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How to Schedule a Tour or Visit

Registration at least four weeks in advance is required for school groups visiting any of SAM’s three locations: Seattle Art Museum Downtown, Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park.

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Step 1: Fill Out an Online Request Form

This form provides us with the necessary information to begin processing your request. It does not constitute a confirmed tour booking.

Tours must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance of your visit. Email, fax or phone requests are not accepted. The museum cannot accommodate unscheduled groups.

If you would like your group to stay in the museum and continue viewing exhibits after a guided program, please be sure to request a self-guided visit on your registration form. There is no additional fee for a self-guided visit on the same day as a guided program and there is no time limit for self-guided visits.

Step 2: Confirmation

Your confirmation letter—including an invoice, directions, parking instructions and any pre-visit materials—will be mailed or emailed to you after your tour has been booked. Your booking is not final until you receive this confirmation letter. If we are unable to accommodate your group, you will be notified via phone or email. If you need to communicate with the museum, please contact the Tour Coordinator at 206.654.3123 or tours@seattleartmuseum.org.

Step 3: Payment

Please do not send payment with your request. Your confirmation letter contains an invoice and payment instructions. Payment must be received in advance of your tour. Payment must be made by cash, check (payable to Seattle Art Museum) or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express). Purchase orders are not accepted.

The fee for guided and self-guided programs is a flat rate per group (1–35 students) that includes students, teachers and chaperone admission. The fee for ARTreach workshops is a flat rate per class (1-35 students). Fees are indicated on registration forms.

Schools with 40% or more of their students on a subsidized lunch program may apply for a 50% fee reduction for guided and self-guided visits to one of SAM’s three locations; they may also apply for a free ARTreach workshop. Partial bus reimbursement is also available.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellation requests much be made in writing no fewer than two weeks or ten working days in advance of your visit. Please email your request to tours@seattleartmuseum.org. If a cancellation is made at least two weeks or ten working days before a tour date, a full refund will be granted or payment may be re-applied to any rescheduled tour. Payments made with credit card will be refunded directly to the same card. Refunds of checks or cash payments will be made by check from SAM to the party designated by the school. No refunds will be given if cancellation is made within two weeks or ten business days of the tour date.

Step 4: Plan Your Visit

If you book a guided tour, a museum or park guide (docent) will contact you approximately one week before your tour to confirm your reservation and answer any questions you may have. Please avoid giving students assignments to complete during guided programs. These experiences are interactive and require dialogue between guides (docents) and students.

For resources to enhance your class's trip to the museum, visit the Wyckoff Teacher Resource Center or explore SAM’s online collection, where you can find out what objects are on view and listen to audio guides for SAM’s collections and special exhibitions directly from SAM’s website.

Group Size and Chaperones

A single group can range from 1–35 students. At least 1 chaperone is required for every 6 students in grades K–2 and 1 chaperone for every 10 students in grades 3–12. Chaperones receive free admission and are expected to engage with students in the artistic experience as well as manage student discipline. Students must remain with chaperones at all times. Download chaperone information sheet. (PDF)

Checking-In

SAM Downtown

Museum guides (docents) will meet groups with guided tours at their scheduled tour time at the First Avenue and University Street entrance by the Hammering Man. Groups arriving prior to the museum opening should wait outside.

School groups visiting the museum on their own (self-guided visits) should enter SAM Downtown at the First Avenue and Union Street entrance and check in at the Ticketing Desk. View maps of SAM Downtown.

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Museum guides (docents) will meet groups with guided tours at their scheduled tour time at the entrance of the museum. Groups arriving prior to the museum opening should wait outside.

School groups visiting the museum on their own (self-guided visits) should check in at the Admissions Desk. View maps of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Olympic Sculpture Park

Museum guides (docents) will meet groups with guided tours at their scheduled tour time at the entrance of the PACCAR Pavilion. Groups arriving prior to the PACCAR Pavilion opening should wait outside.

School groups visiting the park on their own (self-guided visits) should check in at the Information Desk. View maps of the Olympic Sculpture Park.

School Bus and Car Transportation

SAM Downtown

Students should be dropped off and picked up at the bus loading zone on southbound Second Avenue at University Street. Bus parking is not available at SAM Downtown; however, limited bus parking is available at the following locations:

  • Alaskan Way: Free 20-minute bus parking is available on the west side of Alaskan Way, north of the Seattle Aquarium.
  • First Avenue: Free limited bus parking is available on First Avenue between Atlantic and Massachusetts Avenues near Safeco Field.


Seattle Asian Art Museum

Students should be dropped off and picked up in front of the museum. Free bus parking is available in Volunteer Park. The best place to park is north of the museum along the street; however, buses are not limited to that area. Free car parking is also available in Volunteer Park. There are many spaces in front of the museum or along the side streets.

Olympic Sculpture Park

Students should be dropped off and picked up in front of the PACCAR Pavilion on Western Avenue north of Broad Street. School bus parking is available in metered areas on streets south of the park and on Alaskan Way just north of the Seattle Aquarium. Paid car parking is available in the parking garage below the PACCAR Pavilion and on neighboring streets.

School Bus Reimbursement

Partial reimbursement for school bus transportation costs to any of SAM’s three locations is available on a first-come, first-served basis to schools with 40 percent or more students on a subsidized lunch program. Indicate your interest in partial bus reimbursement on your registration form and complete the bus expense reimbursement form (PDF) after your visit.

Public Transportation

For detailed information, contact Metro Transit at 206.553.3000.

  • SAM Downtown

    Many Metro buses serve SAM Downtown along First Avenue. Detailed rider information is available by calling Metro at 206.553.3000, Sound Transit at 206.398.5000 or Community Transit at 206.353.7433.

  • Seattle Asian Art Museum

    Metro bus #10 stops along 15th Avenue behind the museum. Follow one of the walking paths through Volunteer Park to the museum.

  • Olympic Sculpture Park

    Metro buses #1, 2, 13, 15, 18, 21, 22 and 56 stop along First Avenue just one block east of the park on Broad Street. Other buses service Second Avenue.

 

Museum Safety Rules

  • Please do not touch any of the works of art.
  • Food, beverages and gum are not permitted in the galleries.
  • Bags, purses and backpacks larger than 11 x 15 inches must be checked or left in a school group storage bin. Students should take valuables such as wallets and cell phones with them into the galleries or park grounds. At SAM Downtown, teachers and chaperones can check their bags at Coat Check near the First and Union entrance.
  • Pens or colored pencils may not be used in the museum. If you plan to have your students draw or write after the tour, please supply your own clipboards and pencils.
  • Photography of the artwork is not permitted in the galleries. The art objects are copyrighted, and flash photography can damage the artwork.
  • Chaperones must attend to their student groups at all times and be responsible both for their discipline and for facilitating an enjoyable and engaging learning experience for all.


Emergencies

Although we do not anticipate any emergencies occurring during your visit, it is always best to be prepared. If a medical emergency or other emergency occurs, immediately contact the nearest Visitor Services (Security) Officer for assistance.

Storage Space

If possible, leave items such as lunches or backpacks in vehicles. Limited storage bins are available at SAM Downtown at the First and University entrance for groups on guided tours and at the First and Union entrance for groups visiting the museum on their own (self-guided groups). Limited storage bins are also available at the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Seattle Asian Art Museum upon request at the Information Desk.

Lunch

SAM Downtown

Groups may eat sack lunches on the Art Ladder staircase or outside on the University Street stairs. These spaces are not guaranteed, so we advise that you plan for alternate locations for eating lunch.

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Volunteer Park is an ideal place to have a picnic. In case of rain, groups may be able to eat lunch in the Alvord Board Room vestibule. Please ask at the Ticketing Desk if this space is available. The space is not guaranteed, so we advise that you plan for alternate locations to eat lunch.

Olympic Sculpture Park

The Olympic Sculpture Park is an ideal place to eat sack lunches outdoors! If there is slight rain, we recommend you eat outdoors on the north Pavilion Terrace under the eaves. Limited indoor space may be available for extreme inclement weather. Please inquire at the park’s Information Desk. Chaperones, please supervise students around installation artwork in PACCAR Pavilion.

Weather at the Olympic Sculpture Park

We hope that you will have a lovely sunny Seattle day for your visit! However, since we live in the Northwest, we all know any type of weather is possible. Please prepare your students for all conditions. It is advisable that each student bring an umbrella and/or raingear. We will only cancel a school program due to extreme weather conditions. If SAM cancels a tour or art workshop, you will be notified and we will reschedule your group for another day without payment penalty. Call the Tour Coordinator at 206.654.3123 for weather-related concerns.

Museum Stores

Only 5 students accompanied by a chaperone may visit a SAM SHOP location at a given time.

Tour Coordinator

If you need to reach the museum about your visit, please contact the tour coordinator at 206.654.3123 or tours@seattleartmuseum.org.

 
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