School visits to Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) nurture a learner-centered environment that supports art literacy through engaging, fun, and sometimes unexpected lessons utilizing 21st-century skills and Common Core State Standards (CCSS). OMA staff encourages each student to develop the skills associated with looking at, talking about, and making art—perspective taking, cultural empathy and awareness, communication, and inquiry—essential for success in the modern world.

General Information

• Field trips, including self-guided visits, must be scheduled a minimum of 30 days in advance. Please direct all inquiries regarding group admission and tours to Amelia Campbell, Visitor Experience and Volunteer Manager at amelia@oma-online.org. Include key contact person, preferred tour date, number of students in group.
• All tours support English Language Arts CCSS by encouraging critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration
• All tours address Visual and Performing Arts CCSS in the component strands of artistic perception and aesthetic valuing.
• Hands-on art workshops support the creative expression component strand.
• All tours accept a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 36 students
• A minimum of one chaperone for every 12 children is required
• Field trips, including self-guided visits, must be scheduled a minimum of three weeks in advance
• Some exhibitions may contain mature content. Teachers should become familiar with exhibition content before visiting with students.

School Visit Options

Discovery Art Tour (45 minutes)
Tuesday–Friday, 9:30am–12:30pm
Discovery Art Tours include a 45-minute teacher-led tour of OMA’s current exhibitions. Open-ended and exploratory, students learn the tools necessary for looking thoughtfully at art through looking strategies, describing, imagining, and responding.

Cost is $5 per student (free for Oceanside Unified School District schools).

Discovery Art Tour Plus Artmaking Workshop (75 minutes)              
Tuesday–Friday, 9:30am–12:30pm
Add a hands-on art project to the field trip experience. After the Discovery Art guided tour, students visit the Van Hunnick Education Center downstairs and design a take-home project. The guided tour and hands-on activity during this 75-minute experience are facilitated to align with themes and materials according to grade level and current exhibitions.

Cost is $8 per student ($5 per student for Oceanside Unified School District schools).

Self-Guided Visits
Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00-4:00pm     
Visit the museum galleries at your own pace, with your own lesson. Experienced museum educators are available to help plan your self-guided experience. Click here to request a visit and include your request in the notes field at the end.

Cost: Free for all schools (includes one adult chaperone per 12 students).