Plan a field trip
Guided tours of the IMA galleries are available to educational groups (universities, preschools, after-school programs, home school groups and traditional classrooms) for grades preschool and up. All guided tours are conducted by professionally trained volunteer educators (docents) who are specifically assigned to your tour. All tours should be scheduled at least three weeks in advance of your visit.
To schedule a field trip, please fill out our online tour request form. This form provides us with the necessary information to begin processing your request. This form does not constitute a confirmed tour booking. After submitting your tour request form, you will be contacted by the School Services Specialist within three business days to finalize your tour booking.
Tours must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance of your visit. After school and weekend tours are also available upon special request (four weeks notice is required).
Special exhibition admission fees are waived for school groups that schedule at least three weeks in advance. Admission to all special exhibitions is subject to capacity restrictions.
To better serve school groups IMA will open an hour early Tuesday through Thursday. School groups will be allowed access to the galleries at 10 am.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10 am to 5 pm
Friday 11 am to 5 pm
To complete your online tour request form you will need the following information:
- The preferred and alternate date for your visit
- The type of tour that you are requesting
- The number of students in your group
- The number of adult chaperones (IMA requires one adult chaperone for every 10 students)
- The type of class that will be coming (grade, subject, etc.)
- Any necessary lunch arrangements
- Any special accommodations your group may require
If you are in need of transportation assistance for your visit to the IMA, please note this on your online tour request form. The IMA has a transportation assistance fund for school visits which is available on a first come, first served basis. The IMA cannot cover transportation expenses for individuals, only for schools and school districts.
If students have studied a relevant topic before their visit and you would like to carry that topic over into their IMA visit, please note this on the online tour request form. All attempts will be made to accommodate the request.
Additionally, if students have an assignment to complete while they are at the Museum, please note this on the online tour request form. Assignments should be completed outside of the tour (i.e. before or after). It is recommended that groups bring clipboards and pencils for their assignments.
School groups may picnic on the IMA grounds. Suggested picnic areas are on the mall in front of the Museum, in the orchard southeast of Lilly House and on the lawn in front of Lilly House. Limited space is available on a first come, first served basis for school groups to have lunch inside the Museum. Lunch preferences should be noted on the online tour request form.
Educators are welcome to lead their own tours; all self-guided tours must be scheduled through the Museum's School Services Specialist in order to guarantee gallery space. One adult chaperone is required for every 10 students.
A tour confirmation, relevant tour information sheets, IMA guidelines and bus parking information will be sent to you upon the scheduling of a tour. Your tour is not officially scheduled until you receive this confirmation.
Please contact the School Services Specialist immediately if any of the following occur:
- Your confirmation packet contains inaccurate information or does not arrive shortly after you scheduled your tour
- The number of students who will be visiting IMA changes in any way
- You must cancel a scheduled tour
- Your arrival is delayed for any reason
Gallery space and docents cannot be guaranteed for groups arriving more than 15 minutes late unless the Museum has been notified of the delayed arrival. The Museum cannot extend tour times to accommodate late arrivals. Your tour will end at the scheduled time regardless of when you arrived.
Please help the IMA preserve the art in the galleries for generations to come by going over the following guidelines with your students and chaperones:
- Please do not touch any of the works of art. This includes walls and pedestals on which art is displayed.
- Food, beverages and gum are not permitted in the galleries.
- Bags, purses and backpacks larger than 11 x 15 x 6 inches must be checked or stored in a locker.
- Pens and colored pencils are not allowed in the galleries.
- Students under the age of 13 who are given time to explore the galleries on their own after a tour must be accompanied by a chaperone.
- Photography for private or educational use is permitted of works of art from the Museum’s permanent collection with the exception of IMA’s contemporary collection on Gallery Level 3. Use of flashes, tripods and video cameras is not permitted. Photography of special exhibitions and works on loan is not permitted.
Field Trip Overview
Tours for students in grades 4-12 last approximately 60 minutes. Tours for students in grades K-3 last approximately 45 minutes.
Tours may be led by an IMA volunteer educator or docent (a guided tour) or by the teacher (a self-guided tour).
Tours are typically organized around a general theme and are designed to be grade specific.
Tours are designed to actively engage students in the galleries and often include discussion and student-driven discovery.
Responsibilities
Chaperones are responsible for helping to keep their group together while they are at the Museum.
Chaperones should support the student learning and exploration taking place on the tour and assist the docent or teacher when necessary.
Chaperones should be aware of the below general IMA gallery rules:
- Please do not touch any of the works of art. This includes walls and pedestals on which art is displayed.
- Pens and colored pencils are not allowed in the galleries.
- Food, beverages and gum are not permitted in the galleries.
- Bags, purses and backpacks larger than 11 x 15 x 6 inches must be checked or stored in a locker.
- Photography for private or educational use is permitted of works of art from the Museum's permanent collection with the exception of the IMA's contemporary collection on Gallery
Level 3. Use of flashes, tripods and video cameras is not permitted. Photography of special exhibitions and works on loan is not permitted.
If you have questions about a field trip you are planning which are not addressed by information in the For Educators portion of the Web site, please contact the School Services Specialist at schooltours@imamuseum.org or at 317-920-2649. Email communication is preferred.
