School Programs

The Barnes provides free in-depth programming to grades 3, 5, and 7 in select partner schools in the School District of Philadelphia and Catholic schools in the Delaware Valley. Eligible classrooms receive a field trip to the Barnes and two in-school lessons led by grade-level specialists. These programs are free and include materials, busing, and admission costs. Learn more.

Field trips with guided tours are available for all pre-K–12 students from October through June. During these visits, students will analyze the unique “ensemble” displays, which feature impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings alongside African sculptures, Native American jewelry, Greek antiquities, and metalwork. Students learn about the history of the Barnes and its founder, Albert Barnes, who was raised in a working-class family in Philadelphia and held a fierce commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

Guided tours are 75 minutes (45–60 minutes for pre-K and kindergarten) and may include stops in our special exhibition space; they are offered Monday–Wednesday at 10 & 11:45 am for a maximum of 60 students. Field trips (guided & self-guided) are free for public and charter schools in the School Districts of Philadelphia and Camden, and for all Catholic schools in the Delaware Valley. Philadelphia and Delaware Valley Catholic schools also qualify for free transportation. All other school group tours are $5 per person.

Students in grades 8 and above may self-guide with their chaperones after or instead of a guided tour, utilizing our self-guided resources. These visits may take place during open hours, pending availability.

Self-guided visits take place Monday, Thursday, and Friday, beginning at 11 am. Admission is free for groups outlined above, and $5 per person (or $10 per person for guided visits with additional self-guided access) for all other schools. Self-guided tickets provide general admission, and groups may need to wait in line with other visitors to enter galleries and special exhibition spaces.