School Tours

School Tours are designed for classroom groups in public and private schools. A minimum of 10 students per grade level is required to book a school tour. The page for Homeschool and Online/Cyber Schools has more information about group visits for non-traditional school groups.

Choose from the following tour programs:

Art is Life: Learning and Life Skills Support  

• This program is designed specifically for students in learning support and life skills classes to discover the museum experience. Students will explore a variety of works of art through guided observation, hands-on activities, and accessible, multi-sensory learning strategies. Activities are adapted to meet a variety of learning needs and emphasize active engagement and self-expression, ensuring that every student can successfully explore and enjoy the museum experience. 
• Grade level is adaptable 
• 45-60 minute program 
• Recommended 15 or fewer participants, including student aids 

The Elements of Art 

• Students will explore the visual language of art through elements such as line, shape, color, and texture. As an introduction to an art museum, students will also learn how to read gallery labels and explore the role of museums in caring for art objects. 
• Grades K – 3 
• Curriculum connections – Social Studies, Language Arts, Art & Humanities 
• 45-minute program 
• Maximum 30 students 

Who Am I? Art and Identity 

• Students will investigate the ways that people and cultures have represented themselves and their experiences in art. Grades 4 – 8 will focus on reading works of art to discover insights about the figures and cultures represented. Grades 9 – 12 will dive deeper into historical, social, and cultural context. 
• Grades 4 – 12 
• Curriculum connections – Social Studies, Language Arts, Art & Humanities 
• 60-minute program 
• Maximum 48 students 

Art and Nature 

• This program explore the various ways that artists engage with nature and the environment to communicate ideas, including: how nature is connected to the American identity; how Impressionism changed the way we see nature; how humans interact with and impact the environment; and how nature provides opportunities for reflection, connection, and renewal. 
• Grades 4 – 12 
• Curriculum connections: Social Studies, Environmental Studies, Language Arts, Visual Arts 
• 60-minute program 
• Maximum 48 students 

Making Meaning through Objects 

• Students will learn about material culture and explore how objects, whether pictured as subject matter or included as found materials, convey meaning. Building critical thinking skills, students will engage with art objects as primary sources for cultural history and knowledge.  
• Grade 6 – 12 
• Curriculum connections – Social Studies, Language Arts, Visual Arts 
• 60-minute program 
• Maximum 48 students

Preview the Museum 

The Palmer Museum offers free admission. We recommend that teachers preview the exhibitions on display before your tour. If you have any concerns about potentially controversial artwork, please inform us prior to the day of your visit.

The Palmer is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., plus evening hours on Thursday, 5–8 p.m.  

Educator Resources are available to support teaching with museum collections. Visit the Palmer’s Learn and Teach page to explore online resources including videos, virtual tours, and educator resource packets with images, discussion questions, suggested lesson plans, reading lists, and more.  

Meet the Museum Preview Video 

Show students this brief video to set expectations and introduce museum guidelines.

Accessibility 

Please include accommodation requests when submitting a tour request or as early as possible. Visit the Accessibility at the Palmer page for more information about the museum. 

Tour Policies and Procedures 

• Arrival: Arrive no more than 15 minutes early. Museum Guides will greet you in the main lobby and show you were to stow coats and bags. The museum entrance is locked on weekdays until 11 a.m. 
• Late Arrivals: If you encounter unexpected delays on the day of your visit, please call the museum’s Visitor Services Desk at 814-867-3022 to alert us. Guided programs will not extend beyond the scheduled tour time, so late arrivals will shorten the length of the program.  
• Lunch: The Palmer does not have a café or lunch room available. 
• Restrooms: Single stall, all-gender restrooms are available on Level 1. Gendered, multi-stall restrooms are located on the Lower Level, accessible by stairs or elevator. Please allot time for restroom visits before and/or after your appointed tour time to reduce the need for breaks during the tour. 
• Inclement Weather: The Palmer Museum follows all University delays and closures due to weather. Please check the Penn State Alert site for the most up-to-date information about closures. If your school has a weather-related delay or cancellation, please call 814-865-7673.
• Artwork with Nude Figures: Objects featuring nude figures will not be included in tour discussions, but students may see them as they move through the galleries. You may want to prepare students and chaperones in advance, so they are not caught by surprise.  

Chaperone Guidelines 

Chaperones help create a successful museum experiences and are responsible, along with teachers, for supervising minors during the visit to ensure their safety. Please share Museum Guidelines with chaperones in advance and ask them to: 

• Ensure students stay with the group while moving through the galleries 
• Model and remind students about Museum Guidelines 
• Avoid side conversations so that students can focus. 

Click here for a list of Museum Guidelines. 

Large Groups 

Schools with more than the maximum number of students for a program may consider these options: 

• Schedule buses in relay style and request multiple tours. 
• Coordinate your visit to the Palmer with a visit to another venue on Penn State’s University Park campus. A portion of your group can visit the museum while others visit another site. Then groups can switch. *Not that you will need to submit group visit requests to the other venues separately.  

Popular Additional Attractions at Penn State: 

• The Arboretum at Penn State is adjacent to the Palmer Museum. Visitors will find seasonal displays, specialty gardens, water features, and a garden designed especially for children. The Arboretum offers educator-led and self-guided field trip options. Click here to request a group visit to the Arboretum. 
• Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery has an impressive collection of minerals and fossils, themed art exhibitions, and school programs. Located on Burrowes Road, the museum has convenient bus access. To schedule a tour or group visit: museum@ems.psu.edu or 814-863-6017. 
• The Matson Museum of Anthropology is located in the Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building. Click here to visit the Matson’s website. 
• Penn State Berkey Creamery is a sweet ice cream spot just two blocks from the Palmer. 

Find information about additional Museums on the Penn State Campus.  

Passenger vans may park in the lot across from the museum entrance in the Orange A Katz Lot. This is metered parking that may be paid through the HonkMobile app using zone PSUOA, at the kiosks located in the parking lot, or via the QR codes posted on signs in the lot. Parking is managed by Penn State Transportation Services. Check their site for hourly and daily rates. 

School buses should load and unload in the bus loop in front of the museum’s main entrance on Bigler Road. Once unloaded, bus parking is available in the Porter North Lot, located north of Beaver Stadium near the corner of Curtin Road and Porter Road. Find directions between the Palmer and Porter North Lot here.