School Tours
The Lightner Museum welcomes school groups at reduced rates for a minimum of 10 students. Guided and self-guided tours of the museum’s galleries are available. Tours take approximately 45 minutes and are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. All school group tours must be scheduled at least one month prior to the desired visit date.
Guided Group Tours (10 or more guests)
Option 1: Travel, Tourism, and Technology: Henry Flagler’s St. Augustine
Enjoy a docent-led tour exploring Henry Flagler’s contributions to Northeast Florida. The tour uses the museum’s historic building, the former Hotel Alcazar, to examine Flagler’s development of tourism and transportation in Florida during the Gilded Age.
This tour aligns with Florida’s 4th Grade Social Studies Standards:
S.S.4.A.4.1.: Explain the effects of technological advances on Florida
S.S.4.A.6.3.: Describe the contributions of significant individuals in Florida
S.S.4.A.8.4.: Explain how tourism affects Florida’s economy and growth
This tour option includes a hands-on activity that teachers can choose to add to their order. This add-on activity is an excellent option for those looking to spend more than 45 minutes at the museum.
Option 2: Gods and Heroes: The Classical Revival in the Gilded Age
The Lightner Museum’s Gods and Heroes tour explores how artists of the Gilded Age reimagined and retold the myths of ancient Greece and Rome through painting, sculpture, decorative arts, and design. Drawn from the Lightner Museum’s collection, the tour showcases works that reflect a fascination with classical themes and ideals at a time when America was asserting its cultural identity through art, architecture, and design.
This docent-led tour aligns with Florida’s High School Social Studies and Visual Art Standards:
- VA.912.H.1.1: Analyze the impact of social, ecological, economic, religious, and/or political issues on the function or meaning of the artwork.
- VA.912.H.1.8: Analyze and compare works in context, considering economic, social, cultural, and political issues, to define the significance and purpose of art.
- SS.912.A.1.4: Analyze how images, symbols, objects, cartoons, graphs, charts, maps, and artwork may be used to interpret the significance of time periods and events from the past.
- SS.912.A.1.7: Describe various socio-cultural aspects of American life, including arts, artifacts, literature, education, and publications.
All field trip requests must be submitted through our reservation request form. For further questions or concerns, please email the Education Department at [email protected] or call 904.824.2874 ext. 107
Reservation Information
To receive the group admission discount, the group must have a minimum of 10 participants, with a maximum number to be determined on a case-by-case basis.
School tours require a minimum of two month’s advance notice. Head teachers must submit a completed reservation request form to the Group Tour Department at least two months prior to the proposed arrival date.
Requests are not confirmed until a representative from the Education Department sends written confirmation via email, along with an attached invoice for review.
Self-guided group visits without a docent may be scheduled with one week’s advance notice and are only for smaller upper-level High School groups or College students
Chaperone Policy
Chaperones are expected to stay with their group, support student learning and be attentive participants during student visits. Lightner Museum requires one adult chaperone for every 10 students visiting the museum.
Group Arrival
Please plan to arrive at the museum 10 minutes prior to the designated time of your program. If your group is running late, please let us know as soon as possible by calling the main desk at 904.824.2874 or emailing [email protected].
What to Expect During your Visit
To ensure that everyone has an enjoyable visit, please review the following expectations with all adults and students who will attend the visit.
- Stick together. All students must stay with adult chaperones at all times when visiting the museum galleries. This includes students on self-guided visits.
- Travel light! The museum cannot store coats and backpacks for large groups. Items should be left on your motor coach.
- Discussion and Movement. There is a lot to talk about at the museum but please do so with inside voices and remind your group to walk inside the museum. Students are responsible for keeping their bodies and behavior under control at all times. Chaperones are responsible for behavior reminders.
- Screen break. Everyone should turn off cell phones or set to silent when in the galleries. In order to preserve the artwork, flash photography is not permitted in any galleries.
- Close looking encouraged, but not too close. Remind students to maintain a distance of at least 2 feet from artwork, even when pointing.
- Museum Store. Groups are welcome to visit the Museum Store in groups of 10 or less while accompanied by a chaperone.
Payment & Cancellation Policies
If you need to cancel or reschedule your field trip, please contact the Education Department at least 24 hours before the scheduled date. Cancellations made on the day of the scheduled tour are subject to a $50.00 cancellation fee*.
We understand that delays happen. Please notify the Museum as soon as possible if you are running late, so we can communicate this with our tour guides.
*Title I, St. Johns, Duval, Putnam, Clay, and Flagler Public Schools are exempt from the day-of $50.00 cancellation fee.
