PreK–12 School Tours

Before Your Visit

• Receive MAG Confirmation 
• Schedule bus(es) 
• Assign chaperones (1 per 8–10 students) and make a plan for dividing your class into groups based on number of docent guides 
• Touch base with Contact Docent (2–4 weeks prior to tour) 
• Share Social Story, For Your Students, and For Your Chaperones Information 
• Send update on estimated attendance numbers to tours@mag.rochester.edu (1 week prior to tour) 

Day of Visit

• Divide students into groups based on number of docent guides 
• Arrive at MAG 15 minutes before tour start time  
• Meet with tour coordinator to verify number cohorts, exit time and location 
• Enjoy the tour! 

To help prepare for a visit, download and review our Social Story with photos and text about what to expect while on a school tour. Our Social Story is a specialized resource designed in partnership with AutismUp. It can be used by any visitor who may benefit from descriptions and visuals that show what a visit to MAG may be like.

• Grades 3 & up – 75 min. total (60 min. tour with 15 min. for welcome and transition) 
• Pre-K–2 – 60 min. total (45 min. tour with 15 min. for welcome and transition) 
• Tours will not be extended due to late arrival. If your group will be arriving late, please call (585) 276-8974 to let us know. 
• Additional visit time beyond your scheduled tour slot must be requested in advance. 

• During the tour your students will not all see the same pieces of art. They will, however, all be encouraged to engage with art through observation and conversations led by MAG’s trained docent guides. 
• If there is something you want your students to see and learn about, please communicate this to your contact docent. Artwork is rotated, and objects may not be on display during your tour. 
• The MAG has over 5,000 years of world art, which includes some artists’ depictions of the human body. Students may see a variety of artistic expression in passing as they move throughout the galleries, and sometimes this may include nude figures. We are prepared to address questions that may come up and then redirect students’ attention to the artworks that are a part of their focused tour plans. If you have any questions or concerns about content, please contact learning@mag.rochester.edu to connect with a museum educator. 

• We require 1 chaperone per 8–10 students and request chaperones do not bring additional children. 
• Make sure your chaperones understand the importance of their role to the visit’s success. Sharing the museum guidelines along with ideas on how to handle any disruptions can help chaperones feel confident and supported. 
• We request chaperones do not use their cell phones other than to take pictures while on the tour or communicate with other group leaders, so their full attention is given to the students, and they are present in the experience.

We ask that chaperones:

• Always stay with your assigned group in the museum 
• Actively supervise student behavior 
• Keep students together as a group 
• Refrain from being on your phone during the tour 
• Do not bring other children with you on the tour

MAG does not have dining facilities for school tour groups. We have beautiful outdoor spaces for picnic lunches, weather permitting. Please plan accordingly and have a rain plan. 

Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel your tour. Our volunteer docents’ time is very important to us. The sooner you can contact us, the more likely we can find another visit date. 

MAG is pleased to provide transportation reimbursement, up to $200, to eligible public schools based on their free and reduced lunch status on a first-come, first-served basis during the 2024–25 school year. Please indicate your interest in receiving this reimbursement when you complete the School Tour Request Form. Contact Allison Goodwin, Director of Academic & Community Programs, at agoodwin@mag.rochester.edu for more information.

Grade Level: Elementary 
Look for clues to setting, characters, plot, action, and outcome in artworks, and use critical thinking skills to “read” the story in a work of art.

Grade Level: Secondary 
Trace the numerous styles, themes and materials explored by artists of many cultures.

Grade Level: Elementary, Secondary 
Follow the stories of upstate New York, Rochester, and the Memorial Art Gallery itself through artworks in the Gallery’s collections.

Grade Level: Elementary 
Come face-to-face with artworks such as masks, paintings and statues representing cultures from major world regions.

Grade Level: Secondary 
“Listen” to artworks with a story to tell, “hear” how culture influences art and “see” how beliefs and stories pass down through narrative and symbolic art. 

Grade Level: Elementary 
MAG has several temporary exhibitions at any given time. These exhibits cover many different themes and styles. Currently on exhibit.