Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about School Tours

1. How do I register for school tours?
You can register for a school tour by using the online tour request form. Alternatively, you may mail or fax a printer-friendly version of the form.

Tours must be scheduled four weeks in advance (eight weeks for foreign-language tours). Requests for tours in fall 2012 will be accepted from August 1 through November 11, 2012. Requests for tours in winter and spring 2013 will be accepted from December 3, 2012, through April 30, 2013.

2. How many students may I bring on a school tour?
School tour groups must contain at least 10 students. Please check the tour description for the maximum number of students your chosen tour can accommodate.

3. How many chaperones should I have per student on a school tour?
Tour groups must be accompanied by one adult chaperone for every 10 students.

4. How will I know when my tour has been scheduled?
Once your tour has been scheduled, you will receive a confirmation letter via mail within 10 business days (14 days for foreign-language tours).

5. What should I do if I have not yet received my confirmation letter?
Our tour scheduler is available to answer questions about tours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. (September through May). Please contact Jennifer Cross at (202) 842-6249 or schooltourrequests@nga.gov.

6. What should I do if I need to cancel my scheduled tour?
To cancel your tour, please call Jennifer Cross at (202) 842-6249 at least seven days before your tour date so that your slot can be made available to others.

7. What will students experience on a school tour?
School tours include in-depth exploration and discussion at four to six tour stops in the galleries. Trained volunteer docents encourage careful observation, foster an open exchange of ideas, and cultivate connections between art and life. Tours use a variety of teaching strategies, and may include sketching, creative writing, and group activities.

8. Where should I meet the docent for my school tour?
The following tours meet in the East Building Atrium:

• Artists' Choices
• Art Tales: Shapes That Roll
• Art Investigators
• Exploring the Elements of Art
• Exploring Modern Art: Breaking the Rules
  

The following tours meet in the West Building Rotunda:

• American Art
• Art Tales: Little Cloud
• Faces and Places
• Christmas Story
• Every Picture Tells a Story
• French Art
• French- and Spanish-Language Tours
• Mythology
• Nature in Art
• Portraits and Personalities
• Renaissance Art
• Sculpture and Sketching
• Spanish Art
• Stories from the Hebrew Bible

For special request tours, please consult with your lead docent on the start location for your tour.

9. What lunch options are available for school tour groups?
Bag lunches may be stored in the checkrooms but may not be eaten in the Gallery cafeteria. School groups can make arrangements in advance to purchase lunches from the cafeteria by calling (202) 712-7458 or submitting an order form. View group meal plan menus and ordering information.

10. Where can the buses park?
Buses may let students off at the entrance noted on your confirmation letter. Parking for buses is usually allowed only on Independence Avenue near the Washington Monument.

11. Where can I park if I drive to the Gallery?
There are two-hour metered parking spaces on 3rd and 4th Streets as well as three-hour parking on Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive.

12. Are there wheelchairs available?
Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at all entrances. Please contact Jennifer Cross at (202) 852-6249 regarding additional resources for students and chaperones with special needs.