PLANNING YOUR VISIT

Call (325) 673-4587 ext. 114 to schedule a museum tour.

Please be prepared to provide the following information:

• YOUR NAME
• ORGANIZATION/SCHOOL ADDRESS
• WORK PHONE/  HOME PHONE
• DATES REQUESTED
• TIMES REQUESTED
• AGE/ GRADE LEVEL
• NUMBER IN GROUP

The Grace Museum’s Educational Programs Coordinator, Pam Harman, will confirm all of the tour logistics with you by phone.  Please note: THE TOUR IS NOT CONFIRMED UNTIL YOU SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH PAM HARMAN.

This booking process allows The Grace Museum to offer well-prepared and more  meaningful tour experiences for your students.

Please schedule your school tours four weeks in advance.   A minimum of two weeks advance notice is required for all school tours.  If you arrive without a scheduled appointment, we cannot guarantee there will be space in the museum to accommodate you.

BOOKING YOUR TOUR

For tour availability, call 673-4587 ext. 114,

or e-mail Pam@thegracemuseum.org

Guided school tours are offered throughout the school year on Tuesday-Friday from 10 am-11:30 am or 1:00 pm-2:30 pm.  Special time requests may be made through Pam Harman, Educational Programs Coordinator.

Admission Fees

Tours for our partner school districts, the Abilene, Hawley, Merkel, and Wylie Independent School Districts are free. The group rate for all other schools and universties is $1 per student. Teachers, chaperones, bus drivers, supervising adults and attendants are free up to one adult for every 5 Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten child. Supervising adults for tours of first grade through 12th grade students are free up to one for every 10 adults. Adults over this limit pay the full rate.

Transportation and Parking

Visitors arrange their own transportation to the museum.  Buses may unload and park at the North 1st Street entrance.

Late Arrival Policy
Prompt arrival at your scheduled tour time is essential.  Late groups cannot be guaranteed their complete scheduled program. Please call the museum to advise of any schedule changes.

Group Arrival

Plan to arrive 10 minutes before scheduled tour.  A teacher or chaperone should come into the museum—without students—to register, to pay any admission fees at the front desk, and to meet the museum docent(s) in the Historic Lobby of the The Grace Museum.

Group Size
The museum can accommodate groups of 20 students or fewer.  Schools are limited to 60 students divided into 3 smaller groups of 20 students each.  It is suggested that groups larger than 60 students rotate visits with other downtown Abilene venues, such as the Abilene Reporter-News, the Paramount Theater, the Center for Contemporary Arts, or the NCCIL.  Kindergarten, day care, and Head Start programs must have 1 supervising adult/ chaperone per 5 students.  1st through 12th grade classes must have 1 supervising adult/chaperone per 10 students.

Name Tags
Please provide each student with a name tag (first name in marker) for docent-led tours.

Lunch

Food is not allowed inside the museum.  Groups are encouraged to picnic across North First Street at Everman Park or at Minter Park on Cypress Street.

Docents

The word “docent” comes from the Latin verb docere, which means “to teach.”  The Grace Museum docents are volunteer tour guides who facilitate learning on field trips by leading discussions with students and providing additional information about exhibits.  Teachers may work in advance with docents to tailor tours with class learning objectives (including tours of the Children’s Museum).

Sketching and Student Assignments

Class assignments are encouraged and welcomed at the museum.  Students may work only in pencil in the galleries.  Students should not complete outside assignments during the docent-led tour.  Students are asked not to bring cameras to the museum.