Workshops & Exhibit Tours

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The Museum of Us offers workshops and guided exhibit tours for small- and medium-sized groups. We look forward to welcoming your group!

Workshops & Exhibit Tours Overview

Workshops and Exhibit Tours are facilitated by a Museum Educator and are exhibit-specific. A discounted rate of $14.95 is available to registered groups.

What to expect:

• Advanced registration is required.
• Reservation requests are made via Explorable Places.
• Discounted rate: $14.95/person
• Scholarship opportunities available.
• Duration: 30-60 minutes, varies by group size and Workshop or Exhibit Tour offering.
• Maximum group size:
  • Exhibit Tours: 15 participants plus chaperone requirement
  • Workshops: 35 participants plus chaperone requirement

Please schedule several weeks in advance. Availability is limited. Scheduling is based on the Museum’s needs and the availability of our Education Department.

Current Workshop and Exhibit Tour Offerings

• Guided Exhibit Tour - Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth
• Guided Exhibit Tour - Race: Are We So Different?
• Guided Exhibit Tour - Hostile Terrain 94
• Workshop - Hostile Terrain 94 Toe Tag Completion
• Workshop - Race: Are We So Different? Equity vs. Equality

Group Logistics

Workshops and exhibit tours have specific guidelines to promote a safe environment and enjoyable experience for all who enter the Museum, including your groups.

Chaperone requirements

For all groups with students 18 years and younger.

• K-5th grade: 1 adult required per 4 students
• 6th-12th grade: 1 adult required per 6-8 students

Group Size

Workshops and exhibit tours have limited capacity.

The maximum group capacity for workshops and guided exhibit tours is:

• Workshops: 35 participants + required chaperones, if applicable
• Exhibit Tours: 15 participants + required chaperones, if applicable

Chaperones and students must remain together at all times. Students are expected to be actively supervised. Groups without adequate supervision may be asked to leave and/or other appropriate action, with or without warning, at the discretion of the Museum of Us staff.

Self-guided group visits have a maximum capacity of 120 group members. Learn more about School & Group Visit information.

Pricing & Scholarships

The discounted group rate for Workshops and Exhibit Tours is $14.95 per person.

• Applies to all group members regardless of age
• Only available to registered groups
• Applies to the number of people approved on the reservation only
• Additional group members will be required to purchase admission at the discounted rate.

Scholarship opportunities to visit the Museum of Us are available to all groups through the generous support of our community, partnerships, and philanthropic grants.

• Admissions scholarships are available for all groups.
• Bus scholarships are available for all K-12 schools.
• Scholarship opportunities are subject to availability of funds.

Admissions Scholarships 

Admissions scholarships cover the full cost of admission for all group members approved in your reservation.

Request an admissions scholarship in your reservation request. No separate application required.

1. Create a reservation request through Explorable Places.
2. Choose the “Scholarship” pricing option to request an admissions scholarship.
3. A specific confirmation email will be sent to the address on your reservation request.

All admissions scholarships require approval from the Education Department. Scholarships are not automatically applied.

Official confirmation for reservation requests will be sent via email. Organizers are responsible for ensuring that contact information is correct and email settings are adjusted appropriately to receive confirmation details.

Bus Scholarships

Bus scholarships are available for K-12 school groups only.

Bus scholarship funds are limited, and availability is subject to change. A group reservation request is required to process bus scholarships. All bus scholarships will be processed in the order that they are received.

Reservation Information

Advance registration through Explorable Places is required for all School Visits, Group Visits, Workshops, and Exhibit Tours.

• All reservation requests are made through the Explorable Places website.
• Requests are processed in the order that they are received.
• Processing and approval time can take up to 1-2 weeks.
• All approved reservation requests will receive official confirmation, calendar invitation, and specific information to plan your visit.

Please schedule several weeks in advance. Availability is limited. Scheduling is based on the Museum’s needs and the availability of our Education Department.

How to make a reservation request:

1. Visit our Explorable Places page.
2. Browse programs, review requirements, and view availability.
3. Choose the program that best fits your needs.
4. Book program of choice directly through Explorable Places website.
5. Check your Explorable Places account or email for reservation updates. Adjust email settings as needed.

Confirmation and Communication

Official reservation confirmation and important information related to your visit will be sent via email from both the Museum of Us and Explorable Places.

Organizers are responsible for ensuring that contact information is correct and email settings are adjusted appropriately to receive confirmation details.

• Check junk mail and alternative inbox folders.
• Adjust inbox settings to receive emails from Explorable Places and the Museum of Us.
• Reservation information can be accessed in your Explorable Places account.

Cancellations and No-Show's

All cancellations must be submitted by noon on the day before your reservation.

If your group needs to cancel or make changes to your reservation, email education@museumofus.org as soon as possible. Late cancellations and no-shows are required to pay 75% of their total group payment; groups who receive an admissions scholarship are responsible for 75% of the pre-scholarship group cost.

Groups more than 15 minutes late are subject to cancellation and/or adjusted itinerary.

Late Arrivals

Groups arriving more than 20 minutes late are subject to cancellation, adjusted entry time, and/or standard admission prices per the discretion of the Museum of Us staff.

Exhibit Tour and Workshop Descriptions

Guided Tour - Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth

This tour leads participants through the newly updated Maya Peoples: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth exhibit. The tour celebrates the past, present, and future of Maya Peoples worldwide and highlights the diversity of the Maya community. Maya voices are at the heart of the tour, and tour groups will have opportunities for discussion and questions.

Guided Tour - Race: Are We So Different?

What is race? What is racism? What is the importance of race in today’s world? This participatory tour takes a closer look at the development and maintenance of racism in the United States. Tour groups will engage in facilitated discussion about key aspects of the exhibit, as well as build connections between the exhibit and societal issues of today.

Guided Tour - Hostile Terrain 94

The stories in the Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit span miles and even millennia. This tour emphasizes the value of human life and discusses how government policies influence the way people think about land, life, and loss. The tour provides deeper understanding of the exhibit features and highlights our inherent relationship with the US-Mexico border and beyond.

Workshop - Hostile Terrain 94 Toe Tag Completion 

The Hostile Terrain 94 exhibit features a participatory map of the lives lost crossing the Sonoran Desert region of the US-Mexico border. Each person is represented by a toe tag, placed on the location where their body was found. During the workshop, participants will write toe tags that will later be installed on the wall map. Time for discussion, reflection, and a brief tour of the exhibit will conclude the workshop. Please note that the inclusion and length of the closing tour may vary by group.

This workshop directly connects with loss of life and violent realities of migration along US border regions. The experience and content can be very powerful and personal. Please use your discretion to decide if this is an appropriate fit for your group. There are no graphic images, but content does include references to death and violence.

Workshop - Equity vs. Equality

Equity and equality are important concepts related to racism and other forms of injustice. While these concepts may seemsimilar, understanding their differences is essential for building safer, healthier, and happier communities.This workshop is designed to add context to Race: Are We So Different? exhibit and ongoing realities of racial injustice today. During the workshop, participants will play a popular board game to demonstrate the differences between equity and equality. The workshop includes facilitated discussion to highlight connections between the game and reality and spark new ideasabout how to implement positive social change in our everyday lives.

Participants should be old enough to follow multiple instructions of a board game, perform addition and subtraction of 4-digit integers with ease, make strategic decisions during game play, and think critically about complex societal issues.