MOHAI

Museum Programs

UPDATE regarding 2013 summer visits: Our summer group visit schedule is filling up fast! Please note that we are only offering self-guided student group visits for the summer of 2013; we are not able to offer guided summer programs at this time. If you are interested in booking a self-guided summer field trip, please check available dates first by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Youth Programs and Scheduling Coordinator, at (206) 324-1126 x113.

MOHAI offers a range of hands-on field trip programs to school and youth groups in grades K-12; see below for descriptions of each of our on-site programs. Visits must be booked at least two weeks in advance (and generally more) to guarantee availability. Advance booking is required; MOHAI does not guarantee admission to student groups of 10 or more without reservations. A minimum ratio of one adult chaperone for every five students is required for all visits. Groups bringing more than one class at a time to our guided programs will rotate through the educator-led lesson, a self-guided gallery hunt, and (for four-class visits) a craft activity in our Learning Center. 

Scholarships for waived or reduced field trip costs and bus reimbursement are available to schools with 40% or more of the student population eligible for the Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Program. Please indicate your eligibility when reserving your field trip.

• Before scheduling a museum visit, please thoroughly review the following: Planning Your Onsite Program and Field Trip to MOHAI [PDF] or Planning Your Self-Guided Field Trip to MOHAI [PDF]
• Still have questions? We've got your answers here: K-12 Visit FAQs
• Pre- and post-visit curriculum, activities, and forms are available on our website here: Pre- and Post-Visit Materials
• Schedule your field trip now: Reservation Request Form (please read the above updates before requesting a field trip)

• Creating Our Community

  Grade Level: K-2nd grade
  Price: $120 per group of 10-30 students (up to 4 groups per visit); chaperones included free
  Duration: 1 hour per group
  Available: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm

  This guided program offers students an in-depth look at the working life of early Puget Sound citizens. Through role-playing activities and hands-on artifact exploration, students experience the daily routines of nurses, firefighters, bakers, and more, and learn how these occupations work together within a community, both in history and today.

• Cracking the History Code: Settling Around the Sound

  Grade Level: 3rd-5th grade
  Price: $120 per group of 10-30 students (up to 4 groups per visit); chaperones included free
  Duration: 1 hour per group
  Available: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm

  As part of the Cracking the History Code series, this guided program engages students in a game that uses real artifacts, photos, and documents to uncover historical events. Students will investigate the challenges that faced five different groups of people in traveling to or living in our region during the early history of Puget Sound.

• Cracking the History Code: Salish Stories

  Grade Level: 3rd-5th grade
  Price: $120 per group of 10-30 students (up to 4 groups per visit); chaperones included free
  Duration: 1 hour per group
  Available: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm

  As part of the Cracking the History Code series, Salish Stories focuses on the Coast Salish communities of the Puget Sound. Students will play a game that involves listening to stories, looking at historic photos, and handling artifacts crafted by local artists to discover the culture, history, language, and lifeways of our region's first peoples.

• The Significance of Salmon

  Grade Level: 4th-8th grade
  Price: $120 per class of 10-30 students + $30 resource fee per class (up to 4 classes/120 students per visit); chaperones included free
  Duration: 2 hours for 2 classes (40-60 students), 1 addtional hour per each additional class
  Available: Tues-Fri, 10am-3pm
  Notes: this program requires a minimum of 2 classes (at least 40 students)

  In our newest guided program, students investigate the important role of salmon in the Pacific Northwest . Taught by educators at both MOHAI and the Center for Wooden Boats, students will rotate between both locations to participate in a variety of hands-on activities and games exploring the history of salmon as a resource and the stewardship of salmon populations today.

• Self-Guided Visit

  Grade Level: K-12th grade
  Price: $50 per group of 1-15 students (up to 120 students per visit); chaperones included free
  Duration: any (a standard visit lasts about 2 hours)
  Available: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm

  The MOHAI education staff has developed a unique, self-guided scavenger hunt on tablet devices for teachers to use during their museum visit in place of a guided program. Students will work in small, chaperone-led groups to complete the scavenger hunt and help focus their time in the galleries. Teachers may also opt to bring their own self-guided gallery activity instead. Note: Advance booking is required; MOHAI does not guarantee admission to student groups of 10 or more without reservations.