School Group Tours
"Music is truly the universal language and the MIM knows how to speak it."
Authorized reprint from: Paola Lopez, 14-year-old 8th grader,
Greenway Middle School
"It is near impossible to replicate this type of learning in the classroom. There is just nothing similar that provides the opportunity to immerse a classroom in its subject matter and motivate the curiosity and interest of its students."
Authorized reprint from: Sandy Grimes, Paradise Valley Unified –
Whispering Winds Academy, Foothills, Echo Mountain Band
Schedule a tour at the Musical Instrument Museum, Arizona’s best field-trip destination! A visit to MIM delivers exciting learning opportunities that combine arts education, social studies, and science with a fun experience! MIM tours and curriculum support Arizona academic standards and focus on the sights and sounds of musical instruments from every country and major territory in the world. Students plunge into exceptional sensory experiences, with dynamic audio and video recordings built into every exhibit. Nearly five thousand musical instruments and objects are displayed in MIM’s five major Geographical Galleries. Guideports (wireless headsets) and high-resolution video screens allow students to see, hear, and observe the instruments.
Time in the Experience Gallery is included in every tour, where students can engage in valuable hands-on activities that include touching and playing authentic instruments from many different countries.
MIM's School Group Tour Offers:
Choose from four different tour formats for grades K–12, each aligning with Arizona academic standards.
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Two-hour experience featuring orientation video, tours, free choice learning, and time in the Experience Gallery for grades K–12. Group tours are welcome to stay longer than two hours if your time allows!
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Tours are offered seven days a week during regular business hours. MIM suggested tour times are at 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m., but our team is delighted to work with you to tailor the time and length of tour to your needs.
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Curriculum materials provided at no cost on the MIM website.
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Tours are customizable for grade level.
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$8 admission fee per student; Artist Residency program in the MIM Music Theater is an additional $2 per student.
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Chaperones help to ensure a first rate experience for all students. MIM recommends that the school provide one chaperone for every five elementary students and one for every ten middle- and high-school students and will admit those chaperones at no additional cost.
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$75 deposit or a Purchase Order (P.O.) will hold the reservation and apply toward final payment.
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MIM meets all Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility. Please notify the Education Team prior to your tour for any special-needs requests.
SCHOOL GROUP TOUR OPTIONS
NEW! Musical Instruments and Animal Art of Asia Tour
(Best for Grades K–2)
Spark the interest of younger students and explore the musical instruments found in Asia. Each instrument on the tour resembles an animal. A variety of animals are represented, including the crocodile and a mythical dragon. By looking at interesting materials, colors, shapes, and the different ways that instruments make sounds, students recognize that animals are found in many of the decorations of musical instruments in Asia. This tour includes a drumming circle, hands-on music-making opportunities in the Experience Gallery, and read-aloud storytelling.
Compass Guided Tour
(Best for Grades 3–12)
Tours are customized for specific grade level
Led by docents, this exciting “trip around the world” offers an in-depth look at fourteen different exhibits, highlighting countries and musical cultures in all five of MIM’s major Geographical Galleries. Students are introduced to the diversity of the world’s musical traditions, from an Indonesian gong workshop to a recreated workshop featuring Martin acoustic guitars. Students learn ways that instruments have changed over time, as humans move around the globe and interact with each other. Content and curriculum aligns with Arizona State Standards in science, social studies, and music education.
Discovery Semi-Guided Tour
(Best for Grades 3–12)
Tours are customized for specific grade level
The perfect combination of free learning choices and docent-led tours, students select the exhibits they want to explore in all five of MIM’s major Geographical Galleries, guided by docents and group discussions. With the help of their teachers and chaperones, students work in small teams using a scavenger-hunt worksheet as they observe the similarities and differences of the world’s musical instruments and the impact culture and environment have had on their development.
Trailblazer Self-Guided Tour
(K–12)
With the help of MIM’s curriculum and supporting materials, teachers and chaperones lead their students through MIM’s five major Geographical Galleries. This tour focuses on learning more about the world’s people, places, and musical traditions. The Experience Gallery is a must-see along the trek, as students can examine and play a variety of instruments similar to those they see in the gallery. Tour content and policies subject to change.