School Visits

 
Q. Does OMCA accept Purchase Orders (PO’s)?
A. We accept PO’s only from Oakland Unified School District schools.
 
Q. What methods of payment does OMCA accept?
A. Field trips may be paid for by cash, credit card, or check.
 
Q. Can we get a refund if we cancel our field trip?
A. You must notify us four weeks in advance if you wish to cancel your tour and receive a refund. Payment will not be refunded with less than four weeks’ notice.  If we have not yet received payment, you will still be required to pay the amount owed, if you cancel with less than four weeks notice.
 
Q. Can we change our tour time or date after we have booked a trip?
A. All changes to your tour booking are subject to availability. To request a change please contact us by email at docentcenter@museumca.org, or call us at 510–318–8470. Due to high call volume during the early fall booking period, our response time may be longer.
 
Q. May we visit another gallery on our own after our scheduled tour?
A. You may visit the Art or History galleries on your own, though on very busy days you may be asked to wait to enter. Groups without reserved tours in the Days of the Dead exhibition are not permitted to enter that exhibition until after 2:00.
 
Q. May I book docent tours of two galleries in one day?
A. No, we find that students cannot concentrate on a second docent–led tour. You are welcome to take the students through the second gallery for a self–guided visit, subject to the constraints noted above.
 
Q. How much time should we allow for our visit?
A. A gallery tour is usually about 45 minutes. See the School Programs Guide for information on the length of specific programs. You may plan to eat lunch or a snack in the Museum gardens before or after your tour.
 
Q. How many chaperones are required for my group?
A. The Oakland Museum of California requires 1 chaperone for every 10 K–12 students. We ask that you limit chaperones to no more than 1 for every 4 students. Extra chaperones will be asked to pay 1/2 price admission ($6.00) on arrival.
 
Q. Do I have to bring chaperones if I am bringing high school students?
A. Yes. Students in K–12 grades need to be with their chaperones at all times while visiting the Museum. The same 1:10 chaperone to student ratio is required. Chaperones must be over 18 and not attending a K–12 school.
 
Q. How do I book my class of university students for a tour?
A. Please see our Group Tour page. East Bay community college teachers may use the School Tour Reservation Form to book a tour.