Step into a masterpiece! View highlights of the collection and exhibitions customized for your group’s grade and curriculum level in person, or from the convenience of a digital device. Get a back stage pass by exploring artworks with Educators and Docents

Robert Indiana, LOVE, 1966, cast 2002. Painted aluminum. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Museum purchase. © Morgan Art Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Choose ONE of the following curriculum-related tours:

Angles on Art

Identify geometric principles at work in art and architecture. Geometry and Art TEKS Selected for grades K–5.

Tales & Traditions

Link themes of family, identity, and cultural heritage with works of art. Think critically, draw conclusions, and make creative discoveries about how art reflects social and historical messages. Art, Language Arts, and Social Studies TEKS selected for grades K–5.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART & Math)

Apply STEAM concepts in real world situations. Look for and describe evidence of artist experimentation, invention, and imagination. Science, Technology, and Art TEKS selected for grades 6–12.

Hero or Villain?

Nobody’s perfect. Discover the stories behind legendary heroes and despicable villains. Art, Language Arts, and Social Studies selected TEKS for K–12.

Email tours@mcnayart.org for lesson plans and TEKS.

Whether studying a particular theme in the classroom or focusing on a specific artist or art movement in mind, we can customize a tour to fit your needs. (Pro tip: with virtual tours student see artwork from the collection that may not be on view!) Plan your tour by identifying top priorities.

You may indicate up to THREE priorities of artists or themes you’d like your students to see. Tell us:

1. MUST see
2. Also nice to see
3. Only if there’s time

Students also see other highlights of the McNay.

Choose TWO featured exhibitions for your visit.

Current
Exhibitions

Spotlight: San Antonio’s K–12 Artists Examine Willie Cole’s The Sole Sitter

Since 2011, the Spotlight exhibition series has celebrated the remarkable achievements of student artists reflecting on one work in the McNay collection.…

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Georgia O’Keeffe and American Modernism

This exhibition has been extended by popular demand. Georgia O’Keeffe and American Modernism is organized with a focus on a wider, more…

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Reflecting Selves: Asian American Artists in Texas 

Asian Americans in Texas: Unmasking Stereotypes presents five Texas artists pushing against societal perceptions of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

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the Studio

The Studio, a creative interactive space, places the McNay’s mission of engaging a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the…

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Artists Looking at Art: Michael Patterson Jr.

Patterson explores the significant memories that contributed to the person he is today.

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Something Wicked | Susan Hilferty Costumes

Something Wicked presents thirty of Susan Hilferty's exquisite and avant-garde stage costumes—some from Wicked, some never seen before.

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Homes & Gardens: Lance Letscher Collages

Homes & Gardens presents fantastical collages and drawings depicting lush, fictional gardens; dense, invented landscapes; and curious dwellings.

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Margarita Cabrera: Blurring Borders

This exhibition presents a range of work by Margarita Cabrera, which focus on border relations and celebrate Mexican heritage.

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True Believers: Benny Andrews & Deborah Roberts

A historic and contemporary view of the Black experience in America through the work of two artists from different generations.

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Modern Mashup: Collecting Collage

Modern Mashup: Collecting Collage explores this cutting-edge history through works in the McNay collection.

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• Please watch our School Tour Guidlines Video.
• Bring at least one adult for every 10 students. Groups must be supervised by an adult at all times. A maximum of one adult for every five students will be admitted for free. Adults exceeding the 1:5 ratio are asked to pay the adult group discount rate of $15 during our Special Exhibitions.
• Food items, tote bags, and backpacks are not allowed inside the museum. Please have everyone leave these items on the bus.
• Look at art, but avoid touching it, including outdoor sculptures.
• If you plan to have students write or sketch, please bring pencils only and a sturdy writing surface.
• For security, closed circuit television cameras observe all galleries and record all activities.
• Photography without flash is allowed in the permanent collection galleries.
• The Museum Store welcomes teachers, chaperones, and students in groups of 10 students or less at a time. Students must be chaperoned and supervised at all times while in the store. If you plan to visit the Museum Store, please do so after your tour.

• Please print a copy of the McNay Bus Map for each bus driver. Bus drivers must follow the prescribed route. Buses may not use the circle drive at the museum’s main entrance.
• To request reimbursement from the McNay Bus Fund, please contact us at tours@mcnayart.org.

• Please have students wear boldly printed name tags (first name only).
• Before arriving, the teacher in charge should know the exact number of students and adult chaperones coming on the tour. If this number changes, notify us immediately so that we can schedule the proper number of docents for your group.
• When you arrive, check in with the front desk and let them know the number of students and adult chaperones with your group.
• If anyone in your group needs special arrangements, please let us know.
• Consult the Student Tour Information Packet attached to your confirmation email. If you did not receive the packet, you can email tours@mcnayart.org to request one.
• If you are running late or need to cancel your tour, please notify the Front Desk at 210.805.1783 AND call the Scheduler at 210.805.1767.

Masks and social distancing are optional for all visitors. Masks are encouraged on tours.

Student tours are free! Chaperones also receive free admission up to 1 adult for every 5 students. Adults exceeding the 1:5 ratio are asked to pay a discounted adult admission of $15.

The McNay offers bus reimbursement for docent-guided school visits, up to $250 per bus. Email tours@mcnayart.org for more information.

All tour types must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance and are
available:

• Wednesdays through Saturdays starting at 10:15am
• Sundays starting at 12:00pm.

The McNay is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.**
Virtual tours are available: Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm.
** Please note: the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, BUT we can
still conduct virtual tours on these days.

Student Tours and Self Guided Tours
We are currently accommodating group sizes up to 50 students.
Please bring one adult for every ten students. If you wish to bring more than 50 students, please email tours@mcnayart.org or call 210.805.1767.

Virtual Tours
We can accommodate up to 300 participants on a virtual tour

For grades K–3, tours last approximately 45 minutes. For grades 4 and up, tours last approximately 60 minutes. High school and college tours last approximately 60 minutes, or longer if requested.

Click “Request a Tour.” Be ready with:

• Name of your school and organization
• Contact name, phone number, e-mail and mailing address
• Number of students in your group
• Date and time you would like your tour
• Track option from the Student Tour Playlist at the top of
  this page

If you have any questions, please contact tours@mcnayart.org or 210.805.1767.