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***Group Visits are SOLD OUT! Please check back for updates in Fall 2023 email schoolprograms@cmosc.org for more info.
Group visits are a self-guided exploration of the Children’s Museum. Children’s Museum staff will greet you, review a few rules and logistics, and then your group will be free to explore the various Children’s Museum exhibits at your own pace until the end of your scheduled visit.
Group Visit Basics
- Group Visits are for children in 2nd grade and younger. Exceptions will be considered for mixed age groups with children up to 10 years old.
- To receive the discounted pricing, groups must be affiliated with a school (public, charter, state, private, home), preschool, school district, County Office of Education, childcare facility, camp program, or a non-profit children’s organization.
- If you do not meet these criteria, but plan to bring more than 8 kids to the Children’s Museum, please contact us to let us know.
- All groups requesting a visit are REQUIRED to register with us ahead of time (at least two weeks in advance). If you do not register ahead of your visit: you will be expected to pay full price, or may be turned away at the door due to capacity limits.
- The Children’s Museum requires a minimum of 1 chaperone for every 4 children on an educational group visit (1:4 ratio). Chaperones and teachers in a 1:3 ratio are included in the cost of the visit.
- Groups with children with special needs have no minimum group size and all adults are complimentary.
Group Visit Pricing
(must meet group visit requirements and pre-register for this price)
- $14 per child; chaperones in 1:3 ratio are allowed in for free.
- Additional chaperones pay the same entrance fee as the children.
- Payment for group visits is due on the day of the visit.
Group Visit Maximum Numbers by Day
*Please pay close attention to the following group sizes when submitting your request form for certain days:
- Thursday and Friday | 48 students (2 classes)
Group Visit Scholarships
Thanks to the generous contributions of our donors, we can offer a limited number of scholarships to schools who need assistance accessing our programs. Schools demonstrating a 40% or higher socio-economically disadvantaged population are eligible for consideration. If your school wishes to be considered, please indicate accordingly on the Request Form.
Important Information
Chaperones
Chaperones play an important part in making your group visit day smooth and fun. Please assign 4 students to each chaperone prior to arriving at the Children’s Museum. Encourage your chaperones to engage with the students and keep cell phone use to a minimum. If chaperones bring siblings, include them in your head counts and be prepared to pay for them.
Please familiarize chaperones with our three rules so they can help students:
- Be safe and always walk.
- Be friendly to other people and take turns.
- Be kind to our exhibits.
What to Wear
Visits to the Children’s Museum are hands-on, immersive, outdoor experiences where students are encouraged to explore our garden and play in our water-feature area. Please be prepared that students may get a little bit dirty or a little bit wet and have them dress appropriately.
Lunches and Snacks
Bring your own snacks and lunches and enjoy them at our outdoor tables. We do not have food service or indoor eating areas available at the Children’s Museum. In consideration of guests with nut allergies, please do not bring nut products into the Children’s Museum.
*There are no indoor eating areas available during rainy or other inclement weather.
Student Drop-off and Pick-up (with school buses)
Buses must drop-off and pick-up in the Children’s Museum’s parking lot, near the front entrance.
Bus Parking
Due to limited parking, buses are asked to park offsite. Please be prepared to park at Coddingtown Mall or an alternate location.
Teacher Guides to our Group Visits
We have created a a teacher guide to getting the most out of your visit to the Children’s Museum. Please download/print your guide to have it handy for your visit! Teacher guides Include alignments to California Department of Education Curriculum and the National Early Learning Standards.
- Teacher’s Guide to Group Visits at the Children’s Museum
- Children’s Museum After Visit Writing Prompts
Timed Arrivals
We require a planned time of arrival when booking a group visit. Our group visits are allowed a maximum of 3 hours. If you arrive late, we cannot guarantee an extension to your visit.
Other Visitors
Please note that the Children’s Museum is open to the general public everyday except Tuesday, so please be prepared to share the space.
Group Visit Frequently Asked Questions
Group visits to the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County are appropriate for children in 2nd grade or younger.
Group size allowances are as follows:
Thursday and Friday | 48 students (2 classes)
*Please note: The Museum requires a minimum of 1 chaperone for every 4 children on a group visit (1:4 ratio). Chaperones and teachers in a 1:3 ratio are included in the cost of the visit.
All groups requesting the group visit discount are REQUIRED to register with us ahead of time. If you do not register ahead of your visit: you will be expected to pay full price, or may be turned away at the door due to capacity limits.
Memberships and other discounts/passes cannot be used to pay for group visits.
The Children’s Museum requires a minimum of 1 chaperone for every 4 children on a group visit (1:4 ratio). Chaperones and teachers in a 1:3 ratio are included in the cost of the visit. Additional chaperones pay the same admission rate as students. All chaperones must be over the age of 18. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a child.
Yes, teachers count as chaperones and will be counted towards the 1:4 ratio.
You may pay for your visit with cash, check or credit card. We ask that you pay on the day of your visit, we do not offer refunds for over-payment.
We ask that if you decide to cancel your group visit that you let us know at least 2 weeks in advance.
Please email: schoolprograms@cmosc.org
We cannot extend the length of the group visit. In our experience, groups find 3 hours is the perfect amount of time to visit the Children’s Museum.
Groups are encouraged to visit us and explore our indoor spaces on rainy days. However, our eating space is very limited on rainy days since all of our picnic tables are outside. Please take this into consideration when making your plans. The Museum will not have special eating accommodations for your group on rainy days.
Buses must drop-off and pick-up in the Children’s Museum’s parking lot. Buses may be asked to park at the Coddingtown Mall while they are waiting for students.
Weather permitting, your group may eat lunch in our picnic areas. Please be advised that these areas are open to all Children’s Museum visitors. Aside from water, no other food or drinks are allowed in the Museum exhibits. The Museum will not have special eating accommodations for your group on rainy days.
A tarp will be provided for your group. Smaller groups may be asked to use our cubbies located in the lobby. Please do not leave valuable items unattended. The Children’s Museum is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen items.
Please contact our staff with additional questions at schoolprograms@cmosc.org or call 707-546-4069
