Permanent Collection Tours

All tours are free unless otherwise indicated and can be adapted to many age levels, abilities, and interests. We can also tailor them to your classroom studies. Grade-level recommendations are indicated for each tour.

Some works of art may not be on view while we reinstall our galleries. Call 870-3140 to find out if a particular tour or work of art will be available when you visit.

• African Art (grades 4-12)
  Explore the rich diversity of masks, textiles, and other objects from Africa. Enriches studies of African geography, cultures, and literature. New expanded African galleries are scheduled to open in spring 1998! How to Schedule a Tour.
• American Art (grades 5-12)
  History and literature come alive in objects created by Americans of diverse backgrounds, from ancient Native American cultures to the present time. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Art of Ancient Civilizations (grades 4-12)
  Travel back in time to explore the art of the Paleolithic era, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Complements studies of world history, the humanities or the Latin language. Parts of this collection will be off view until late winter. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Art of the Americas (grades 1-12)
  Examine a variety of objects from ancient times to the present made by the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America. Discover the spiritual and philosophical significance of these works. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Asian Art (grades 4-12)
  Not available this year because of construction. Look for brand new expanded galleries next year!
• City and Country (grades 1-6)
  Examine landscapes and city scenes to observe how people relate to their environment. Enhances studies of communities and neighborhoods. Parts of the classical collection will be off view until late winter. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Classics and the Classical Influence (grades 5-12)
  Trace the influence of ancient Greece and Rome and their art and architecture through the centuries. Recommended for humanities and Latin language classes. How to Schedule a Tour.
• NEW--Come to Your Senses (grades 1-3)
  Immerse yourself in works of art to discover how artists suggest the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. How to Schedule a Tour.
• European Art (grades 7-12)
  Study artworks from the medieval period to the 18th century in their cultural contexts. Artists include Rembrandt, Rubens, El Greco, Poussin, and Tintoretto. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Highlights of the Museum's Collection (grades 1-12)
  See a selection of our best-known works of art. The objects come from many different cultures and time periods and show various materials and techniques. The tour can explore such diverse questions as What Is art? What Is beauty? and What can art tell us about how people lived? How to Schedule a Tour.
• How Was It Made? (grades 5-12)
  Examine how the materials, methods, and circumstances of production affect finished artworks. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Introduction to the Museum (grades 1 & 2)
  Learn what an art museum is and discover the many different kinds of objects you can find in it. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Literature and Art (grades 9-12)
  Enhance your study of literature by discovering parallels in painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts. This tour is custom-designed to match the theme, period, or culture you are studying. Request at least six weeks in advance. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Math and Art (grades 7-12)
  What do mathematicians and artists have in common? Discover how artists use such mathematical principles as ratio and proportion to create works of art. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Music and Art (grades 9-12)
  Discover how a composer's use of tone, dynamics, and rhythm relates to an artist's choice of line, shape, and color in similar styles of European music and art. Limited to 30 students. How to Schedule a Tour.
• NEW--Mysteries in the Museum (grades 1-6)
  Solve artistic mysteries and puzzles by reading clues left by artists from around the world and across time. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Mythology around the World (grades 1-12)
  Learn how people of different periods and cultures have created stories to answer fundamental questions about human experience. How to Schedule a Tour.
• 19th- and 20th-Century Art (grades 7-12)
  Trace the revolutionary developments in the art of these two centuries to discover how they have reflected social changes. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Passport (grades 9-12)
  Take off for an art adventure designed to complement your foreign-language studies. Ask about tours in French or German. Request at least six weeks in advance. How to Schedule a Tour.
• People and Places (grades 1-6)
  See artists' representations of how people lived at different times and in different places. How to Schedule a Tour.
• The Period Rooms and Decorative Arts (grades 1-12)
  Move through history in the museum's period rooms and extensive decorative arts galleries. During December the rooms are decorated for the holidays. Enlivens a study of English, French, or American history. Parts of this collection may be closed during the fall. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Photography (grades 7-12)
  Explore the subjects, concerns, and techniques that have interested photographers since the 19th century. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Religion and Art (grades 7-12)
  Explore how religious beliefs have been expressed around the world from ancient to modern times. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Safari through Art (grades 1-3)
  Search for real and imaginary animals in a variety of media. How to Schedule a Tour.
• NEW--Science and Art (grades 1&endash;12)
  Investigate the many connections between science and art by studying diverse subjects and media. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Sculpture (grades 4-12)
  Discover the range of materials and forms of expression that artists use to create reliefs and three-dimensional works of art. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Visual Elements (grades 1-12)
  See how artists have used color, line, texture, and shape in countless ways to create unique works of art. A perfect complement to your studio-arts curriculum. How to Schedule a Tour.
• Women in Art (grades 4-12)
  Examine art created by and about women through the ages. Enriches a variety of multicultural subjects. How to Schedule a Tour.

Expand your tour with slides and/or related classroom or gallery activities. Tour workshops last about 90 minutes.

Pre-tour materials will be sent to you after you book the tour. Limited to 30 students. $1 per student.

Africa (grades 4&endash;6)
Explore the diversity of African geography, peoples, and art by looking at masks, textiles, and sculpture and by sketching patterns in the gallery. This collection will be off view for part of the year. Watch for the new African galleries scheduled to open late spring!

Art of the Americas (grades 1&endash;6)
Learn about the importance of storytelling and animals to the art and traditions of indigenous peoples from North, Central, and South America.

China (grades 4&endash;6)
This tour workshop will not be offered this year because of gallery construction.

Egypt (grades 4&endash;6)
Decipher hieroglyphics on tomb objects to learn about ancient Egyptian culture and beliefs. This collection will be off view for part of the year.

CTC Plays into Art
Follow a Children's Theatre Company play with a related tour at the museum. Offered in conjunction with most CTC plays. Call (612) 870-3140 to see if a tour is available for the play you are planning to attend. To provide a quality experience, space is limited to 60&endash;90 students per hour, depending on the tour.

The Minnesota Orchestra Concerts and Art
Enhance your experience of a Minnesota Orchestra Young People's concert by taking a related tour at the museum. Call (612) 870-3140 to schedule a tour to complement the Orchestra's December concerts, The Thrill of the Orchestra and Symphonic Storms: A Conversation with Libby. To provide a quality experience, space is limited to 60&endash;90 students per hour, depending on the tour.