Plan a Field Trip or Tour

Plan your group tour

Reservation Process

Ready to make your reservation for a group tour or student field trip to the museum? Follow the reservation steps below.

  1. Review our tour offerings and visit information for adult tours or field trips on this page.
  2. Complete the reservation request form more than three weeks before your preferred date.
    • If you receive an automatic reply, it is not a confirmation.
  3. A museum educator will manually schedule your visit. We do our best to honor your preferred day and time.
  4. You will receive a personalized email confirmation that includes preparation information.

Please contact Laura Scheper at scheperl@iu.edu if your plans change.

Know Before You Go

Unless other arrangements have been made, tours begin on the first floor of the Eskenazi Museum of Art. The museum is located at 1133 E. Seventh St., on the IU Bloomington campus. Admission is always free, including tours. Tours end at the scheduled time, regardless of the arrival time.

Review information about parking, accessibility, amenities, and museum guidelines.

How to ace your visit

  • Plan ahead. Bring only essentials to avoid time and congestion. Remind your group not to touch artwork and not to lean on walls or cases.
  • Arrive early. Store all backpacks, large bags, water bottles, wet/bulky items, and food/beverages in the lockers behind the front desk.
  • Meet your guide. Your guide will meet you on the first floor.
  • For writing or drawing in the galleries, borrow clipboards and pencils at the Welcome Center. Pens are not allowed in the galleries.
  • Photography is welcome, without flash and without a selfie stick.

We look forward to exploring art with you.

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Plan a K-12 Field Trip

The Eskenazi Museum of Art offers guided and self-guided field trips for schools and youth organizations.

Before requesting a reservation, review our offerings for self-guided and guided tours, including capacity, days, and times; chaperone requirements; and options for lunch plans.

Reservations are available for a minimum of 6 students and a maximum of 72 students at a time.

Self-Guided Field Trips: Experience art your way

Want to lead your group independently? Bring your own lesson plan or use one of our self-guide resources:

  • We’re here TOGETHER: creative ways to connect and experience art together
  • I’m here to RELAX & REFLECT: healthy ways to treat yourself to self-care
  • I’m here exploring SOCIAL JUSTICE: thoughtful ways to challenge and expand perspectives for grades 6 and up
  • I’m here to engage with CULTURES: simple ways to spark curiosity and engage with art from any culture
  • Sketching in the Galleries: Grade 5 to adult
  • Photo Scavenger Hunt or Sketching Scavenger Hunt

Please schedule a date and check in at the front desk on the first floor when you arrive.

Chaperones

Chaperones are required for all field trips for children and youth. For guided field trips, we recommend:

  • 1 adult per 12 students for grades 8 and up
  • 2 adults per 12 students for grades 7 and below.

For self-guided field trips, we recommend:

  • 1 adult per 8 middle school students
  • 1 adult per 10 high school students

Specific details for your visit will be communicated with your field trip preparation information.

Choose the best way to start your visit

  • Quick Start field trips are a great option for groups who will be ready to get started right away. A staff member meets Quick Start K–12 tours at the bus. Personal belongings remain on the bus.
  • Extended Start allows time to use the restrooms upon arrival and is an option for groups who are unable to leave coats, backpacks, lunches, water bottles, etc., on the bus and thus need time and space to store their belongings. Extended Start tours begin and end at the Simpson Center for Education, on the second floor.

Plan lunch, if needed

Groups are welcome to eat lunch outside in the adjacent arboretum or on the museum’s terrace. Some groups take their students to the Indiana Memorial Union, where food is available for purchase.

In case of rain, indoor space for up to 60 people is available, by reservation, in the museum’s Simpson Center for Education.

  • This space request may affect available dates.
  • Tables and chairs will be provided for chaperones and students with disabilities. Please inform us of your needs. The rest of the group may be seated on the carpeted floor.
  • Your group is responsible for clean up. The museum will provide cleaning supplies.

On the reservation request form, indicate any that apply:

  • We’re eating lunch elsewhere.
  • We’re bringing our lunches in a cooler or basket, which can be stored at the Welcome Center.
  • We plan to eat outside, but are requesting indoor space for lunch, in case of bad weather. Our preferred time for lunch space reservation:________

Plan Transportation

Grants for school bus reimbursement may be available. Requests can be made on the tour reservation request form. You will be notified about your acceptance status in your email confirmation. If accepted for a grant, instructions will be provided.

Dates, Times, and Capacity

Submit your reservation request for your guided tour at least three weeks before your preferred date.

Reservations are offered for groups with a minimum of 6 students and a maximum of 72 students at a time. Larger groups can schedule across multiple dates or schedule morning and afternoon visits in combination with other plans on campus.

School tours are available on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Morning tours (10 a.m. or 11:15 a.m.) are available September through the first week of May, except for holidays. Afternoon tours (12:30 p.m.) are available throughout the year. For youth organizations, weekend afternoons are also available.

A campus tour and museum tour combination is available. Half the group can tour the museum at 10 a.m. while the other half tours campus. Then, at 11:15 a.m., swap. Campus tours are available by request for any organized group, from first through eighth grade, through the IU Visitor Information Center. Campus tours are led by students and can be tailored to fit the interests of your group. High school groups with 10 or more students can schedule a campus tour through the IU Office of Admissions.

Note: Guided tours end on time, regardless of late arrival.