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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I register for school tours?
You can register for a school tour by using the online tour request form. Tours must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance.

2. When are tours offered?
School tours take place on weekdays between  October 3 – December 2, 2022, and January 9 – June 2, 2023.

3. How many students may I bring on a school tour?
School tour groups must contain at least 15 students. Please check the tour description for the maximum number of students your chosen tour can accommodate.

4. 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.

5. How will I know when my tour has been scheduled?
Once your tour has been scheduled, you will receive a confirmation letter via email within 10 business days.

6. What if I have not yet received my confirmation letter?
Tour scheduler Jennifer Cross is available to answer questions about tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (September through May). Please contact her at (202) 842-6249 or [email protected].

7. What should I do if I need to cancel my scheduled tour?
To cancel your tour, please call the tour scheduler at (202) 842-6249 as soon as possible. Tour slots are limited and we would like to accommodate as many groups as we can.

8. What will students experience on a school tour?
School tours include in-depth exploration and discussion of art at four to five 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, which may include sketching, creative writing, and group activities.

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

Art Investigators: Exploring Modern Art
Art Tales: Not a Box
Breaking the Rules
Exploring Identity through Modern Art

The following school tours meet in the West Building Rotunda:

Art Investigators: Faces and Places
Art Tales: Sky Color
Every Picture Tells a Story
French Art
Perspective Taking through Art
Renaissance Art
Sculpture and Sketching: Traditional to Modern

10. What lunch options are available for school tour groups?
Group dining options are available for large parties. Please contact catering via email for details. View our group menus and reservation guidelines.

11. Where can the buses park?
Parking for buses is usually allowed only on Independence Avenue near the Washington Monument.

12. 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 metered parking on Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive.

13. Are there wheelchairs available?
Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at all entrances. Please contact Lorena Bradford at (202) 842-6905 regarding additional resources for students and chaperones with special needs.

Tour groups must be accompanied by one adult chaperone for every 10 students. Chaperones must remain with the group at all times. It is the responsibility of chaperones to maintain orderly student behavior at the Gallery. Chaperone information cards outlining Gallery visitor policies may be printed in advance.