Walker School Tour Program
An Enriching, Expanded School Day
Broaden learning beyond your classroom through the arts! Walker School Tours are more than just a fun field trip or culminating activity—they’re an impactful source of support for your teaching efforts year-round. Designed by Museum Educators and Curriculum Specialists for students across the heartland and beyond, each tour offers a range of benefits for a unique experience:
- Aligned with K-12 state curriculum standards, STEAM-friendly, and able to be tailored to your classroom’s needs.
- Completely free of cost. We’ll even provide reimbursements for transportation and substitute teachers for on-site tours, and free sack lunches for guided tours.
- Easy for teachers to coordinate and take away new strategies to use in their classrooms.
- Engaging, accessible, and inclusive of all learning styles, offering memorable moments for students of all backgrounds and abilities to make creative connections with school subjects.All tours focus on four to five works of art and are themed around an essential question. Each tour stop uses a specific guiding question to scaffold the conversation back into the theme and standards of your classroom.
Workshop Add-On
In preparation for our upcoming gallery and studio expansion, we are piloting add–on experiences that complement and enhance our K-12 tours. These hour-long workshops are completely free and take place as a part of your field trip experience in addition to lunch and a guided tour. Activities will vary depending on your tour but could include individual or group artmaking as well as age–appropriate demonstrations. Workshop pilots are available on a limited basis and subject to availability. Please indicate your interest in a workshop when you book your tour.
In addition to onsite workshops, we are excited to offer a new virtual artist residency program celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. These free, three-day residencies bring accomplished artists into your classroom—no travel required—with interactive experiences that blend art history and hands-on making with state-aligned standards across subject areas.
Seasonal & Special Tours
America 250: Common Threads
Celebrate 250 years of American history and art in America 250: Common Threads. Students will explore historic documents, textiles, paintings, and contemporary works that reveal how artists and leaders have shaped civic life and national identity. Guided activities and creative making experiences—such as contributing to a collaborative quilt—invite interdisciplinary connections across history, art, and social studies, fostering reflection on symbols and stories that unite communities.
Career Tour
Step behind the scenes with Crystal Bridges staff to look at the variety of careers it takes to keep the museum open and running smoothly. From culinary to accounting, graphic design to horticulture, the career possibilities are endless. Educators will be provided with a list of careers to request from so we can tailor the tour to your students’ interests and career goals.
Mindfulness Tour
Today’s fast-paced world often causes students to struggle to slow down and notice the beauty of the world around them. The practice of mindfulness and slow looking at art can help combat this struggle and foster a sense of personal well-being. Crystal Bridges offers students the tools needed to combine the aesthetic appreciation of art with the practice of mindfulness. Students will experience deep looking techniques which help to calm the mind and body and create a connection between art and wellness. The use of art, architecture, and nature can help students learn how to reduce stressors and increase the ability to focus on the present moment.
The Greatest Wildlife Photographs
Discover the wonders of wildlife through National Geographic’s most iconic photographs in The Greatest Wildlife Photographs exhibition at the Momentary. Students will explore surprising animal behaviors captured with cutting-edge techniques like camera traps and underwater imaging, while learning how photography has evolved over 115 years. Guided activities and hands-on making experiences encourage interdisciplinary connections across science, art, and technology, making this tour both educational and inspiring.
Looking for more preset and custom tour options available throughout the year?
Visitor Voices
“What a fabulous experience for our Grade 4 students! They all came back telling me all of the things they saw—so excited!” —School Principal
“I was inspired. I want to go again!” —Student
“The students had a phenomenal experience. Wonderful tour—they are still talking about it!” —Elementary School Teacher
“Muchas gracias por habermos invitado. Fue muy interesante, es un lugar muy bonito.” —ESL Student
Looking for After-School Tours or College Tours?
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