SCHOOL TOURS
Before Your Tour: Educators
School Educators: If you would like to visit the museum prior to the school tour so that you know what to expect, there is an “Educator Pass” available for download (contact us for more information). When you arrive at the museum present the pass and your school identification to the front desk. Note: Cross Orchards has free admission, so you do not need a museum pass to visit.
School Tour Basics (AKA What to Expect)
Bus Pickup/Drop-Off Locations
Museum of the West:
- For unloading/loading: Please use the de-acceleration lane that is located on Ute Avenue.
- Once children and adults have been dropped off at the museum, buses may park in the parking lot in front of the back entrance of the Whitman building. Please see map below.
Dinosaur Journey
- For unloading/loading: Please pull up in front of the entrance to drop students and adults.
- Once children and adults have been dropped off at the museum, buses may park in the back parking spaces facing Taco Bell. The parking spaces will be designated for school transportation only. Please see map below.
Cross Orchards
- For unloading/loading: Please pull up to the front of Cross Orchards’ office building to drop off students and adults.
- Once children and adults have been dropped off at the museum, buses may park in the designated spaces. Please see map below.
Be on Time!
Please arrive on time for your scheduled tour! Arriving on time helps make the experience run smoothly.
Check In!
Once you have arrived at the museum, please check in with the front desk and give them the number of students and chaperones that will be on the tour. If you have added more students or chaperones you may have to pay an additional charge.
We require one chaperone for every ten students (K-12 only).
One free adult admission per every ten students (K-12).
Additional chaperones are charged the group admission rate.
Above grade 12, we include one free instructor admission.
Stay With Your Docent!
At the beginning of the tour, the docent will give a brief orientation of what the expectations are of students and chaperones during the tour.
Follow the Rules!
Creating a successful learning environment for all students and visitors is important to the Museums of Western Colorado. To provide the best experience for everyone, we have listed our expectations below. The docent will have a group orientation prior to the tour. We expect all rules to be remembered and followed.
- Teachers and chaperones must always stay with their groups!
- Please walk in the museum. NO RUNNING
- As the museum is open to the public, please be respectful to others around you. No screaming or loud voices.
- Respect others in your group as well as staff.
- We do have some “hands-on” exhibits, but many are not. During the tour the docents will inform the students which exhibits are okay to touch. Otherwise please make sure they are respectful when observing the items.
- No food, drink, candy, or gum in the galleries. Front office staff will direct you on where to place backpacks and water bottles. Please note we do encourage students and chaperones to bring water when visiting Cross Orchards.
- Photography is permitted in some galleries. Please ask the front office staff for details.
Please Note: Teachers and chaperones you are responsible for the students. Please make sure they are respecting staff and our museum. The docents are not responsible for maintaining students’ behaviors. The museum does reserve the right to refuse entry and to remove any.