Please note that we are doing our best to meet field trip demand, but the dates you are interested in may already be filled. You will receive a reply to your reservation request as soon as possible.
We are open and ready to help you plan a self-guided field trip for grades 3 and up. At this time, we are not accepting on-site visit requests for kindergarten through 2nd grade students. Student groups are not required to show proof of vaccination. While masks are recommended and appreciated, they are no longer required. We recommend you follow your district and school guidelines regarding masking when planning for your Museum visit.
Please complete our online form to request a field trip visit for grades 3 and up.
Learn more about the Museum’s safety policies and procedures. Discover how we support your instructional goals through our online resources and virtual field trips.
Middle and High School Students
Discover the historical context. Create the future.
Engage and empower your students with these field trip options. Register in advance for a student workshop take advantage of our free in-gallery activities.
IDEA Stations
Engage with history at our new IDEA stations, where students actively analyze and interpret the past. Facilitated by trained staff and volunteers, these 20-minute hands-on experiences work best with a group size of about ten students.
Conversation Starters
Jazz Talk – Grades 6 to 12
Please note: This experience has been suspended until further notice. Enrich your visit to Chicago: Crossroads of America with a role-play activity! Take a seat in the Jazz and Blues Club and use slang cards to have a Roaring Twenties–style conversation. Free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Facing Freedom Student Workshop 
On-site workshops are currently suspended, but virtual workshops are available. The Facing Freedom in America exhibition is available for on-site self-guided visits. A downloadable free resource coming soon!
Recommended for grades 7 to 12
75-minute experience per class. Cost: $5 per student. Make a reservation.
Based on Facing Freedom in America, this workshop encourages critical thought about freedom and issues of social justice in American history, particularly in the areas of workers’ rights, armed conflict, public protest, and race and citizenship. Students become historians as they analyze and discuss objects and then add their own voices to the exhibition—curating a display case filled with their selected artifacts and handwritten interpretive text.
Advance reservations required. This workshop is available Monday through Friday and can accommodate ten to sixty-five students per day.
Coming in September – A student graphic organizer for any exhibition to help with self-guided visits.
Coming in October – City on Fire: Chicago 1871 gallery guide.