School Year Field Trips: FAQs and Pricing

Yes, all groups visiting MCNY require an advanced reservation.  

*Note: If you are booking for a group who...

• is not in K-12
• can only come on a weekend  
• requires a date outside of our summer or school year season dates  

…then please reserve a tour with our Group Tours colleagues.

Reservations can be made for K-12 field trips through our booking page. 

At least one week before the trip date.  

Other considerations that could impact when you choose to schedule your trip include:  

• Your transportation—many school buses require one to two weeks advanced notice.
• Field trips are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis—it is best to put in a request for your preferred trip and dates as soon as you know. It may book up! 

Each field trip experience can accommodate a maximum of 35 students and can only run once* per time block.

Organizers looking to book for multiple classes or for more than 35 students have the option to book:

• different field trip programs for each additional group up to 35 students.
• different days for the same field trip program for each additional group up to 35 students.
   

*Please note: a select number of our field trip programs can run for two groups (up to 70 total students) at the same time, pending availability. These options are The Greatest Grid, Revolutionary New York, and Exploring New York Through Artifacts. 

We accept payment by credit card, check, wire transfer, or Purchase Order.*

*Rare exceptions may be made for organizers who can only pay with cash. Prior approval must be made with the School Programs Team for these instances by contacting the School Programs and Field Trips department.

If not paying by credit card, details to complete your payment will be included in your confirmation email. Payment is due two weeks from the purchase date. 

Reservations for our field trip programs can be made through our online booking system.  

All programs are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Book early to reserve your preferred program and time!

• Fields Trips are available Tuesday–Friday
• 2026-2027 School Year field trips are available beginning Tuesday, September 29 through Thursday, June 17.
• Tours start in two timeblocks: 10 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. Limited afternoon times are available upon request.
   

There are no indoor eating facilities for groups at the Museum. Field Trip groups are not permitted to use the café to sit or purchase lunch.

Available outdoor options include:

• The Museum's front courtyard is open to the public and may be used by school groups on a first-come, first-served basis.  
  *Please note that there is limited table seating in this area.  
• The Museum is located across the street from Central Park, offering many locations for groups to sit and eat. 

Yes! All of our field trips are guided experiences facilitated by experienced museum educators and include hands-on, interactive activities.

*Please note: Teachers and chaperones are expected to stay with the group at all times and engage with the students, the museum guide, and the program activities.  

Yes, though we cannot guarantee gallery availability.

Due to capacity constraints in the galleries, we cannot guarantee in advance that a group will be able to visit any gallery other than the space reserved for their field trip.

Groups who wish to visit additional galleries before or after their tour will be told which galleries, if any, are available upon their arrival at the Museum. Galleries where other groups have a field trip scheduled are not available to other groups.

Yes! We understand that not all field trip requests are the same. If you would like to speak to someone before booking your field trip, contact the School Programs and Field Trips department.

Changes to your reservation can be made through the online booking system up to two weeks before your trip date.

If you need to make a change to your reservation within two weeks of your trip date, contact us with the following information:

• Include your order ID in the field marked "Your Name"
• Tell us what changes you are hoping to make
• Send to the School Programs and Field Trips department

While we will do our best to accommodate any changes, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.  

Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy

Please note that all reservations are subject to our Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy:  

• Rescheduling within 10 business days: 50% of the cost of the field trip program can be applied to the rescheduled trip.  
  Note: Our team will work with you to try to find a new date for your tour, but we cannot guarantee that a new date will be available.
• Cancellations made from the scheduled trip date:
  • More than 10 business days: full refund
  • Between 5 and 10 business days: partial refund (50%)
  • Within 5 business days: non-refundable 

Contact the School Programs and Field Trips department or refer to your 1 Week Reminder email for direct contact information.