School Visits

The New Britain Museum of American Art offers student-centered interdisciplinary school visits created to enrich curricula and engage students in dialogue and discussion in the galleries. Our tours connect directly to Core Arts Standards and core curricula subjects. 

School Visit Request Form

Pricing

Pre-K - 1st Grade: 

  • $12 per student (30-minute tour and 30-minute studio activity)

    2nd Grade - High School:

    • Guided School Visit + Studio - $18 per student (1-hour guided tour + 1-hour studio)
    • Guided School Visit only - $10 per student (1-hour guided tour. This option is not available for groups over 60 students)

    We require one adult chaperone for every 10 students on a tour (All school employees are free for school visits; volunteer chaperones are $10 per person)

    NOTE: For guided visits, we require booking at least 1 month in advance 

    Funding may be available for certain districts. Please contact [email protected] for more details.

    Guided School Visit and Studio

    During a guided visit, students will explore works of art in depth through observation and group discussion. In one of the the Museum’s light-filled studios, hands-on activities are designed to further your students’ understanding of the theme by exploring artists’ processes, experimenting with materials, or investigating ideas through artmaking.

    Below is a list of our themes and associated studio activities that could connect to your classroom curricula:

    Pre-Kindergarten – 1st Grade (30-minute guided tour + 30-minute studio)

    • Looking and Talking About Art: This theme is designed to introduce our youngest learners to the museum experience. This guided visit incorporates close-looking in the galleries, thematically related stories, and conversation prompts followed by an exploration of artistic materials and processes.

    Grades 2-5 (1-hour guided tour + 1-hour studio)

    • Art Bones: Students will explore in-depth how artists use the elements of art to create their work and express their ideas. For the studio activity, students will explore the basic elements of art through abstraction, color science, and form as a means of expressing emotions or ideas. 
    • Stories In Art: Students will discover imaginative ways that artists tell stories or express their points of view. In “reading” works of art, students will consider character, setting, plot, tone, and perspective. For the studio activity, students will create their own narratives, considering the elements of storytelling and how they can be communicated visually.

    Grades 6-12 (1-hour guided tour + 1-hour studio)

    • Visualizing America: Students will examine the ways that artists weave narratives and respond to history through their art. This tour provides students with a visual perspective on American history. For the studio activity, students will explore ways to respond to their contemporary moment, social issues, or a moment in American history.
    • Think Like an Artist: Students will cultivate their observation and interpretive skills through critical analyses of artwork and artists’ intentions. For the studio activity, students will experiment with the use of personal symbols, iconographies, or text as a means of expressing themselves and their ideas.
    • Gaining S.T.E.A.M.: How do artists use the design process to create art? In this STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) focused tour, students will explore three to four works of art through guided gallery activities to consider how artists have used problem solving, reasoning, and logic in their artistic processes. For the studio activity, students will use problem-solving skills to execute a unique design from inception to creation.

    Self-Guided School Visit

    Maximum: 50 students; $10 per student

      Educators are invited to bring their students to the Museum for a self-directed experience. Classes can extend and enrich their classroom learning by engaging with artwork in the galleries and outside on the NBMAA's grounds at their own pace.  


      Click here to download a School Visit brochure. 
       

      School Visit Request Form

       

      2026-27 Programming Is Made Possible By:

      Tinty Foundation

      SBM Charitable Foundation

      Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation

      Tilcon Connecticut

      Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts

      Ion Bank Foundation

      Northwest Community Bank Foundation

      Sid Bernard & Ed Miller Children’s Fund for the Visual Arts at the Main Street Community Foundation