicemail and email are available 24 hours a day at 443-573-1821 and tours@artbma.org.
Partnership Programs
Close Encounters: Partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools
Close Encounters is a partnership multiple-visit program with Baltimore City Public Schools that supports close looking creativity, curiousity and critical thinking skills inspired by the works of art from the BMA collection. Fourth grade students participate in a pre-visit classroom experience, engage in three interactive tours of artworks in the Museum, and create original artworks in a studio setting. Close Encounters Baltimore City Public Schools submit applications in the Spring for participation ithe following school year. To apply to become a Close Encounters school, please contact Suzy Wolffe, Manager of School Programs at 443-573-1824 or email swolffe@artbma.org.
Developing Language & Literacy Through the Arts
Developing Language & Literacy through the Arts (DLLA) is an early learning program administered by Baltimore County Public Schools. The Baltimore Museum of Art's collection forms the core of the six-to-ten week DLLA curriculum for Pre-K and K students. its purpose is to foster the development of communication skills of four-and five-year-olds through active discussions about art. DLLA units culminate with an exciting Docent-led tour at the BMA in which students encounter the works of art they studied in the classroom. For more information on the DLLA program, please contact the Office of Fine Arts, Baltimore County Public Schools, at 410-887-4030.
