School Visits

Inspire your class with a visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario. The AGO offers self-guided tours, guided tours, and art-making studio sessions for students from JK - Grade 12. Our guided tours and studio sessions are 75 minutes long and can accommodate groups of up to 25 students.

All school visits must be booked in advance via the form below and fees apply. This includes quick entry to the gallery via our dedicated groups entrance, spaces for your group to meet, lunch table seating, and designated drop-off and pick up locations as well as access to a coat rack in the Weston Family Learning Centre.

$395 – Guided Tour/Studio (per 25 students)
$175 – Self-Guided Tour (per 25 students)

Bookings must be made at least four (4) weeks prior to a guided gallery visit and at least three (3) days before a self-guided visit. Once we have received your booking request, an AGO representative will be in touch.

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GUIDED SCHOOL TOURS

Group Booking - School Guided Tours Program Descriptions

Primary/Junior (JK - Gr. 3)

Once upon a Masterpiece: Art and Storytelling

Explore art, stories, and adventures in this guided tour. Students will use the inquiry process to identify and explore visual art forms from various collections and respond to them through play-based learning. Explore select works from the Special exhibitions KAWS: FAMILY and Life Between Islands.
Curriculum: Kindergarten curriculum

Going Green: Art and the Environment

How does the environment act as inspiration? In this tour, students analyze how natural and human-made environments inspire artmaking, and how artists can become activists by responding creatively to environmental issues.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Language, Geography

Elementary (Gr. 4 - Gr. 8)

Art and Identity

What does identity mean? How do artists express their personal and cultural identities through the works they create? In this tour, students analyze and reflect on diverse identities represented in the AGO's collection through the lens of their own lived experiences.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Language

In a Time Machine: Art and Storytelling

Discover the rich tapestry of visual narratives woven by artists in the collection from diverse cultures, time periods and perspectives. Engage with their stories and unleash your own creativity through the critical analysis process. Explore select works from the Special exhibitions KAWS: FAMILY and Life Between Islands.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Language

Going Green: Art and the Environment

How does the environment act as inspiration? In this tour, students analyze how natural and human-made environments inspire art-making, and how artists can become activists by responding creatively to environmental issues.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Language, Geography

High School (Gr. 9 - Gr. 12)

Art, Identity and Intersectionality

Artists possess valuable insights about themselves and the world they inhabit. In this tour, students explore personal and cultural expressions of identity through art, while also examining the social and cultural influences that shape both individual and collective identities.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Language

In a Time Machine: Art and Storytelling

Students discover how global connections and cultural exchange have influenced artists and art movements. Students explore works of art inspired by major international events that have had an impact on humans worldwide. Explore select works from the Special exhibitions KAWS: FAMILY and Life Between Islands.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Canadian and World Studies

Going Green: Art and the Environment

Students investigate how the environment has inspired artists through content, theme, style, techniques and materials. Students examine how environmental issues of the past, present and future have been — and continue to be — an inspiration for artists.
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Language, Geography

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STUDIOS

Group Booking - School Studios Program Descriptions

Primary/Junior (JK - Gr. 3)

hand holding paintbrush and paint palletes

Collograph Printmaking

Students will focus on the elements of design while creating collograph prints using recycled materials. Using water based inks, students will engage in the creative process as they develop printmaking vocabulary.
Curriculum: Visual Art

STEAM in the studio

Discover the creative possibilities where art and science collide! With STEAM in the Studio, use watercolour and ink resist to experiment with new creations!
Curriculum Links: Kindergarten Curriculum, Visual Art

Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody

Be inspired by the iconic works of Keith Haring. In this studio, students explore various techniques using line and oil pastels. Discover the endless possibilities of mark-making to create your own Keith Haring inspired masterpiece.
Curriculum: Visual Arts, Language, Media Arts

Elementary (Gr. 4 - Gr. 8)

Collograph Printmaking

Students will focus on the elements of design while creating collograph prints using recycled materials. Students will explore printmaking vocabulary as they create their own artworks.
Curriculum: Visual Art

Lino Printmaking

Using soft linoleum blocks and carving tools, students will expand their printmaking vocabulary and create bold images while printing on paper and cloth patches.
Curriculum Links: Visual Art

Drawing from Observation

In this creative exploration, students will create artworks using watercolour, pen and ink while nurturing observational skills. Students will create vibrant washes with watercolour and collage details with pen and ink.
Curriculum Links: Visual Art

Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody

High School (Gr. 9 - Gr. 12)

Lino Printmaking

Using soft linoleum blocks and carving tools, students will expand their printmaking vocabulary and create bold images while printing on paper and cloth patches.
Curriculum Links: Visual Art

Drawing from Observation

Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody

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SELF-GUIDED

Group Booking - School Self-Guided Description

All Grade Levels (JK - Gr. 12)

Book a self guided tour to explore with your class at your own pace. Beginning September 2023, to help provide the best experience all school visits will need to be booked online in advance. Your booking includes quick entry for school groups, access to lunch table seating, access to coatracks, and access to all exhibitions and gallery spaces for the day.

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School Visits FAQs

Do I need to be a TAP member to book a school visit?

No. All school educators are welcome to book. To learn more about the AGO's free Teachers' Access Program (TAP) and to find out how you can enjoy complimentary General Admission all year long and receive invitations to teacher events, click here.

Are school tours free for TAP members?

No. To provide the best experience and ensure that all school groups have access to lunch table seating, a quick entry, dedicated pick up and drop off locations and access to a coat rack in the Weston Family Learning Centre, all school visits must be booked online in advance and fees apply. Being a member of the AGO’s Teachers’ Access Program entitles teachers to individual free admission to the AGO Collection and special exhibitions throughout the year.

If my group all have annual passes, do I need to schedule and pay for a self-guided tour?

Annual passes guarantee free admission for individual admission only. To provide the best experience and ensure that all school groups have access to lunch table seating, a quick entry, dedicated pick up and drop off locations and access to a coat rack in the Weston Family Learning Centre, all school visits must be booked online in advance and fees apply.

Are guided tours offered in French?

French-language guided tours, and artmaking studios are dependent on the availability of museum educators. When booking, please specify that your request is for a French-language tour, and we will do our best to accommodate.

Are parent chaperones included in the cost of a school visit?

Yes, provided that the total group doesn’t exceed 25 persons, and the number of accompanying adults doesn’t exceed the following teacher-student ratio. For groups JK to Grade 3, we ask for one teacher for every five students. For Grade 4 to 6, we ask for one teacher for every eight students. For Grades 7 to 8, we ask for one teacher for every ten students, and for Grades 9 to 12 we want one teacher for every twelve students. For more information, please contact [email protected].

What teacher resources are available ahead of my visit?

Free downloadable materials, including artist spotlights and videos, are available here. To download a map of the AGO, click here.

How long and when do you offer the guided tours?

All guided tours and studio programs are 75 minutes long. Guided tours are offered Tuesday through Friday, and studio programs are available on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Fridays.

Who do I contact for help with the booking form?

For all questions regarding school visits at the AGO, please contact [email protected]