Free School Tours for The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism are available at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. Contact tours@portlandmuseum.org to book your tour today!
Age-appropriate guided tours of the PMA's exhibitions and collections are available, or explore the museum on self-guided tours. Reservations are required with at least three weeks' notice.
- K-12 Group tour admission is free for students and chaperones when reserved in advance.
- K-12 summer group tour admission is $5 per student, chaperones are free but must be 18 or older. Please schedule your tour two weeks in advance.
- Bring one chaperone for every 10 students on a Docent-led tour or one chaperone for every five students on a self-guided tour.
- Docent tours last about one hour. (You should schedule extra time for bathroom visits, Museum Store visits, or additional assignments.)
- The museum does not have space for students to eat.
- Students are welcome in the PMA Store in groups of 10 or fewer accompanied by a chaperone. Let us know when you make the reservation if you wish to visit the PMA Store.
- Pre-visit resources are available.
- Focus Tours are engaging and interactive guided tours featuring themes related to the elementary curriculum. Chose one today!
- Book Today
To schedule a school group visit, call the Tour Coordinator at (207) 775-6148, ext. 3228, or book online at least three weeks in advance.
We need to know:- Your name
- Telephone numbers at school and/or home and best hours to call
- Number of students visiting
- Grade level(s) of participants
- Preferred visit dates, arrival and departure times
- Mailing address (if you want to borrow pre-visit resources)
- Email address
- Type(s) of disabilities and/or special needs
- Are there particular exhibitions you wish to see or specific curriculum connections you would like to make?
Tips for a successful visit. Please:
- Divide students into groups before arriving. You will gain more time in the galleries!
- Allow enough time for travel and parking. Early or late arrivals will disrupt other groups.
- Collect admission fees prior to entering the museum and have one person make the payment for the group. The museum accepts cash, checks, credit cards, or purchase orders.
- Let chaperones know about their responsibilities for keeping their group together and maintaining discipline. All chaperones should know the group's departure time. Chaperones should not bring their younger children on this visit.
- Make sure that your students know and understand their responsibilities in the museum. A member of the PMA staff will greet your students upon arrival and review the rules with your group.
- Reserve any assignments, games, or scavenger hunts for after your Docent-led tour.
PMA Rules For Student Groups
All of the museum's common sense rules are designed to keep the artwork and the visitors safe.
- Please do not touch! This is the most important rule to remember in the museum. It applies to paintings, frames, sculptures, stands, glass cases, labels, and walls. This is how we preserve art and keep it safe from damage.
- Stay back 18 inches or more from the works of art and the walls. This is how we avoid accidental damage to art and people.
- Be careful around the balconies. Enjoy the view, but do not jump up or lean on the balconies and do not place anything on the edge that could fall.
- Write with a pencil only and use a notebook or clipboard to lean on. We will loan clipboards to you, but we will ask you not to use pens in the galleries.
- Walk, don't run, in the museum.
- Please speak quietly, sound carries in the museum. This is especially important in the Great Hall when you are entering and leaving the museum.
- Do not bring food, drink, candy, gum, or backpacks into the galleries. You may leave your coats and other belongings in the bins provided or in the coatroom.
Enjoy your visit!
Free School Tours are made possible by the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust.