A visit to the museum can be a truly eye-opening experience for students. Discover more on how to choose a tour that will activate their critical thinking and develop webs of connection to their lived experiences.
Most student visits are free! On-site experiences are free for all Pre-K–8th grade student groups, regardless of residence, and all Chicago and Illinois 9th–12th grade groups. Check pricing for out-of-state high school groups. International Academy K12
You can schedule a guided tour. Our guided on-site experiences are led by educators who engage students in close looking, discussion, and critical thinking about works of art that span time, geography, and culture. Check out the options available for students at various grade levels.
And note bilingual tours (Spanish and English) are available to support Spanish-speaking learners in your classrooms. Our educators have a range of Spanish fluencies representing diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Our approach is to welcome students to contribute and engage in our tours using the language and strategies that are most comfortable for them.
Or, you can schedule a self-guided tour. We offer a range of resources to enrich your visit and pre- and post-visit learning. Take a look at our Tools for My Teaching page and reach out to our experienced educators, via the Ask an Educator form, for suggestions on how to design your visit, including recommendations on artworks, exhibitions, and resources.
Or, you can arrange a virtual experience. We bring the art into the classroom—virtually. Students will participate in interactive, inquiry-based experiences that support their creative thinking skills as they develop their own interpretations about works of art that span time, geography, and culture. Bilingual (Spanish and English) virtual experiences are available.
Bus fees can be reimbursed. Thanks to the Ruth Powell Museum Visit Fund, we are able to offer bus reimbursements for Chicago Public Schools and Big Shoulder Fund K–12 schools for up to two buses per museum visit. Detailed information, including rules of program participation and the process for booking buses, is provided once a visit is scheduled.
2023–24 guided tours, self-guided tours, and virtual student experiences are now open for registration.
October 2, 2023–May 24, 2024 Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10:00–2:00. 60-minute duration Student groups are welcome to continue their exploration through self-guided experiences following their tours on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Art across Cultures Grades 1–12 Explore objects from across the museum’s vast collection, discovering how artists transmit and respond to their culture through their work. Students engage with 3–4 artworks that reflect various worldviews and perspectives. Our student-centered strategies support learners to consider their own sense of self and place in the world.
Art + Activism Grades 6–12 Discover how art across time and cultures has promoted change by surfacing issues, communicating perspectives, and posing questions. Students will engage with 3–4 artworks that reflect various worldviews and perspectives. Our student-centered strategies support learners to explore the choices artists have made to activate audiences and consider how their own art and voice can have an impact.
Art + Access Grades 1–12 and Transition Program Learners use their senses to explore and respond to objects from across the museum’s vast collection. Students engage with 3–4 artworks using a range of strategies that best support your classroom
This tour is tailored to meet the social-emotional needs of students in inclusive, integrated co-teaching (ICT) or self-contained classrooms. We are able to support multisensory explorations for students with sensory processing disorders, verbal description tours for students who are blind or have low vision, and incorporate touch objects and visual communication tools to support all learners.
Art + History: Chicago Stories Grades 7–12, November 6, 2023–May 24, 2024 Explore works of art to consider the multiplicity of ideas, perspective, and stories that are embedded in both art and history. This tour focuses on three works of art that connect to the history of Chicago through themes including migration and immigration; the rich legacy of experimentation and innovation in Chicago art and architecture, and Chicago’s role in the United State’s history.
Special Wednesday Offering: Art Studio Experience Following a guided tour, students can engage in hands-on material exploration and creation in our art studio. This year’s offering will explore the art of weaving using a range of materials. Students will work with prepared individual looms and select from a variety of yarn and paper strips to create a textile artwork using large plastic and wooden needles. Please note in your reservation if your group prefers to work on paper looms.
Because the museum is closed to the public on Wednesdays, groups will not be permitted to self-guide in the galleries following their guided tour.
September 7, 2023–June 14, 2024 Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 11:00–4:30; Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00.
Self-Guided Tour Grades Pre-K–12 and Transition Programs Lead your students through the museum galleries for a unique and participatory experience. Use the museum’s vast array of resources to design an exploration of artworks that connects to your curricular goals.
We offer a range of resources to enrich your visit and pre- and post-visit learning. Take a look at our Tools for My Teaching page and reach out to our experienced educators, via the Ask an Educator form, for suggestions on how to design your visit, including recommendations on artworks, exhibitions, and resources.
October 2, 2023–May 24, 2024 Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:00–2:00. 60-minute duration including a technology check-in
Virtual Art across Cultures Grades 2–12 Explore objects from across the museum’s vast collection, discovering how artists transmit and respond to their own culture through their work. Students engage with 2-3 artworks that reflect various worldviews and perspectives. Our student-centered strategies support learners to consider their own sense of self and place in the world.
Virtual Art + Activism Grades 6–12 Discover how art across time and cultures has promoted change by surfacing issues, communicating perspectives, and posing questions. Students engage with 2-3 artworks that reflect various worldviews and perspectives. Our student-centered strategies support learners to explore the choices artists have made to activate audiences and consider how their own art and voice can have an impact.
Virtual Art + Access Grades 2–12 and Transition Program Learners use their senses to explore and respond to objects from across the museum’s vast collection. Students engage with 2-3 artworks using a range of strategies that best support your classroom.
This tour is tailored to meet the social-emotional needs of students in inclusive, integrated co-teaching (ICT), or self-contained classrooms. We are able to support multi-sensory explorations for students with sensory processing disorders, verbal description tours for students who are blind or have low vision, and incorporate touch objects and visual communication tools to support all learners.
Student experiences are free for:
Rates for non-Illinois high school groups through June 14, 2024
1–30 students: $250 31–60 students: $500 61–90 students: $750 91–120 students: $1000 121–150 students: $1250 All requisite adult chaperones receive free admission Rate for additional chaperones: $20 for Chicago residents; $27 for Illinois residents; $32 for out of state residents
All student groups should enter at the designated Student Group Entrance at 230 S. Columbus Drive, one block east of Michigan Avenue. Buses may drop off and pick up students at the Student Group Entrance.
We are able to store bags, lunches, and coats for students participating in On-Site Tours and Self-Guided Tours. If you can, please limit the personal belongings brought into the museum and leave items on the bus.
The following items are not permitted in the museum galleries:
We have limited lunchroom availability for groups bringing brown bag lunches. Those scheduling classes at the museum can add a lunchtime to their On-Site Tour and Self-Guided Tour during the booking process. We recommend that groups enjoy their lunches in nearby Millennium Park whenever weather allows.
We are able to offer bus reimbursements for Chicago Public Schools and Big Shoulder Fund schools through the Ruth Powell Museum Visit Fund. K-12 Schools are eligible to receive funding for up to 2 buses for a museum visit. Detailed information, including rules of program participation and the process for booking buses, is provided in confirmations for those schools scheduling visits.
Students from Chicago Public School and Big Shoulder Fund School who attend K–12 Student Experiences receive Free Family Passes to the Art Institute of Chicago. This pass admits all Chicago kids and teens under 18 and up to four accompanying adults.
The Art Institute of Chicago always provides free access to children under 14, Chicago teens under 18, Link and WIC cardholders, and Illinois educators every day, as well as Illinois residents on selected dates throughout the year. Learn more about free admission opportunities.
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Learning Center, the museum’s hub for learning and creativity, is always free to all visitors and offers art making and other engaging activities.
Add your email to this Google Form to receive our school programs e-newsletter and get up-to-date information about student tours and any new resources. For more information on teaching resources currently available through our website, please visit our Educator page.
In accordance with City of Chicago guidelines, masks and proof of vaccination are no longer required to visit the museum. Any visitor who prefers to wear a mask is welcome to do so. Anyone feeling unwell should postpone their visit for another time.
Arabic School Questions about K–12 Student Experiences? Contact us at studenttours@artic.edu.