School Programs

Name: Barnes Foundation
Price range: $

Come to the Barnes, or we’ll come to you. Our programs will nourish your students’ imaginations and serve your curricular goals.

Visit Us

Learn about the many ways your students can interact with the Barnes from October through June! Guided tours take place Monday–Wednesday at 10 & 11:45 am, and students in grades 8 and up can self-guide, using our self-guiding resources, after their guided tour or during our open hours for more scheduling flexibility. Eligible schools can even request a free multi-touchpoint Partner Program where an educator comes into your classroom!

Learn more below and request your visit today.

Request a Partner Program or Field Trip

Partner Programs

The Barnes provides free in-depth programming to students in grades 3, 5, and 7 in select partner schools in the School District of Philadelphia and Catholic schools in the Delaware Valley. Eligible schools receive a guided tour of the Barnes and two post-visit lessons at the school. Led by a Barnes educator, these lessons include hands-on activities, art making, and age-appropriate instruction, focused on cross-curricular arts integration. Visits to the Barnes introduce and reinforce learning concepts while students get up close and personal with artworks in the collection.

We can offer one program per grade level per school each year, with a maximum of 120 students per program. These programs are free and include all materials, busing, and admission costs. Learn more.

Guided Tours

Tours are available for all pre-K–12 students with experienced Barnes educators. During their 75-minute interactive gallery lesson (45–60 minutes for pre-K and kindergarten), students will observe artworks carefully, think critically about what they notice, and participate in activities to bring concepts to life. In addition to seeing the collection at the Barnes, students may view select areas of special exhibitions.

Visits are free, including transportation, for public and charter schools in the School Districts of Philadelphia and for all Catholic schools in the Delaware Valley. Admission is free for Camden School District schools. All other school group tours are $5 per person.

We can accommodate up to 60 students for each guided tour; larger groups will be asked to visit on multiple days.

Self-Guiding

Students in grades 8 and above may explore the galleries with their chaperones after or instead of a guided tour, using our self-guiding resources. These visits may take place during open hours, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, beginning at 11 am, pending availability.

Admission and transportation are free for groups outlined above and $5 per person for other schools (or, on Mondays only, $10 per person for a guided tour with additional self-guided access). Tickets provide general admission, and groups may need to wait in line with other visitors to enter galleries and special exhibition spaces.

School Program Endowment Donors

Endowment gifts supporting pre-K–12 education initiatives have been made by Dr. Herbert Kean and the Honorable Joyce Kean, the McLean Contributionship, and the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.

The Barnes Foundation smART Fund for Education, established by GSK, is an endowment that provides generous annual support for education programs for K–8 students in the School District of Philadelphia.

School Program Annual Donors

The Barnes gratefully acknowledges its donors for their generous support of pre-K–12 education programs in the Philadelphia region. This list reflects gifts made between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.

Education programs for students throughout Greater Philadelphia are generously funded by Richard M. Klein, Julia and David Fleischner, Syde Hurdus Foundation, Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation, Dean Family, Mosi Foundation, James Fernberger and Mary Walto, Anne M. & Philip H. Glatfelter III Family Foundation, H. Glenn Sample, Jr., MD Memorial Fund through the PNC Charitable Trusts Grant Review Committee, Goldsmith Weiss Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Rod Henkels, Marrazzo Family Foundation, Elinor Coleman and David Sparkman, the Christina Kind Charitable Fund, Boscia Family Foundation, Joy Amie Horwitz-Fram and Steven Fram, the Dean and Ann Witter Fund for Charitable Giving, Dennis J. Grousosky, those who wish to remain anonymous, and other generous supporters.

Hamilton Family Charitable Trust provides lead multiyear support for K–12 programs.

Connelly Foundation provides important support for programs serving Catholic school students.

The Barnes gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their support through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit program (EITC): Joseph Neubauer and Jeanette Lerman Neubauer; Origlio Beverage; KPK Development Co., LP; Abington Neurological Associates; Philadelphia Insurance Companies; Chubb; Ardmore Toyota; Elliott-Lewis; Andrew Kaplan; Innovative Communications, Inc.; Ninja Transfers; Rush Order Tees; and other generous donors.