Field Trips to the MCA

Students from Talcott Elementary discuss Panorama Catatumbo, by Noemí Pérez (2012-2016).

Photo: Nathan Keay

The Museum of Contemporary Art proudly offers free guided field trips with free transportation to Chicago Public Schools. Please use the form on this page to request a tour and email [email protected] with questions.

About Our Guided Field Trips

Learning in the galleries at the MCA happens through inquiry, dialog, play, experimentation, and collective meaning-making. Our educators facilitate conversation around art, ideas, and contemporary issues. They use contemporary art as a vehicle for developing skills in critical observation, interpretation, and inquiry. We build these learning experiences around four key principles:

Give students agency. Prioritize the wisdom and experiences of young people.
Make meaning together. Encourage students to understand art on the own terms and in community with one another.
Explore new modes of learning. Create new, unexpected experiences outside of simple lecture and discussion.
Prioritize reflection. Offer content, social context, facts, and historical information as opportunities for students to connect the art to their own lives.

Calendar

FAQs

How do I arrange a field trip for my school?

If you would like to reserve a guided field trip, please use the guided field trip calendar. To book a self-guided field trip, use the self-guided field trip calendar. Select the date and time that works for you. You will receive a confirmation in your email. Please visit our Visit page for accessibility information, guidelines for your visit, and directions. Please organize your transportation to arrive as close to 10 am as possible.

How can Chicago Public Schools receive free bus service to the MCA?

The MCA covers the cost of bus transportation for all participating Chicago Public Schools. While we do cover the costs, we do not currently contact, schedule, or organize buses for schools.

To receive reimbursement for your bus as a CPS school, please fill out our transportation payment request form.
We need at least 3 weeks to process payment.

Can our school visit tomorrow (or later this week)?

We ask that your school make reservations two weeks in advance to avoid overcrowding the galleries, preserve the artwork, and secure your chosen date and time. To reserve a guided field trip, please use the guided field trip calendar. To book a self-guided field trip, use the self-guided field trip calendar. Select the date and time that works for you.

Where do we enter the museum and where can our bus park?

Your group can enter the museum at the main staircase located on Mies van der Rohe Drive. Buses can park temporarily at the side of the museum at 220 E. Chicago Ave.

How do I cancel my guided or self-guided field trip?

At the end of each MCA email about your field trip, you will find “Make changes to this event.” Hit the Cancel link or button, then hit Confirm to cancel your field trip.

I need to change the date and time of my guided or self-guided field trip. Can I change it?

Yes! At the end of each email you receive confirming your field trip, you will find a link labeled “Need to make changes to this event? Reschedule.” You can click the Reschedule link or button to change the date and time of your field trip.

How can I confirm the date and time of my guided or self-guided field trip?

You will receive emails confirming your field trip’s date and time via the email address you entered for the field trip form.

Can we stay in the museum past the time of our guided or self-guided tour?

Yes! Your students are welcome to stay in the museum to explore on their own with their chaperones.

What is the cost for students, teachers, and chaperones to visit the MCA?

All students 18 and under and Illinois teachers and chaperones receive free admission. Admission for out-of-state chaperones and teachers is $8. To receive a rate of $7 per chaperone and/or teacher, contact [email protected] at least 2 weeks before your field trip.

Do you have a required ratio of students and chaperones?

Yes. Each group of 10 students must be accompanied by at least one (1) adult chaperone or teacher.

Your guided tours are fully booked. Can I visit the museum without a guided tour?

Yes! You can arrange a self-guided field trip for your class. Visit the self-guided field trip calendar and select the date and time that works for you. Our Visit page has accessibility information, guidelines for your visit, and directions.

What is my role as a teacher or chaperone during our MCA field trip?

Thank you for bringing your school group to the museum! Please participate within reason, feel free to answer a couple of questions, and encourage participation from your class without singling students out. Our main ask is that you help MCA educators with classroom management. You know your class best, so please share with MCA educators any tips you have for getting students' attention, drawing answers out, and creating a brave and comfortable space. We ask that you stay engaged and avoid leaving the group or being on your phone.

We know it’s difficult to take time out of your schedule and curriculum to spend time with us and we understand that, as chaperones and teachers, you are incredibly busy after planning and leading the trip. Thank you.

Do you have Spanish-speaking guides?

Yes! Our Learning staff offer bilingual field trips in English and Spanish on guided field trips. Check our guided field trip calendar and select the date and time that works for you. Then fill in the information requested in the section on bilingual guides.

Can our students eat lunch at the MCA?

If you’ve registered for a guided field trip, you may remain in our Learning Studios after your experience to eat lunch. Otherwise, there are no lunch facilities on-site. There are a number of parks in the immediate area where bagged lunches may be eaten in the case of good weather as well as dining options in Water Tower Place.

Would you like students to use pencils in the museum?

Yes! No pens, water botles, or backpacks are allowed in the galleries. For this and other tips, check out our Visit page for accessibility information, guidelines for your visit, and directions.

I have a question not listed here. Who do I ask?

Please contact MCA Field Trips at [email protected] or 312-397-3812.