Workshops & Exhibit Tours

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The Museum of Us offers workshops and exhibit tours for small- and medium-sized groups. We look forward to welcoming you to the Museum!

Workshops & Exhibit Tours Overview

Workshops and Exhibit Tours are facilitated by a Museum Educator and are exhibit-specific.

What to expect:

• Reservations are required.
• Reservation requests are made via Explorable Places.
• Discounted rate: $14.95/person; applies to all group members.
• Admission is included and applicable after the workshop or exhibit tour finishes.
• Scholarship opportunities are available.
• Specific chaperone/leader requirements apply to all groups.

Calendars fill quickly! Please schedule several weeks in advance. Availability is limited and updated in real-time on the Explorable Places website.

All confirmed reservations will receive an official confirmation email from Explorable Places with arrival details and resources to plan your visit.

Once confirmed, group organizers are offered a one-day complimentary admission to visit the Muesum and plan for their visit. The visit date must be coordinated and confirmed by the Education Team. Details are included in the reservation confirmation email.

Guidelines

Workshops and exhibit tours have specific guidelines to promote a safe environment and enjoyable experience for all who enter the Museum, including visiting groups.

• The discounted group rate and scholarships are only available for groups with confirmed reservations.
• All groups must have one designated leader.

Workshop details:

• Group size: 5 to 35 participants
• Duration: 45-60 minutes

Exhibit tour details:

• Group size: 15 people maximum
• Duration: 30-45 minutes

Self-guided group visits are available for groups of all sizes and have a maximum capacity of 120 people. Advance registration required. Learn more about School & Group Visit information.

Chaperone Requirements

All student and youth groups have specific chaperone requirements.

• K-5th grade: 1 adult required for 4 students
• 6-8thgrade: 1 adult required for every 6 students
• 9-12th grade: 1 adult required for every 8 students

Students are expected to be actively supervised, and chaperones and students must remain together at all times. Groups without adequate supervision may be asked to leave and/or other action, with or without warning, at the discretion of the Museum of Us staff.

Pricing & Scholarship Opportunities

All confirmed reservations are eligible for a discounted group rate of $14.95 per person. Admissions scholarship and bus scholarship opportunities are available.

• Discounted group rate: $14.95 per person.
• Discounted rate applied to all group members.
• Admission is included and applicable after the workshop or exhibit tour finishes.
• Scholarships available for all groups.

Admissions Scholarships

All groups are eligible for admissions scholarships. There are no Title 1 limitations or requirements for K-12 schools. Admissions scholarships cover all admissions costs for all group members approved in your reservation.

Apply for an admissions scholarship in your reservation request via Explorable Places. No separate application required. To apply for the admissions scholarship:

1. Complete the booking request form on Explorable Places.
2. Choose the “Scholarship” pricing option to request an admissions scholarship.
3. A specific confirmation email will be sent to the email address on your reservation request.

Admissions scholarships include the option to register group members for complimentary one-year membership. Specific documentation is required for memberships, and details will be sent via email upon approval.

Bus Scholarships

Bus scholarships are available for K-12 school groups only. All schools are eligible. There are no Title 1 or other requirements.

Bus scholarship funds are limited, and availability is subject to change throughout the year. A group reservation request is required to process bus scholarships. All bus scholarship applications are processed in the order they are received.

Due to high demand, bus scholarships are guaranteed for one month after the scheduled visit date. All documents must be submitted within one month of visiting to be eligible for the full scholarship amount. Submitting documents late may result in an adjusted scholarship amount, extended processing time, and/or forfeit of scholarship.

Required documents:

• Copy of the purchase order for bus
• Copy of bus payment receipt
• Invoice to the Museum of Us for the full bus payment amount
• Name and address to write and mail the check

Make a Reservation

Advance registration through Explorable Places is required for all School Visits, Group Visits, Workshops, and Exhibit Tours.

• All reservation requests are made through the Explorable Places website.
• Requests are processed in the order they are received. 
• Processing and approval time can take up to 1-2 weeks.
• All approved reservation requests will receive official confirmation, calendar invitation, and resources to plan your visit.

Please schedule several weeks in advance. Availability is limited. Available dates and times are updated in real-time on Explorable Places.

View detailed instructions to submit a reservation request here.

Confirmation and Communication

Official reservation confirmation and important information related to your visit will be sent via email from Explorable Places. The Museum of Us Education Team will send a calendar invitation to the email on file and may directly contact group organizers as needed.

Organizers are responsible for ensuring that contact information is correct, and email settings are adjusted appropriately to receive confirmation details from both Explorable Places and the Museum of Us.

Cancellations and No-Show's

All cancellations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance.

Contact education@museumofus.org to report a cancellation or make changes to your reservation as soon as possible. Late cancellations and no-shows are subject to a payment of 75% of the total cost of the group visit, including groups that receive an admissions scholarship.

Late Arrivals

Groups arriving over 20 minutes late are subject to cancellation, reservation adjustments, and/or other changes per the Museum of Us staff's discretion. 

Available Workshop and Exhibit Tours

New workshop opportunities coming soon!

Workshop - Hostile Terrain 94 Toe Tag Completion

The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit features a participatory map of the lives lot crossing the Sonoran Desert region of the US-Mexico border. Each person is represented by a toe tag which is placed on the location where their body was found. During the workshop, participants will learn more about the wall map installation and write toe tags to later be installed. Time for discussion and reflection are other important aspects of this workshop.

This workshop directly addresses loss of life and discusses violent realities of migration along US border regions (no graphic images). The experience and content can be very powerful and personal. Participants will be asked to transcribe fine print from a spreadsheet into a limited space (toe tag) by hand. Please use your discretion to decide if this is an appropriate fit for your group.

Adjustments may be made at the discretion of Museum staff according to group size and installation needs.

Workshop - Equity vs. Equality

Equity and equality are important concepts to understand systems of oppression and social change. This workshop is designed to add context to the Race: Are We So Different? exhibit and imagine new ways of creating positive change. The workshop is fast-paced and features a popular board game. Participants will also engage in facilitated discussion and reflection.

High school age and older recommended. Participants will be expected to follow multiple instructions of a complex board game, quickly and accurately do multi-digit addition and subtraction, make strategic decisions, and think critically about societal issues.

Highlights Tour

This guided tour is designed to provide a deeper look at exhibits that interest your group most by providing a mini tour of some of our most popular exhibits. Each stop is lightly facilitated with an exhibit overview, Q&A, and time in the exhibit. Group organizers will select exhibit preferences when submitting a reservation request. The exact number of exhibits, exhibit order, and time at each exhibit will be at the discretion of Museum staff and vary by group.

Exhibit Tour - Race: Are We So Different?

What is race? What is racism? What is the importance of race in today’s world? This participatory tour takes a closer look at the social construction of race and maintenance of racism. Tour groups will examine and discuss key aspects of the exhibit and build connections to today's world. The tour also highlights how the exhibit relates to the Museum's colonial legacy – and its work to address harm.

Exhibit Tour - Hostile Terrain 94

The stories in the Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit span miles and millennia. The tour emphasizes the value of human life and discusses how government policies influence the way people think about land, life, and loss. The tour provides deeper understanding of exhibit features and highlights our inherent relationship with the US-Mexico border and borders beyond.

This tour directly addresses loss of life and discusses violent realities of migration along U.S. border regions (no graphic images). The experience and content can be very powerful and personal. Please use your discretion to decide if this is an appropriate fit for your group.

Exhibit Tour - Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth

This tour leads participants through the newly updated Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth exhibit. The tour celebrates the past, present, and future of Maya Peoples worldwide and highlights the diversity of the Maya community. Maya voices are at the heart of the tour, and tour groups will have opportunities for discussion and questions.

Pop-Up - Hostile Terrain 94 Toe Tag Installation

The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit features a participatory map of the lives lot crossing the Sonoran Desert region of the US-Mexico border. Each person is represented by a toe tag which is placed on the location where their body was found. Join a Museum Educator at this weekly pop-up to install toe tags written by workshop participants and volunteers. The pop-up is drop-in style, and guests may join at any point during the program.

Pop-up details:

• Date: Most Saturdays, full schedule available on Explorable Places.
• Time: 1 – 2:30 p.m., drop-in style
• Location: Hostile Terrain 94 exhibition, participatory wall map installation
• Price: Free, included with admission
• Registration: Registration not required but encouraged. Register online through Explorable Places.

Hostile Terrain 94 directly addresses loss of life and discusses violent realities of migration along U.S. border regions (no graphic images). The experience and content can be very powerful and personal. This pop-up consists of installing toe tags that represent people who have died in migration. Participants are encouraged to take their time, take breaks as needed, and create a pre- or post-personal care plan. The Museum Educator facilitating the program will be present to answer questions and provide additional information.

Adjustments may be made at the discretion of Museum staff according to group size and installation needs.