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 the Barnes’s grade-level specialists. Lessons include hands-on activities, art making, and age-appropriate instruction, focused on cross-curricular arts integration, while visits to the Barnes introduce and reinforce learning concepts while getting up close and personal with artworks in the collection.

These programs are free and include all materials, busing, and admission costs. Learn more.

Field trips are available for all pre-K–12 students and may include stops in our special exhibition space. 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.

Visits are free for public and charter schools in the School Districts of Philadelphia and Camden, and for all Catholic schools in the Delaware Valley. Catholic schools in Philadelphia and Delaware Valley 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, using our self-guiding resources. These visits may take place during open hours, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, beginning at 11 am, pending availability.

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