School tours are available to pre K – 12 public, private, and home schools. All school visits are 90 minutes in duration.
SCHOOL TOURS
School Tours
School tours are available to pre K – 12 public, private, and home schools. All school visits are 90 minutes in duration.
Group size
A minimum of 10 and a maximum of 60 students per tour time.
Adult chaperones are welcome at a 1:10 ratio or more.
Hours
Tuesday through Friday, year-round
Tours start at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
THEME TOURS
Standard School Tour
History-Social Science, Science, and Visual Arts for Grades 3-12
Our most popular tour, the standard tour focuses on the Streetscape, introducing students to the world of the automobile and its impact on American society using the history of Los Angeles as the prime example.
Standard School Tour K-2
History-Social Science, Science, and Visual Arts for Grades K-2
This inquiry-based, hands-on experience consists of a tour in the Streetscape and art activity. Taking our youngest visitors back in time, this program explores the impact of the automobile on Los Angeles and invites students to draw connections between life ‘then’ and now.
Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design
Visual Arts for Grades K-12
Focused primarily on the feature exhibit Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design, this theme tour invites students to examine cars as art. Exploring concepts of car design, customization, the ‘art car’, and looking closely at Italian coachbuilding, students enhance their observation skills and broaden their view of the automobile as a palette for personal expression.
Aerodynamics: From Art to Science
Physical Science for Grades 8-12
Focused primarily on the feature exhibit Aerodynamics: From Art to Science, this theme tour will provide an overview of the landmarks of aerodynamic design. Utilizing more than a dozen vehicles on display, students learn about motion and force, and examine how various features of the vehicles on display enhance aerodynamic performance.
The Automobile and Architectural Design
History-Social Science for Grades 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11
Students will learn how the growth of the automobile has influenced the architectural design of Los Angeles in the 1900s. Unlike the older cities of the East, such as New York, Boston and Chicago, Los Angeles grew from a small, young town into one of the major cities of the world with the rise of the automobile. In turn, the automobile has also impacted the city, its people and their lifestyle. Through selected dioramas in the 1st floor “Streetscape,” students explore the residential and commercial buildings that reflect the social and economic changes brought about by the automobile.
Different Engines with Many Fuels
Science for Grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 9-12
This tour emphasizes the common types of engines used in automobiles, such as the steam, electric, and internal combustion engines and the variation in fuels used over this last century. Students will see real-life examples of cars that use different engines and fuels and discuss prospects of new developments in engines and energy sources in the future.
The Model T Ford: The Car that Changed American Life
History-Social Science for Grades 4, 8, 10 and 11
Students are introduced to the Model T Ford, one of the most influential automobiles in American history, and its visionary manufacturer, Henry Ford. The tour emphasizes the cultural transformation of American life in the 1900s brought about by the Model T, including Ford’s revolutionary mass-production system and its impact on American society.
FEES
To receive the school group rate, your group must be of 10 or more students.
$1.00 per student. One chaperone for every 10 students is required and admitted free of charge. Additional chaperones that exceed the 10:1 ratio will be charged $6.00 each.
A deposit of $20 will be required by check or credit card within 10 business days of a date being held based on communication between the tour contact and the Museum. No tour is confirmed until deposit is received by the Museum.
Barring extreme circumstance, the deposit is non-refundable for no-shows, cancellations or rescheduling less than 10 business days from the date of the tour.
Schedule changes with less than 10 days' notice require a new deposit.
Small groups of 20 people or less will not be charged the $20 deposit, but must submit a credit card number and will be held liable for no-shows, cancellations, and rescheduling as above.
HOW TO SCHEDULE A VISIT
School tours must be requested at least 30 days in advance by phone, mail, fax or online.
Phone:
School Tour line 323-964-6386
On-line:
Fill out the Online Reservation Form below. Petersen representative will contact you to confirm your reservation.
Mail / Fax:
Download the School Tour Request Form and mail or fax it to:
Petersen Automotive Museum
Attn: School Tours
6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Fax: (323) 930-6642
Please download the School Tours Information amd Guidelines PDF in the sidebar for more details on your visit.
PAYMENT
Please pay admission fee upon arrival. We accept cash, check, or credit card.
Your $20 deposit will be deducted from the total admission cost.
Purchase orders will not be accepted.
PARKING
There is no bus parking at the museum. Buses may drop students off on Orange Grove Ave. immediately east of Fairfax Ave. Buses are not permitted to park on Orange Grove. Please proceed one block south to 8th Street or east to Curson Street for parking. For other types of cars, parking is free for the first 30 minutes and $2.00 each additional 30 minutes. One hour validation with purchase of $20 or more in the Museum Store or Johnny Rockets located in the museum lobby. Please pay parking fee when exiting the museum at the Security Desk or with credit card only when exiting the parking structure at the automated parking machine.
LUNCH
Students may bring their lunches and eat them at the museum at the school lunch area located on the 3rd level parking structure just outside the 2nd floor museum exit. Please check lunches at the Security Desk before entering.
If desired, school groups may pre-order boxed lunches from the Johnny Rockets restaurant in advance of their tour date. To pre-order, please fax your completed order form directly to Johnny Rockets at 323-634-0309. If you have any questions, please contact Johnny Rockets at 323-634-0888. School groups must pick up boxed lunches at Johnny Rockets on the 1st floor of the museum and eat at the museum’s designated school lunch area as noted above.
The school group lunch area is located outdoors. Please plan accordingly. Please clean lunch area after use.
- 10am tour groups may eat lunch at the museum from 11:30am-12pm after their tour.
- 11:30am tour groups may eat lunch at the museum from 11am-11:30am before their tour.
Hancock Park (La Brea Tar Pits) is located across the street and a city block east of the Petersen Automotive Museum. It is available for outdoor lunch.
CONTACT
School Tour Line
323-964-6386
tours@petersen.org
FREE SCHOOL BUS
When a Museum visit is not a viable option due to the lack of transportation funds, the Petersen Automotive Museum offers the Robert E. Petersen Free School Bus Program. The Program provides free transportation for a school tour to the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Title I schools in the Los Angeles County are eligible to apply. For non-Title I public schools in Los Angeles County with limited transportation budgets, please submit a letter from the school’s principal or chief administrator explaining the school’s financial situation. Request must be made at least 3 months prior to your desired tour date. Limit one (1) bus per school per academic year. Regular School Tour admission rates apply. Once approved, the school is responsible for handling the logistics of ordering the buses. The Petersen Automotive Museum will pay for the cost of the bus only. Buses must be filled to maximum capacity. Please call your school district’s transportation branch to ask for information about bus capacity and estimated cost. Call the Petersen School Tour Line at 323-964-6386 for application information.
TEACHER PREVIEWS
Each summer and fall teachers are invited to attend one of several afternoon sessions to learn about our school programs, take a guided thematic tour, and receive important information about applying for the Free School Bus Program. The Petersen offers preview workshops focused on either our permanent Streetscape exhibit or each of the two temporary feature exhibits on display.
TEACHER FREE ADMISSION CARD
Educators are encouraged to visit the Museum in advance of their school tour. Apply for a Free Teacher Admission card to visit the Museum at any time during the Museum’s normal operating hours for FREE. Also includes admission to educational programs, such as symposia, panel discussions, gallery talks, film screenings and book signings by scholars and other experts highlighting subjects introduced in Museum exhibitions.