Guided tours are led by experienced docents who interact with students to engage them in detailed looking, discussion, and critical thinking about works of art in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Please consult the list below to select the guided tour that is appropriate for your students' grade level and area of interest. Tours must be booked online through our Web site.
Note: Only tours marked with an asterisk (*) are available in the summer, from June 23–August 1, 2008.
Guided tours meet all Illinois state goals in Fine Arts and numerous goals and standards in English, Language Arts, Social Science, Science, and Math.
Most tours are one hour in length, unless otherwise noted. Exceptions are indicated on the list of tour topics below. Group size is limited to 90 students plus nine chaperones maximum per school per day. We require one chaperone per 10 students for grades 3–12; one chaperone per six students for grades 1–2; and one chaperone per four students for pre-K–K. Groups may not span more than three grade levels.
Guided tours are offered Monday–Saturday from October 1, 2007–December 20, 2007 and from January 8, 2008–May 30, 2008 at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, and noon, unless otherwise indicated. Tour confirmations will be sent via e-mail. Teachers will be contacted by a docent prior to the scheduled date of their museum visit to confer about tour content and logistics.
NEW! The Art Institute of Chicago is in the process of growing! Due to construction of the new Modern Wing, scheduled to open in summer 2009, some tours and/or galleries may be unavailable during the 2007–08 school year. The Arts of Spain and The Arts of France tours will not be offered in the spring of 2008. European Art 1300–1800 tours are now offered on limited basis between February 1 and May 30. Teachers will be informed of relevant gallery closures when contacted by the docent prior to their tour.
Guided Tours for Grades Pre-K–5
ABCs of Art: Early Childhood Education*
(45 minutes for pre-K–2; one hour for grade 3; offered at 10:00 only)
These thematic, interactive tours bring works of art to life for young children. On the 45-minute tour, students will discover two to four works of art related to the theme by reading a picture book, engaging in looking activities, and doing hands-on projects with such materials as crayons, yarn, pipe cleaners, and wooden blocks. Pre-tour activity bags are available for loan through the Teacher Resource Center.
My Five Senses*
We use our senses everyday. When we look at works of art, we can imagine the sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of what we see. Limit: 40 students Animals in Art *
Animals are everywhere! At the museum, you might discover an ancient ceramic cup in the shape of a donkey's head, paintings with fierce dragons and galloping horses, or penguins made of marble. Limit: 40 students Lines, Shapes, and Colors*
What happens when you turn a line into a shape and fill it with color? Learn the answer to this question and more about how artists use these elements to create works of art. Limit: 40 students
Grades 1–5
Self, Family, and Community
(45 minutes for grades 1–2; one hour for grade 3)
Students explore the similarities and differences of individuals and groups around the world through works of art.
Clues from the Past
(45 minutes for grades 1–2; one hour for grades 3–5)
Students sharpen observational and critical-thinking skills as they investigate what art can tell us about the people, lifestyles, and beliefs of other times and cultures.
Museum Introduction: Art from Many Places*
(45 minutes for grades 1–2; one hour for grades 3–5)
Discover basic art elements and vocabulary and develop looking skills while exploring the making and meaning of art from different cultures. Ideal for first-time visitors.
Stories in Art
(45 minutes for grades 1–2; one hour for grades 3–5)
Learn how to read stories in paintings, sculptures, and other objects and discover how artists use color, line, shape, and texture to create a visual language.
Grades 4–5 (Tours begin at 11:30 and noon only.)
Introduction to Impressionism
Investigate the subjects, styles, materials, and techniques of Impressionism by introducing artists and comparing Impressionist paintings with earlier and later works of art. Limit: 60 students
(This tour is not available April 1–June 1.)
Learning about America through Art
Travel in time through 300 years of American history as works of art introduce students to the people, land, events, and values that have shaped the United States. Limit: 80 students
Guided Tours for Grades 6–12
Museum Introduction: Art from Many Places*
Discover basic art elements and vocabulary and develop looking skills while exploring the making and meaning of art from different cultures. Ideal for first-time visitors.
Arts of Africa
Discover the variety of art developed by the rich and diverse cultures of this continent and their influence on world art. Limit: 30 students
Ancient Worlds
Investigate art from the great empires and early civilizations of Africa, Asia, the Americas, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Ideal for sixth-grade social-science students. Limit: 45 students
Art and Creative Writing
(1.5 hours; offered at 10:00 only)
Focusing on a limited number of works in the galleries, students create poems and narratives that sharpen verbal skills and visual perception. All materials are supplied. Ideal for English Language Arts students. Limit: 30 students
Art of Ancient Egypt, Greece, Etruria, and Rome
Explore the arts and ideas of four ancient cultures and trace influences seen in art of the Renaissance and modern eras. Limit: 30 students
Art Traditions of the United States
(1 hour for grades 6–8; 1.5 hours for grades 9–12)
Explore the extraordinary variety of the histories and cultures that make up our country's past and present. Limit: 80 students
Asian Art
Explore the art histories, beliefs, and values of China, Japan, India, and Korea. Limit: 30 students
Classical Mythology in Art
Examine classical myths and trace the revival and reinterpretation of these myths in Renaissance and modern art. Ideal for students with a strong background in classical mythology. Limit: 60 students
European Art 1300–1800
(1 hour for grades 6–8; 1.5 hours for grades 9–12)
Discover historical and cultural changes through the evolution of subject matter, techniques, and the function of art and the artist. Ideal for world-history students. Limit: 80 students
Arts of France
(1 hour for grades 6–8; 1.5 hours for grades 9–12)
Enhance French-language study by exploring related French art and culture from the Middle Ages to the present. Available in English or French (limited availability). Limit: 40 students
Impressionism and Postimpressionism
Learn how these paintings reflect attitudes toward nature and modern life, and compare the artists’ goals and painting techniques to those of earlier and later painters. Limit: 60 students
Modern Art 1900–1980
(1 hour for grades 6–8; 1.5 hours for grades 9–12)
Investigate how the dynamic changes in 20th-century art reflected changing world-views, contemporary history and culture. Limit: 60 students
Seeing through Drawing
(1.5 hours; offered at 10:30 only)
Sharpen observational skills and gain insight into the creative process by exploring composition, style, and technique through drawing. No prior drawing experience is necessary. All materials are supplied. Limit: 30 students
Special Exhibition Tours and PerformancesSpecial exhibition, studio, and performance programs are offered throughout the year to highlight temporary exhibitions and provide student groups with in-depth experiences in the museum. Studio and performance programs are two to three hours in length and include a docent-led tour. Registration is required for all docent-led exhibition tours, performance and studio programs, and self-conducted tours. Apply online at https://www.artic.edu/aic/calendar/registrations/tours/browse_filter.php. Tickets are required for select programs. See important ticketing and payment information below.
Special Exhibition: Benin–Kings and Ritual: Court Arts from Nigeria
Grades 1–12
This special exhibition brings together finely cast bronze figures, altar heads, wall plaques, and staffs of office; sculpted ivories; and royal regalia and jewelry in brass, coral, and ivory from the Benin Kingdom of Nigeria. Guided tours of this special exhibition provide a glimpse of court life in this west African kingdom through its royal arts.
Questions? Please call the Student Tours office at (312) 443-3679.
Illinois Learning Standards
All tours meet Illinois Learning Standards in Language Arts, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts. See below for details.
Language Arts
Goal 1 Reading—All tours
Goal 2 Literature—All tours
Goal 3 Writing—Art and Creative Writing
Goal 4 Listening and Speaking—All tours
Social Sciences
Goal 16 History—All tours
Goal 18 Social Systems—All tours
Fine Arts
Goal 25 Language of the Arts—All tours
Goal 26 Creating and Performing—Seeing through Drawing; Really Big and Really Small; Me and My World; and Lines, Shapes, Colors
Goal 27 Arts and Civilization—All tours
Foreign Languages
Goal 29 Culture and Geography—Arts of France, Arts of Spain, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Introduction to Impressionism
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