Group Visits: Preschool - Grade One
Enjoy a day of open-ended, free-choice, child-directed play and learning for preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders. Your students will explore, discover, immerse, imagine, and connect with the natural and cultural wonders of the Bay Area as they play in our unique exhibitions.
Groups will be met at the front gate to the Museum by a museum group greeter who will provide a brief introduction to the museum and some general guidelines for your visit.
All group visits will run rain or shine. Picnic tables are available for use during your scheduled visit time. Indoor lunch spaces can be made available only when it is actively raining. Due to limited indoor lunch spaces, your group will be assigned a rainy day lunch timeslot at the time of your reservation. Please remember that the Museum has both indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces; having your group dress in layers will help prepare everyone for any extremes in weather.
Prior to your visit, read the descriptions of our exhibitions and how they correlate to the California Curriculum Standards. [Exhibition Descriptions (PDF)] This PDF will give you ideas on how to allot time during your visit so that children are able to fully immerse and engage with each exhibition.
Available Dates And Times
Visits can be scheduled for your group year-round. Please reserve your visit well in advance of your desired visit date. Visit dates for February, March, April, and May fill quickly.
Group visits are available Tuesdays - Fridays and are available in 2.5 hour time blocks. If you plan to eat lunch in the Museum, you must do so within your 2.5 hour timeslot. Your rainy day lunch timeslot will be booked with your group reservation. Groups larger than 40 people total will need to book two lunch timeslots for rainy days. Arriving on time will ensure that you have ample time to explore the Museum with your group.
***Please note: Due to capacity issues, group visits are not available on our Free First Wednesdays: Sept 7, 2011, Oct 5, 2011, Nov 2, 2011, Dec 7, 2011, Jan 4, 2012, Feb 1, 2012, March 7th, 2012, April 4th, 2012, and May 2nd, 2012.***
Fee Schedule/ Group Sizes
Year-Round: $6 per child (regular group price)
October – February: $3 per child (with scholarship)
***Membership cards and admit passes cannot be used as part of the payment for group visits***
The minimum number of children for a group visit is 10; the maximum number of children for a group visit is 60.
An adult to child ratio of 1:5 is required for all group visits. One chaperone is admitted free for every five children; additional chaperones pay the student rate as listed above. All chaperones must be at least 18 years old. Please note: Adults required to assist children with special needs are always admitted free.
Scholarships
The Museum’s admission scholarship program offers reduced-price visits for schools serving a population where 50% or more of the children qualify for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. There are no transportation scholarships available at this time.
Admission scholarships are available for group visits from October through February. No scholarship visits can be scheduled after February 28. Please reserve your visit early; spaces will fill up quickly.
Registration forms for scholarships need to be submitted by fax or mail. Please download the Group Visit Registration Form (PDF) to send in. If you register by phone, we must receive your scholarship registration form by fax or mail within two weeks of making your registration. Incomplete forms will not be considered for the scholarship.
Please do not send payment with a scholarship registration form. You will be notified if your school is awarded a scholarship.
Registration Guidelines
A non-refundable deposit equal to 20% of your total fee is due at the time of the reservation. The balance of your fee is due on the day of your visit.
We cannot hold incomplete reservations for more than 72 hours. Reservations not completed within this timeframe will be released.
Registration Methods
1. Call the Operator and Registration Coordinator: at (415) 339-3931. Please fill out the Group Visit Registration Form (PDF) before calling to ensure that you have all of the required information. We cannot hold a date if any information is missing.
2. Fax us: the Group Visit Registration Form (PDF) at (415) 339-3901.
3. Mail us: the Group Visit Registration Form (PDF). Attn: Operator and Registration Coordinator, 557 McReynolds Rd., Sausalito, CA 94965.
Questions About Your Group Visit
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions about group visits.
If you have additional questions, please contact our Operator and Registration Coordinator at (415) 339-3931.
Thank You To Our Generous Supporters
The Bay Area Discovery Museum's educational programs and outreach activities are made possible through the generosity of hundreds of local families, as well as numerous corporations and foundations. Ongoing leadership support has been provided by:
Anonymous Baker Street Foundation Bernard Osher Foundation
Compton Foundation Cow Hollow Foundation Dean Witter Foundation
Gap Foundation The Good Night Foundation Mimi and Peter Haas Fund
Lisa and Douglas Goldman Richard and Rhoda Goldman The Horace W. Goldsmith
Fund Fund Foundation
Irene S. Scully Family Foundation Kreitzberg Family Foundation Koret Foundation
Thomas J. Long Marin Community Henry Mayo Newhall
Foundation Foundation Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation JP Morgan Chase & Co. Morgan Stanley
Wells Fargo Bank
