School Visits
Plan a field trip today!
Inside History Lessons at the National Public Housing Museum. Photo by Joe Nolasco.
School visits are best suited for grades 5–12, though we welcome inquiries from all grade levels.
- Length: 75–120 minutes
- Group size: up to 45 students per time slot
- Chaperones: at least 1 adult per 10 students recommended
- Guided and self-guided options
- Cost: $15 per student*
* Financial barriers should not prevent students from visiting the Museum. Free and discounted school visits are available. Schools are encouraged to share access needs when submitting a visit request.
A dynamic learning experience
The National Public Housing Museum welcomes students and educators from across Chicagoland to explore the history and lived experiences of public housing and community life in America.
Our Historic Apartment tours offer students an immersive, visual, and auditory experience that connects history to the present and invites reflection on housing, race, policy, resilience, and belonging.
We work closely with teachers and facilitators to ensure visits are age-appropriate, curriculum-connected, and meaningful for every group we serve.
Questions?
Contact us at [email protected].
What to expect from a visit
- Visits are best suited for grades 5–12, though we welcome inquiries from all grade levels.
- Guided Historic Apartment tours with facilitated dialogue and reflection
- Connections to social studies, civics, history, and social justice learning
- Opportunities for student voice, discussion, and inquiry
- Pre- and post-visit supplemental learning materials available
- Self-guided visit options also available
Access & Equity Commitment
We believe all students deserve access to cultural institutions, regardless of a school’s financial resources.
The National Public Housing Museum is able to offer a limited number of free or discounted tours for schools facing financial or structural barriers to visiting. Schools are encouraged to share access needs when submitting a visit request.
Questions?
If you have questions about scheduling, accessibility, or financial support, please contact us at: [email protected]
We look forward to welcoming your students and learning together.
Frequently asked questions
Are field trips and group visits available every day?
Tours and other guided group experiences are offered during our regular public hours:
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
When are the guided tours offered?
The guided tours of the Historic Apartments are scheduled throughout the day. Based on availability, groups can typically reserve tours that start at:
- 10:15 am
- 11:15 am
- 12:15 pm
- 1:30 pm
- 2:30 pm
- 3:30 pm
Contact us at [email protected] to discuss private event options if your visit falls outside of our regularly scheduled public hours.
How do I arrange a field trip for my school or group?
Tours and other guided and self-guided group experiences are offered daily, Wednesday through Sunday. To request a reservation, please complete our group tour inquiry form. One of our team members will contact you within 2 business days with additional information about visit options and availability.
Can our school visit tomorrow (or later this week)?
We ask that you make your group reservation at least 2 weeks in advance.
How long do the tours last? How much time should I plan for my group visit?
Plan for between 90 minutes and 2 hours. The tours of the Historic Apartments run about 75 minutes. We encourage you to arrive at least 15 minutes beforehand to get settled. Your group is free to explore the rest of the museum following the tour.
For self-guided visits and scavenger hunts, plan for 1 to 1.5 hours to fully explore the museum’s exhibitions and outdoor installations.
Is there a max size to our group?
Tours of the Historic Apartments offer an immersive experience to explore Chicago history and the history of public housing through family stories and three lovingly recreated apartments from the 1930s through the 1970s.
Capacity is 15 participants per historic apartment; if you have more people, we’ll divide your group between additional tour guides and run multiple tours simultaneously from different starting points.
For groups with more than 45 participants, please contact us at [email protected] to discuss options and availability.
What is the cost?
Guided group tours of the Historic Apartments start at $15 per student/youth/senior participant and $25 per adult.
Financial barriers should not prevent students from visiting the Museum. Free and discounted school visit assistance is available. Schools are encouraged to share access needs when submitting a visit request.
Can I reserve a self-guided visit for my school or group?
Yes! In order to plan for your visit, we kindly request that all groups send a request through our inquiry form. One of our team members will contact you within 2 business days with additional information about visit options and availability.
How can I confirm the date and time of my group visit?
Submitting the group visit inquiry form does not mean you have a confirmed tour. One of our team members will contact you within 2 business days with additional information about visit options and availability.
Once confirmed, can I change my reservation?
Yes! During the reservation process, we will provide additional information about rescheduling the date or time of your group visit.
How do I cancel my guided or self-guided tour?
You may cancel your group visit with written notice provided at least 10 days prior to your tour date. Additional information about cancellations and the cancellation process can be found in your group visit agreement.
Do you offer free tours for Chicago Public Schools?
Financial barriers should not prevent students from visiting the Museum. Free and discounted school visit assistance is available. Schools are encouraged to share access needs when submitting a visit request.
Where do we enter the museum? Where can our bus park?
Your group can enter the National Public Housing Museum through our main entrance at 919 S. Ada Street, at the corner of Ada and Taylor Streets. There is a bus drop-off zone marked by a yellow curb in front of the main museum entrance.
After dropping off, buses can remain where they are or utilize the city’s free designated motorcoach on-street day parking zone at 1200 S. Canal, on the east side of Canal Street, south of Roosevelt Road. This on-street bus parking option is about 10 minutes away from the museum.
Do you have any Spanish-speaking guides?
No, not currently. But please check back in with us in the future.
Do you have a required ratio of students and chaperones?
Yes. Each group of 10 students must be accompanied by at least 1 adult chaperone or teacher.
What is my role as a teacher or chaperone during our field trip?
Thank you for bringing your school group to the museum! Please participate within reason, feel free to answer a couple of questions, and encourage participation from your class without singling students out. Our main ask is that you help our educators with classroom management. You know your class best, so please share with museum educators any tips you have for getting students’ attention, drawing answers out, and creating a brave and comfortable space. We ask that you stay engaged and avoid leaving the group or being on your phone. We know it’s difficult to take time out of your schedule and curriculum to spend time with us and understand that, as chaperones and teachers, you are incredibly busy after planning and leading the trip.
Can our students or group eat lunch at the museum?
If your school group would like to bring bag lunches to eat on site, please let us know in advance. Smaller groups can make use of the bleachers in our Feeling at Home exhibit or the benches outside in the Alphawood Sculpture Garden, weather permitting.
Depending on space availability and group size, other spaces may be available for groups to utilize for lunch or rent for pre- or post-visit gatherings or receptions. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.
We do not provide lunches.
Can we stay in the museum past the time of our guided or self-guided tour?
Yes! Following your tour, your students are welcome to stay in the museum during public hours to explore on their own with their chaperones.