School Programs

The Barnes provides free in-depth programming to grades pre-K, 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 and may include stops in our special exhibition space; they are offered Monday–Wednesday at 10 & 11:45 am. All field trips are free (including busing) for public and charter schools in the School Districts of Philadelphia and Camden, NJ. For all other school groups, tours are $5 per person.

Learn more about field trips.

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

Self-guided visits take place Monday, Thursday, and Friday, and are free (including busing) for public and charter schools in the School Districts of Philadelphia and Camden, NJ, 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.

Learn more about field trips and self-guiding.