School Tours
School Tour Booking Guidelines
Before booking please be sure you are prepared with the following details:
- Guided tours are offered Tuesday through Friday at 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm or 1:30pm
- Guided tours need to be booked six weeks in advance in order to secure a docent
- Self-guided tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday with 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, or 1:00pm arrival times
- Self-guided tours can be booked two weeks in advance or more
- Guided and/or Self-guided school tours are NOT offered on Sunday or Monday
- Groups of 10 or more students must pre-book in order to receive free admission
- Our Student-to-Chaperone ratios are as follows:
- Minimum 1 chaperone per 10 students
- Maximum 2 chaperones per 10 students – free of charge
- NOTE: Any chaperones above the 2 to 10 maximum ratio will be charged $20 for admission on the day of the tour.
- After booking, you will receive an email response and confirmation in 48 hours, including links to download maps, directions, and behavior guidelines.
- If you have any questions about your booking, please contact the Advance Ticket Sales office at 941-358-3180. Contact the Advance Ticket Sales office for: cancellations, late arrivals, and changes to group size.
Please print and review the following PDF Downloads thoroughly before your visit, and pay particular attention to the details on student and chaperone group sizes and expectations.
School Tour Offerings
Please note that the docent led school tours listed below will NOT be offered October 16th through October 30th, 2009 due to a special joint program between the Asolo Repertory Theater and the Ringling Museum entitled "Life in the Middle". For more information on this middle school grade level program, please call Leah Page at the Asolo Repertory at 941-351-9010 x. 3306.
Guided Tours
Docent-led tours are offered for grades Kindergarten through college, for groups of 10 students or more. School tours are FREE to Florida students and teachers who book six weeks in advance.
Museum of Art: The Ringling Collection
August 2009 – May 2010
Tuesday through Friday, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm start times
Tour duration is approximately one hour
Learn about the Ringling Legacy and highlights of the permanent collection on an educational exploration of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Discover how John and Mable Ringling’s contribution has made this collection special, and learn new insight on some Baroque masterpieces. Curricular Connections: History, Language Arts, Math, Visual Art
Choose to focus on one of the following areas:
- General Focus (All ages) – introduce your students to some of the masterworks of the collection, and the legacy behind John and Mable Ringling.
- Focus on Animals (Elementary students) - explore the different ways animals have influenced our life and art, and investigate their purpose throughout art history.
- Focus on Color (Middle school students) - see color in a new way, and investigate Baroque-era painting techniques and color palettes.
- Focus on Story (High school and college students) - indulge in the timeless stories of myth and legend from selected paintings and sculptures.
Click here to learn more about the above listed school tours.
Museum of Art: Special Exhibition
All Ages – Museum of Art
Limited engagement, see below
Tour one of the special exhibitions on view at the Museum of Art, giving your students an opportunity to see another part of the world of art. Guided tours will be given for the following this season:
Venice in the Age of Canaletto: October 8, 2009 through January 10, 2010
In Search of Rockwell's America: February 13, 2010 through April 25, 2010
Circus Museum: Come to the Circus!
All Ages – Circus Museum
August 2009 – May 2010
Tuesday through Friday, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:30pm start times
Tour duration is approximately one hour
Enjoy highlights of circus history and its contributions to advertisement and entertainment. View classic circus posters, props, costumes, and wagons. Discover the start of the circus’ winter home, Sarasota, and learn how John Ringling changed this city forever! Curricular Connections: Visual Art, History, Language Arts, Math.
Self-Guided Tours
Year-round
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm and 1:00pm arrival times
On a self-guided tour, you will guide your group, but you won’t be alone in the planning! We provide fantastic materials for download on our website, that guarantee your group a memorable experience. You may book a FREE self-guided experience and visit the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, Tibbals Learning Center, and Rose Garden. You may also view the first floor of Cà d’Zan Mansion. Self-guided tours can be booked two weeks in advance or more.
If you are ready to make your school tour reservation, please open the form provided below.
Booking of a school tour constitutes an agreement to abide by all museum guidelines and procedures. Inability to meet behavioral and procedural guidelines may result in dismissal from the museum grounds. Groups that do not meet student and chaperone expectations may not be confirmed for future tours.