The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Schedule a guided tour of The Aldrich for your students, facilitated by our Museum Educators!

We offer participatory tours to explore our current exhibitions while addressing a variety of learning goals, incorporating best practices in museum education to foster learning for all ages and abilities.

Tour rates begin at $8 per student, with the option to add a Studio Activity for an additional $7 per student. We offer free visits for Title 1 Schools.

Choose from Three Styles of Tours – any of which can be tailored to your interests!

Contemporary What?
Our most popular tour! An introduction to contemporary art through the Museum's current exhibitions, focused on visual literacy and creative expression – great for first-time visitors and those interested in a guided visit.

ArtWrite
An investigation into the Museum’s current exhibitions through creative writing and design-based activities that build critical thinking and communication.

STEAM
A focused approach to the connections between the Museum’s current exhibitions and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art (+ Design), and Math.

+ Add-on Studio Activity (+$7 per student)
Enhance your students’ learning experience with a guided, hands-on art-making activity, inspired by the materials and processes in our current exhibitions and facilitated in our Museum Studio. The Studio Activity can be added onto any tour type for an additional cost per student.

Please fill out the below form to request more information on School Tours:

The Aldrich offers a nationally recognized program called Common Ground, where artists, students, and teachers share an immersive residency experience that fosters collaboration, creativity, and dialogue centered on social justice. This programs can be tailored to homeschool groups, learning pods, or traditional classroom settings. Email aldrichedu@thealdrich.org to learn more.

Book a Professional Development Workshop at The Aldrich for your team, facilitated by our Museum Education staff!

Workshops are 1.5 hours, with the option of adding a 1-hour private meeting for your teachers in our Museum Studio.

We offer professional development workshops designed specifically for K-12 educators and other professional groups, in collaboration with area school districts and inspired by the Museum’s Current Exhibitions.

During these workshops, participants will look closely at contemporary works of art, participate in in-gallery activities, engage in studio art-making, and develop teaching materials to bring back to the classroom. The Aldrich actively consults with professionals in neurodivergent teaching practices and continually adopts methods to incorporate learning strategies for diverse populations.

Previous workshop themes have included:

• Art Across Disciplines
• Activating Student Engagement
• Mindfulness in the Classroom
• Creativity under Constraints

Kindly note:
We request a minimum reservation notice of two weeks before your scheduled PD date. A 50% deposit payment plus booking fees is required at the time of booking to secure your date.

Please fill out the below form to request more information on Professional Development Workshops:

Generous support for Education and Public Programs is provided by Bank of America; Connecticut Humanities; The Cowles Charitable Trust; David T. Langrock Foundation; Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts; Fairfield County Bank; Gage Fund; Goldstone Family Foundation; The Leir Foundation; Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation; Ridgefield Thrift Shop; and Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.