Schools
Tours & Field Trips
Tours at WMA are composed of both gallery and studio time and are geared towards K-6 grades, with flexibility built in for middle and high school students as well. WMA welcomes groups of public, private, and home school students throughout the year to learn from exhibitions, with the guidance of Art Educators and fun, volunteer tour guides.
On tours of our galleries, students will be led by one of our trained tour guides as they learn about select pieces on display. We encourage students to ask questions and tell us their thoughts on the works they encounter. Studies have indicated that using Content Framing Questioning when looking at art can boost literacy and comprehension skills just as they do when discussing literature, so we ensure that students on tour are asked about the artwork they see using Content Framing Questions. Asking these types of questions also increases observational skills, which are important in many professions, from medical workers to law enforcement officers. By encouraging students to talk about what they see, students leave our galleries knowing that art is for everyone, and that anyone can talk about and appreciate art!
The standard cost per person for tour and activity is $5, but may vary by activity or length of field trip. In addition to school tours, WMA provides tours of our galleries for adults. The cost is $3 per participant. For a tour and activity, the standard cost is $5 per person, but may vary by activity or length of trip. The minimum number for a group tour is 5. The maximum is 36. Groups may also participate in self-guided tours (no cost associated), and we encourage visitors who would like to do a self-guided group tour to call ahead so that museum staff are ready to welcome you. Please ensure that an appropriate amount of chaperones are attending your self-guided group. Click here to submit a WMA tour registration request.
While you’re planning your next trip to WMA, educators can click here for WMA’s free, standards-based lesson plans, which are inspired by works of art from the museum’s collections, and are categorized by grade and subject matter.
Bus On Us
Bring your students to the Wiregrass Museum of Art during the 2023-2024 school year with our Bus on Us program, a partnership between WMA, Dothan City Schools, and Houston County Schools to provide reimbursed bus transportation for PreK-12 field trips to the museum. We want every student in our local school systems to experience regular visits to WMA so they can benefit from new exhibitions and hands-on art education to cultivate lifelong learning through visual art. Each Dothan City and Houston County school receives reimbursement for 8 buses covering the system-approved cost of mileage and bus driver time to the museum, during the tour, and after the museum tour for up to 4 hours. Learn more about WMA’s partnership with Dothan City Schools for grade-specific learning needs here.
Click here if you are a part of DCS or HCS to submit a Bus on Us tour registration request.
“WMA’s student tours are an amazing option for a local field trip with free transportation! The tours provide an engaging art experience for students of all academic levels. The docents maintain students’ attention and their hands-on lessons make everyone feel like an artist. ” – Crystal Forehand, visual arts teacher at Kelly Springs Elementary School
Bus on Us is generously sponsored by Mike Schmitz, MidSouth Bank, and SmartBank.
How It Works:
Schools in Dothan City and Houston County Schools systems plan how to distribute their Bus on Us field trips between grades or groups.
Educators register for Bus on Us tours by phone (334-794-3871) or email (jwise@wiregrassmuseum.org) and submit reimbursement forms.
WMA reimburses the school system for the allotted number of buses.
Pre K-12 Students receive consistent arts education experiences over their school career, building their creativity and critical thinking skills!