How to Schedule a Tour

Requests for school tours or visits must be submitted using our tour request form at least four weeks in advance for any of SAM’s three locations: SAM Downtown, the Seattle Asian Art Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Print this page for quick reference.

Step 1: Fill Out an Online Request Form

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

Tours and visits 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 after a guided program and continue viewing exhibits, please be sure to request a self-guided visit on your request 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 is your tour invoice, chaperone information, visit guidelines and any pre-visit materials will be emailed or mailed to you after your tour has been booked. Your booking is not final until you receive this confirmation letter/invoice. 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 schooltours@seattleartmuseum.org.

Step 3: Payment

Please do not send payment with your initial online request. The confirmation letter that you receive once your visit is booked doubles as an invoice and contains payment instructions. Payment prior to your tour date is preferred but not required. Please do not bring your payment with you on the date of the tour. Please pay before or after your visit by check or credit card according to the instructions on your confirmation letter/invoice.

The fee for guided and self-guided programs is a flat rate per group (1–35 students) that includes museum admission for students, teachers and chaperones. The fee for Art Goes to School is a flat rate per class (1–35 students). Fees are indicated on the online request 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 subsidized Art Goes to School workshop. Partial bus reimbursement is also available.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellation requests must be made in writing no fewer than two weeks or ten working days in advance of your visit. Please email your request to schooltours@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 instructions and tips for the day of your visit (including where to park a school bus and where to eat sack lunches), please visit the How to Prepare for Your Visit page.

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.