School Tours

Stories & Objects: Guided Museum Tours

Looking for a unique and interactive guided experience? Join one of our knowledgeable museum docents on a 60 to 90 minute tour of the museum. All tours are free and available year-round during Museum operating hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These programs adhere to the Colorado academic standards for history and encourage participants to interact with our local past. We ask that you schedule a guided tour at least 2 weeks in advance to ensure ample time to coordinate with our museum docents. Please use our online form to arrange your tour.

Recommended for 3rd grade and up
Maximum of 50 students (please break students into groups of 10-16)
Must have one adult chaperon per 10 students
Please let us know in advance if you would like us to include specific exhibits in your tour – we will do our best to accommodate your request

Self-Guided Tours

We recommend a self-guided tour for younger students and for larger groups (more than 50). Please schedule self-guided tours using our online form. The following educational activity sheets, in addition to writing boards and pencils, are available at the front desk free of charge:

Museum Picture Hunt - Ages 6-12, challenges visitor to explore and find 10 items throughout the museum and answer a question about those objects.
Step Back in Time - Grades 3-5, a fun and informative activity featuring short answer questions, picture matching and true and false questions.
Museum Interactive Guide - High School & other adult visitors, an inquiry based activity with 9 questions about exhibits throughout the museum.

Questions?

Contact the Museum Educator, Meg Poole at 719-385-5631 or email at mpoole@springsgov.com to discuss educational programs at the Museum.

Did You Enjoy Your Tour?

Please complete our Tour Evaluation Form after your tour or classroom program so that we may better serve you!

Guidelines for School Groups

We want you to have a great time while visiting. The following guidelines will help you enjoy your visit to the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.

Arrival

Please make every effort to arrive on time. Tours who arrive late will only receive a partial tour; tours may not be extended due to a late arrival.

Please divide students into groups of 10 to 16 before you arrive at the Museum.
A loading zone is available on Vermijo (south of the museum) for bus loading and unloading. Buses may not park in the loading zone for the duration of the tour. There is no set parking for buses, but often their is space available east of the museum on Vermijo.
A handicap ramp is available on the southwest corner on the building.
If weather permits please leave coats on the bus.
Please leave backpacks, lunch bags, and water bottles on the bus.

Parking Options

City Administration Building Parking Garage - Only $1 after 4pm and on weekends!
Downtown Parking Meters
Depending on the day you may find a free parking spot on Vermijo, just east of Nevada.

Chaperons

We request the following guidelines for chaperons for your group:

One chaperon for every five students be provided for grades pre-K through 2
One for every ten students for grades 3 and up.

Name Tags

Although name tags are not required, we highly recommend them. They allow our volunteer Docents to communicate much more effectively during the tour. Please write names large enough to be read.

Lunch

If you would like to eat lunch at the Museum please make arrangements before your visit. Students may picnic in our park around the Museum to include the gazebo on the south lawn. We do ask that the students respect the grounds around the Museum, leaving them as they found them. Trash containers are located all around the Museum.

Museum Store

Students may visit our Museum Store at the end of their tour. Please let us know when booking your group if your students will be visiting the store.

We ask that no more than five students visit the store at one time. Small purchase items such as stickers, pencils, and postcards may be purchased for between $.50 and $3.00.

Restrooms

If your group needs to use the restroom facilities before their tour begins please let the Docent know as soon as you arrive. Restrooms and drinking fountains are located on the first floor of the Museum.

Please share the following rules and guidelines with your students and all of the adults attending the field trip:

Student Rules

Curiosity is a wonderful thing, but something as simple as a touch can leave acids and residue on very valuable objects that may not be able to be removed. Please do not touch objects in the galleries unless they are marked “Please Touch.”
There is no running or jumping allowed inside the Museum.
Students may not leave the group at any time without being accompanied by a chaperon. Chaperons, please keep your children with you at all times.
Please use inside voices so as not to disrupt other visitors.
If you have a question during the tour, please raise your hand.
Candy, gum, beverages and food are strictly not permitted inside the Museum.
We understand the importance of taking home memories of your visit, however flash photography is very damaging to artwork and artifacts and is not allowed in the Museum. Postcards, books and images of our collection are available in the Museum Store.
While we understand the importance of communication, the use of cell phones can be very disruptive to other visitors. Please do not use cell phones in the galleries.
The cases in our galleries are very fragile and contain artifacts that are very fragile as well. Please do not lean on, or use the cases as writing surfaces, in any of the galleries.
Please follow directions and suggestions from museum staff.
Laugh, have fun, ask lots of questions and participate!

Chaperon and Teacher Guidelines

We ask that chaperons and teachers refrain from visiting with each other or talking on the phone when the Docents are speaking to the students.
Please assist the Docents when there are behavior or noise issues.
Please allow the children time to answer the questions, even though it is sometimes tempting to answer for your students. It is also helpful when teachers give clues to children by reminding them of recent readings, assignments, class discussions, or prior knowledge.
We encourage teachers and chaperons to get involved in tours…please ask questions, too!

The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is a city-owned, non-profit organization that depends on support and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to continue providing quality educational programming. We appreciate your support.

The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is not responsible for any personal injury or loss/theft of property.