Education
K-12 Field trips
Ignite your curiosity
Our education team leads interactive and engaging K-12 field trips and tours (aligned with Illinois curriculum standards) that inspire a love of ancient cultures from West Asia and North Africa. All programs can offer Spanish materials and are led by highly trained museum educators and docents. We look forward to welcoming you to the museum.
Field Trips
Register HereTime Travelers
Uncover how people lived in the past by engaging in crafts, interactive, discovery dress-up, and storytelling! Tour the museum after for an introduction to the ancient world.
Recommended for: K–3rd grade students
Length: 2 hours (1 hour lesson, 1 hour tour)
Cost: $10/student, $10/adult (free for teachers/chaperones)
Mummification
An inquiry-based and hands-on lesson that shows students how mummification happens, where archaeologists find the practice, and what made Egyptian mummification so different.
Recommended for: 7th–12th grade students
Length: 2 hours (1 hour lesson, 1 hour tour)
Cost: $10/student, $10/adult (free for teachers/chaperones)
Artifact Analysis
Learn to think like an archaeologist! Analyze ancient artifacts firsthand and use the science of archaeology to discover who used them, how they were used, and why.
Recommended for: 4th–8th grade students
Length: 2 hours (1 hour lesson, 1 hour tour)
Cost: $10/student, $10/adult (free for teachers/chaperones)
Ancient Innovations
Work in teams to conduct hands-on scientific investigations of ancient technology. Examine ancient inventions to learn how STEM was used in ancient cultures.
Recommended for: 9th–12th grade students
Length: 2 hours (1 hour lesson, 1 hour tour)
Cost: $10/student, $10/adult (free for teachers/chaperones)
Tours
Register HereCollection Highlights
A guided tour that focuses on the history, art, and archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia.
Recommended for: K–12th Grade
Length: 1 hour
Cost: $7/student, $12/adult (free for teachers and chaperones)
Capacity: 10–60 participants; one chaperone is required for every group of 10 participants under the age of 18
Self-Guided Visit
Explore the galleries at your own pace! Register to lead a group of 10 or more through the Museum yourself.
Cost: $5/student, $10/adult (free for teachers and chaperones)
There is a 24-hour cancellation period. This pricing is for school or home school groups only, if you are a private group not affiliated with a school or with education, please register under the adult and family group tour portal.
Assyrian Empire
Take a guided tour focused on artifacts related to Assyria and its empire, highlighting our Mesopotamian collection.
Recommended for: 6th grade and up
Length: 1 hour
Cost: $7/student, $12/adult (free for teachers and chaperones)
Capacity: 10–40 participants; one chaperone is required for every group of 10 participants under the age of 18
Important Information
Registration
- Please book all programs via the links above at least 2 weeks in advance.
- All programs are charged a $50 reservation deposit.
- Email confirmation will be sent upon request approval.
- Cancellations accepted up to 2 weeks prior to the program, barring extenuating circumstances.
- “No-shows” will be fully charged and a $50 late fee is incurred for every 15 minutes past the start time.
- If you are a CPS/ school that cannot use a credit card to pay, please email isac-education@uchicago.edu. Our CPS vendor number is 33123. Please search for our specific address: 1155 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, to isolate the ISAC Museum's unit.
Capacity
- 2-hour field trips have a maximum of 50 students.
- Between 50-75 students requires 3-hours and will be split into 3 groups. These groups rotate between the classroom, tour, and an independent off-site activity organized by yourself.
- Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate groups larger than 75 at one time so please plan a trip over 2 or more days.
- Unfortunately, we cannot assist with lunch arrangements. For all lunch inquiries please contact dining@uchicago.edu for assistance.
- For all questions, email isac-education@uchicago.edu.
If program cost is a barrier in any way, please reach out directly to isac-education@uchicago.edu, and a team member will be happy to schedule your experience.
[The students] were really amazed by many of the things they saw, and especially the classroom portion, where they were able to think like an archaeologist. I have used that learning to inspire deeper investigations into the pictures of ancient artifacts