School visit logistics

Teachers, we’re here for you! We’ve been where you are and we understand the planning and preparation that goes in to organising a school visit. The following information is designed to help you plan, book, enjoy your visit and have as much fun as your students do. If you have any questions, call us on +64 9 306 7040 or email to schools@aucklandmuseum.com.

What we do

Learning Programmes at Auckland Museum empower all learners to understand and contribute to a changing world. The Museum is a place where all learners do amazing things!

Providing up-close access to objects relating to your inquiry topic, our learning programmes are designed to ignite the natural curiosity of learners. Many programme pages provide links to useful resources that support your students on their learning journey, after their visit is over.

Before you book

There are a number of ways that your students can access the Museum, its objects and Museum teams.

1. Most popular are our school programmes. There are a number of programmes, facilitated by Auckland Museum Learning Specialists / Kaiako, available here.
2. Some classes join us for a self-guided visit. For example, you may wish to visit a specific gallery or empower your students to undertake an activity that you have created specifically for them.
3. If transport is a challenge, our Learning Team can come to your school. A growing number of our learning experiences can be offered in classrooms or a shared space at school or in your community throughout Tāmaki Makaurau.
4. Our Kete Wānanga Museum in a Box kits provide teachers and students with access to objects and resources in your own classrooms.
5. Coming soon, we will be offering regular ‘ask me anything’ sessions, with a variety of Museum experts, via an online meet the experts offer. Subscribe to the AMLearn mailing list to be the first to know who these experts will be.

In all cases, bookings are essential. Please ensure that you book at least two weeks in advance.

To keep up to date with our latest learning programmes, we invite you to register for our AM Learn for Teachers newsletter.

School programmes

Session times

Our first onsite learning session starts at 10am.

45 minute and 1-hour sessions

• Up to four 1-hour sessions can be delivered in a day
• A maximum of 32 students can attend a session (with the exception of a session in the Library Reading Room, where maximum numbers are 15 students)
• Session start times are 10am, 11am, 12pm and 1pm
• All programmes are finished promptly by 2pm.

2-hour sessions

• Two 2-hour sessions can be delivered in a day
• A maximum of 32 students can attend a session
• Session start times are 10am and 12pm
• All programmes are finished promptly by 2pm

Self-guided visits

• Begin at 10.30am
• Most schools depart the Museum by 2pm.
• Please confirm gallery availability with the bookings team.
• Allow approximately 30–60 minutes per gallery for self-guided groups.
• It is essential that you adhere to the booking times and booked venues as early or late arrival will affect the quality of your visit and the visits of other booked groups.

Running late?

We understand that things happen that are out of your control. Therefore, if you are running late please understand that it is likely that your session time will be shorter. To ensure that all other classes have access to their booked session, we must finish each session on time.

Cost

45 minute – 1 hour session = $7 per student*

1.5 – 2 hour session = $8 per student*

*minimum of 20 students and maximum of 32 students

Self-guided visits

Free of charge for Aucklanders. If you are visiting from outside of Auckland, please ask the schools bookings team for more information.

Classes visiting for a self-guided observational art session will be charged $2 per student.

Before you arrive

• As soon as your booking is confirmed, you will receive a booking confirmation via email. Cc’d in to this email will be an Auckland Museum Learning Specialist.
• The Learning Specialist will contact you at least two weeks prior to your booked session. Please share any inquiry topics that your class may be working on as well as any access needs that your group may require.
• If your plans change, please let the schools bookings team know as soon as possible as cancellations made within 2 weeks of a booking will be charged at the full rate. We often have a waiting list and would like to make sure these sessions are available for others who are in the queue.
• Please make sure that you have enough supervising adults to support your class. For health and safety reasons, Auckland Museum will refuse entry to classes that do not meet the minimum adult supervisor ratios. These are; 1:3 for ECE, 1:6 Years 1–4, 1:7 Years 5–6, 1:10 Years 7–8, and 1:30 for Years 9–13. Please see the Health and Safety guidelines for additional information.

Preparing for your visit

• If you would like to visit prior to your session, please let the Learning Specialist, cc’d in your confirmation email, know. If available, they would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your requirements.
• Auckland Museum is open 10am–5pm, every day except Christmas Day
• The way visitors navigate around the Museum has changed due to building works, so to ensure you can easily make your way into and around the Museum, please see our getting around page.
• Most school groups are onsite between 10am and 2pm.

On the day

The day of your visit has arrived! This handy checklist may assist you:

• Make sure that you have the total number of students and adults in your group to hand – it is one of the first questions we will ask you when you arrive.
• You may want to provide the adult supervisors with an adult-supervisor guide – don’t forget to fill in your school-related details. Don’t forget, some adult supervisors may not have done this before, so they can be nervous too!
• Make sure that all adult supervisors have a plan for the day. For example, do they know what time their group needs to be in a certain gallery or learning programme? Do they know what time their lunch period is?
• Cameras can be used in all galleries and in many temporary special exhibitions.

Morning break and lunch

• For lunch and breaks, you can make use of the Domain
• Space for storing bags is limited and may be provided if available. If you can, it is recommended that you leave bags at school or on the bus.
• Lunches may be checked in when lunches for your whole party are contained within large plastic bins.
• Please play your part in making sure the taonga at Auckland Museum are preserved for future generations – food and drink must not be taken in to the gallery spaces as this dramatically increases the risk of bugs that can cause damage.
• Please be advised that the Museum cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.

Auckland Domain

Auckland Domain is the city’s oldest park and one of its most popular. The spacious green area is a pleasant contrast to the busy city centre, just minutes away. The park has formal gardens, statuary and green clearings edged by century-old trees. Features for visitors include the Winter Garden, a Sensory Garden, and duck ponds. There is no charge for entry. School groups often enjoy the grounds or the band rotunda for lunches and break times.

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Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum education programmes are supported by Learning Experiences Outside The Classroom (LEOTC), a Ministry of Education curriculum support project.