Tours
Public Tours
Note: No public tours will be held during the month of December.
Meet at the main admissions desk to enjoy a docent-led gallery tour free with your general admission ticket. Choose from 'Best of Bowers' highlights of the permanent collection or 'Public Gallery Tour' which will vary and may include temporary exhibitions. Tours are subject to volunteer docent availability and may need to be cancelled without notice. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Free Public Gallery Tours, Held Daily
Tue - Fri*
1 pm Best of Bowers Public Tour
2 pm Public Gallery Tour
Sat - Sun
11 am Public Gallery Tour
*1 pm Best of Bowers Public Tour
2 pm Public Gallery Tour
*Note: There will also be no 1 pm Best of Bowers Tours on Festival Days.
Private Group Tours
Book your Group Tour today!
Contact tours@bowers.org or call 714-567-3680.
Plan an extraordinary day for your group! Bowers offers a variety of docent-guided and self-guided touring options through any of our permanent or special exhibitions. Groups of 15 or more enjoy special discounts on admission, dining, and shopping! Ask about adding an adult art project to your tour to enhance the experience.
Click Here to Download Group Tour Flyer
Click Here to Download Group Tour Rules and Guidelines
Tour deposits must be made no later than two weeks after initial booking and one week before actual tour, for last minute requests. Tours subject to availability, advanced booking strongly advised.
- Groups of 15 or more receive $1 off general admission and $3 special-ticketed exhibitions!
- May include a private, guided tour led by our amazing docents
- Enjoy specially priced group dining options through Tangata
- Groups of 20 or more also receive 20% discount in the Gallery Store – more than shopping, it’s a cultural experience!
- Tour Operators receive 1 free ticket for every 15 purchased!
General Admission for Groups
Adults: $17
Seniors (age 62+) and Students (12+): $14
Children (under 12): $8
Members: Free
Special-Ticketed Exhibitions for Groups
Adults: $25
Seniors (age 62+) and Students (12+): $22
Children (Under 12): $7
Children (Under 3): Free
Members (after first free visit): $10
Group Tours - FAQs
Group pricing at the museum is applicable for prebooked self-guided visits, docent-led tours, and virtual tours.
School Tours
School Tours and Art Projects - Onsite and Online!
Book your School Tour today!
Email tours@bowers.org or call 714-567-3680.
Tours and art classes at the Bowers Museum are designed for grades K-12 and are available all year to accommodate school districts and school-site services with year-round schedules. These experiences provide unique opportunities for students to engage with cultural arts from around the world. Students enjoy an interactive, docent guided or self-guided tour of our permanent and/or changing exhibitions designed to explore critical thinking skills and promote cross-cultural understanding. As a part of their tour, students participate in a hands-on art class inspired by themes in our galleries that they are able to take home with them and share with their families.
Scholarship Funding Now Available for Onsite and Virtual Tours!
The Bowers Museum School Partnership Program is being offered to Title I schools in Orange County as a way to encourage teachers to integrate the arts across the curriculum and as an extension of their classroom.
If you are a Title I school in Orange County, you are welcome to apply for grant funds to assist with tour admission and art class, and transportation reimbursement.
Click Here to Download Virtual Tour Scholarship Application
Click Here to Download Onsite Tour Scholarship Application
Click Here to Download School Tour Rules and Guidelines
Free tours for Title I schools in Orange County are made possible, in part, through funding from The Nicholas Endowment, Dhont Family Foundation, Linda I. Smith Foundation, Pacific Life Foundation, O.L. Halsell Foundation, and the Segerstrom Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Specified General Fund for the Museum Grant Program under the California Cultural and Historical Endowment.
Current Offerings
California Bounty: Image & Identity, 1850-1930
Suggested Grades: 3+
Art project: Plein Air Landscapes
Learn about the unique visual culture of California by exploring landscapes, portraiture, and still life!
California Legacies: Mission & Ranchos
Suggested Grades: 3-5
Art Project: Cochineal Prints
Explore the history of Orange County and California from the early Spanish missions to the rancho settlements.
Ancient Arts of China: A 5000 Year Legacy
Suggested Grades: 5+
Art Project: Watercolor Scrolls
Witness the incredible evolution of Chinese art and culture from the Neo-lithic Era to the last dynasty!
Spirits & Headhunters: Art of the Pacific Islands
Suggested Grades: 6+
Art Project: Shields
Explore ceremonial masks, implements and vessels for feasting, and the art of personal adornment from the vast and diverse Pacific Islands!
Indigenous Californians
Suggested Grades: K-3
Art project: Native American Baskets
This tour offers a unique opportunity to delve into the diverse and fascinating stories of our state through our other historic galleries.
Logistics
Onsite Tours are 2-2.5 hours long
- 1 Hour Private Docent-Led Tour
- 30 Minute Break
- 1 Hour Private Art Project
Pricing
- Onsite tours: *$15 per Student ($7 tour, $8 art project; special exhibition pricing may differ)
- One FREE Chaperone (Teachers/Parents/Guardians/Volunteers) per 15 Students
- Special Needs Aides Free
Availability
- Tuesday-Friday
- School Tours start at 9:30 am each morning
- Afternoon school tours start at 12:30pm.
- Minimum of 15 Students; 70 Students Maximum Per Visit
- If less than 15 students, $200 minimum payment
Virtual Tour options now available! Contact tours@bowers.org or call (714) 567-3680 for details.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available on a first come, first served basis for grades K-12.
- Click here to download a Virtual School Tour Scholarship Application
- Click here to download an Onsite School Tour Scholarship Application
*$9 for most special-ticketed exhibition tours, exceptions may apply.
Virtual Tours
Free Virtual Highlights Tours
These free virtual tours are made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor.