Fitchburg Art Museum

Tours

General Information

  1. Group size - The Museum is able to accommodate all group sizes whether your group is small or large groups, students, youth groups, or adults.
  2. Your tour could have a particular focus or topic, such as Museum's varied Gallery collection or our changing exhibitions.
  3. School or youth groups may compliment their tour with a related hands-on studio art project (there may be an additional cost).
  4. Tour hours for group tours are Wednesday-Friday, from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., or weekends 11 - 4 p.m. For guided tour groups larger than 20 people, we can accommodate tours outside the Museum's hours.
  5. Tour Request Timeline - Please allow at least two weeks advance notice for requesting a tour. For information about fees or to schedule a tour, contact the Director of Docents at 978-345-4207 ext. 302 or adescoteaux@fitchburgartmuseum.org

Guided Tours

See Select a Tour for offerings and descriptions.

  • School Groups
  • Adult Groups
  • Special Interest Groups – Adult groups, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Art Clubs …

Guided Tours are docent led and are approximately one hour in length.

School Programs

Ancient Civilizations Programs

  • Ancient Egyptian Tour with Egyptian Art Studio Projects
  • Ancient Greece and Rome with Greek Art Studio Projects

Student groups from 15 to 60 can partake in our Ancient Civilizations Program: Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece & Rome offers guided tour with correlating Studio Art Project. These programs run 2 to 3 hours in length depending on total group size.

Student Groups up to 60 students can partake in a 3 tier educational programs. Please contact our Education Department and Director of Docents for more information on these custom offerings. These visits are available on Wednesday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm and must be booked through the education department 3 weeks in advance. * See Select a Tour for additional Tour descriptions.

Self-Guided Tours

Groups may visit the museum during our open hours to stroll through our galleries on a self-guided tour. Groups interested in arranging to visit in the mornings from Wednesdays through Fridays must contact the Education Department or Director of Docents by calling 978-345-4207 ext. 302.

Teachers from the Fitchburg Public Schools only may arrange a FREE self-guided visit to the museum Wednesdays – Fridays by calling Director of Docents at 978-345-4207 ext. 302 or email adescoteaux@fitchburgartmuseum.org. Requests must be made at least three weeks in advance.

We recommend teachers review the Museum Policy and Etiquette below prior to their visit.

Select a Tour

Tours listed below are led by a museum docent(s) and are one hour in length with the exception of the School Programs which are 2 hours.

  • Highlights Tour
  • Discover Egypt Tour
  • Ancient Greek & Roman Tour
  • Current Exhibition Tour – current changing exhibition
  • Ancient Egyptian Tour with Egyptian Art Studio Project
  • Ancient Greece and Roman Tour with Greek Shield Art Studio Project
  • Exploring Art Tour
  • Women and Art Tour

Scheduling a Tour

  • Tour requests can be arranged by calling 978-345-4207 ext. 302 or email adescoteaux@fitchburgartmuseum.org Guided tours may be arranged Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 pm or on weekends from 11:00am – 4:00pm. Please call or email your tour requests 3 weeks in advance for scheduling purposes.
  • Please have the following ready when booking a group visit.
  • Name of your organization
  • Main contact person for tour
  • Contact person's phone number, email address, mailing address
  • First choice of date and time of visit
  • Second choice of date and time of visit (snow date option)
  • Approximate number of visitors
  • Tour: Guided or Self-guided
  • Special requests/requirements
  • Lunch - Limited space for lunch is available to groups and must be requested at time of booking. School groups ranging from 25-60 can be accommodated in the Simonds lobby.

Please review the Museum Policy and Etiquette below prior to your visit.

Admission/Tour Fees for Docent-led tours: Please contact our Education Department or Director of Docents.

Before scheduling a tour please read all the guidelines and tour program offerings first. Please mention any special requests or special student needs.

Groups receive a Group Tour Confirmation Form in the mail or by email after booking is complete. Tours are not confirmed without receipt of the Group Tour Confirmation Form  Full payment is expected before the tour begins.  Groups are encouraged to bring a copy of this form with them on the day of the tour.

Museum Policy and Etiquette

  • Museum policy requires 1 chaperone/teacher for every 10 students. Please refer to our website for further information.
  • No running in the museum. Either you or the artwork could be hurt or damaged.
  • No touching the artwork. The oil and salt in your fingerprints damages art, and even metal.
  • Listen respectfully to others' opinions about the art.
  • We ask that you please stay together in your school groups.
  • Be aware that there are other visitors in the museum who also want an enjoyable experience. Therefore, keep your voices at a normal level, and when you have finished viewing an artwork, be mindful that you are not blocking it for others.

A note to Teachers/Chaperones: Please do not leave the task of enforcing museum etiquette to the museum guards or museum guides (docents). Museum guards and guides have other jobs to do, and disciplining students distracts them from their important roles.

Tour Cancellation and Late Arrival

Should your plans to visit change or you anticipate being more than 15 minutes late on the day of the tour, please call the Director of Docents at 978-345-4207 ext. 302

Museum Guidelines

  • There is no charge for the required accompanying adult chaperones. Additional adults will incur a museum admission fee.
  • Plan to arrive at the museum 15 minutes prior to tour start time. Refer to your confirmation sheet for your Tour start time.
  • Parking: Cars and buses may park in the Elm St. parking lot near the Simonds Building School entrance. Additional parking for cars is available in the Merriam Park Courtyard at the main public entrance.
  • School Entrance for Guided or Self-guided visits is on Elm St. at the Simonds Building glass doors. Other groups may enter at the Merriam Parkway Courtyard entrance during our open hours.
  • Please divide your group into sub-groups before arriving at the Fitchburg Art Museum.
  • The museum is handicapped accessible.

Be sure to ask about:

  • The Museum's policies on photographing and sketching in the galleries
  • Where to eat a snack or lunch
  • Where the bus should park

Arrange for Chaperones

You will need at least one chaperone for every ten students. Inform them about the focus of the trip, Museum Policy and Etiquette, and their role on the trip.

Check Out the Museum Before Your Visit

  • Visit the Museum ahead of time on your own to decide which galleries in the Museum you would like to visit. If you are not certain on which galleries would best suit your purpose, call the Education Department (978/345-4207 ext. 302) and talk with an Educator who will help you.
  • Locate the bathrooms and other amenities.
  • Prepare Your Students

Research shows that students learn more on a field trip if they are told the logistics of their trip ahead of time. Therefore, before they leave on the field trip discuss with them:

  • What the purpose of their visit is, and what they can expect to see and do
  • Whether or not they will be eating lunch or a snack, and when they will be taking breaks for the bathroom or the gift shop
  • How long they will be staying
  • Review Museum Policy and Etiquette