A reservation may be made for up to 60 students for the Summer Program in grades K–12 and 100 students for the Arts Access Program during the school year. If the number of students is larger than 100, please submit separate requests.

Scheduling FAQ

Q: May I make a group reservation over the phone?
Due to the high volume of school requests and the number of details we must collect, it is preferred to use the online request system, however if you need further assistance, please contact School Group Reservations at (310) 440-7322.

Q: I have more/fewer students than I indicated in my request. How do I make a change?
Please call School Group Reservations at (310) 440-7322.

Q: I don't want a tour. Do I have to make a reservation?
Yes, reservations are required for all school groups. All reservations include a Guided Tour. Students are encouraged to explore the gardens with chaperones following their tour.

To schedule a guided virtual visit, please visit Getty Virtual Art Explorations program.

Confirmation
Due to the high volume of requests that we receive, we prioritize sending confirmations according to date of the visit requested. If you have any questions on the status of your request or you have not received a confirmation email within four weeks, please call School Group Reservations at (310) 440-7322.

We require one teacher or adult for every 10 students. Chaperones are responsible for monitoring and accompanying students at all times during their visit, even if students are high school aged, for safety and security purposes.

Please be prepared to separate your students into smaller groups for the Guided Tour. We will tell you the exact number of students, chaperones, and how many tour guides are available. Your flexibility and assistance with this process are greatly appreciated.

After the tour, please keep students in chaperone-led groups for exploring the Central Garden. Students may re-enter the galleries with their chaperone but please avoid interrupting tours in progress or rooms that may be crowded.

Chaperone FAQ

Q: What responsibilities do chaperones have?
All chaperones are responsible for monitoring student behavior and making sure the group stays together, even if students are high-school aged. During a Guided Tour, each chaperone must stay with the tour and be fully engaged for the duration.

Q: Is there a maximum number for chaperones?
Yes. A maximum of two chaperones per 10 students may join each guided group. Additional chaperones may tour the galleries on their own and rejoin the group after the tour has ended.

Q: Do I really need chaperones for my high school students? They are practically adults.
Yes. All K - 12 groups must be accompanied by a non-student adult aged 18 or older for safety and security purposes. If students are found wandering the site without adequate chaperones, they will be required to rejoin their chaperone or leave the galleries

Q: How long will my entire visit last?
Approximately two to three hours. However, your group may stay at the Getty in small groups with chaperones if your schedule permits. Please avoid interrupting tours in progress or rooms that may be crowded.

Parking is FREE for K - 12 groups who have made reservations for a Guided Tour.

If chaperones want to arrive separately by car, when filling out your application, make sure to use the field where you can indicate that additional chaperones will be arriving by car in order to receive accommodations. If you need to make changes to an existing reservation, please call School Group Reservations at (310) 440-7322.

The Getty offers bus funding for eligible Title I schools or organizations. Funding is limited; distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis; and not guaranteed or automatic. If bus funding is available at the time you request a visit, the online request system will provide further instructions and information. Bus funding is only available for visits before June 6, 2025 due to our fiscal year processing.

It is the field trip organizer's responsibility to schedule transportation. If you are approved for bus funding, you will receive instructions about how to schedule your bus prior to your visit. See bus-funding guidelines for more information, or call School Group Reservations at (310) 440-7322.

Your Guided Visit
Our Guided Tours are ideal for first-time or repeat art museum visitors. Our guides are trained to facilitate engaging explorations of artworks using student-centered learning strategies. Students practice looking closely at one or more works of art in each gallery, learning to actively construct understanding using their own observations.

This lesson addresses Common Core Standards and supports the Visual Arts Content Standards in the area of perception and aesthetic valuing for grades K–12.

Guided Tour FAQ

Q: How long is the guided portion of the visit?
Summer tours are 45 minutes long with three to four stops in the different galleries. Guided tours for the Arts Access Program are one hour: three 20-minute stops, each in a different gallery. Please arrive on time. Arriving late will cause your tour to be shortened.

Q: Can my students have a tour of a particular exhibit or display?
Unfortunately, we cannot conduct Guided Tours of specific exhibitions, but you may explore any exhibition before or after your scheduled tour.

Q: What if I want to guide my students through the galleries myself?
Students, accompanied by chaperones, are encouraged to explore the galleries after their guided tour. This is an ideal time for customized lessons assigned by the teacher, or for teacher-led exploration. We also encourage you to use our Self-Exploration Visit Activities

Q: Will clipboards and pencils be available for my visit?
Yes. Please request them ahead of time in your reservation notes.

Introduce your students to the museum:

• Explore works of art in the collection
• Explore current exhibitions
• Pre-visit activities for all ages
• Video about visiting the Getty Center (10:39 min)

Use these simple post-visit activities to remind students about what they saw and reinforce what they learned during their guided visit.

All groups will eat lunch in a covered, outdoor seating area called the Garden Terrace during their scheduled lunchtime.

Lunch guidelines

Your lunch time is determined by your arrival time and is not changeable.

Lunch FAQ

Q: May we purchase lunches at the Getty?
Teachers can pre order box lunches for students. Please contact Bon Appétit's catering department at (310) 440-6213 or bonappetit@getty.edu for current prices and menus. Box Lunch Menu (PDF)

Q: May we change our scheduled lunch time?
No. Due to the high volume of groups using the lunch facilities, your lunch time cannot be changed.

Q: May we eat lunch inside the Getty Center Café?
No. At this moment, the Getty Center Cafe is available to the visiting public only. Groups will have lunch in the Garden Terrace.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: School groups are responsible for clearing out leftovers from Getty-provided coolers before returning to the bus. Any items left behind will be disposed of or moved to Lost and Found.

• Do I have to submit an application for each location if I want to come to both the Getty Center and Getty Villa Museum?
• Can homeschools request a visit?
• How can I determine the appropriateness of the artwork at the Getty?
• What happens if we arrive late?

Q: Do I have to submit an application for each location if I want to come to both the Getty Center and Getty Villa Museum?
Yes, advance requests are required. Submit your request here.

Q: Can homeschools request a visit?
Yes. Homeschools follow the same guidelines as all other scheduled groups, including bringing 10 students or more.

Q: How can I determine the appropriateness of the artwork at the Getty?
Getty displays works of art produced throughout Western art history. Many of these may depict nudity, religious scenes, and other potentially sensitive subject matter.

You may wish to notify parents in advance. If you are concerned, we recommend you review our collection on our website or visit the galleries before your trip. For questions, please call School Group Reservations at (310) 440-7322.

Q: What happens if we arrive late?
Arriving late will result in a shortened tour or lunch. For the best experience, please arrive on time.