Tours
Welcome to MCASD’s tour page. Please find the tour you’re interested in and book your tour here:
Booking a MCASD Tour Experience
Tour Offerings:
MCASD LA JOLLA:
- General Tour: A guided tour of the Museum’s special exhibition and permanent collection.
- Borderlands SD & TJ: A history of the border through the lens of contemporary artists and artworks.
- Women Artists of Color in MCASD's Collection: A look at the ways in which intersectional identities have influenced artistic practice.
- MCASD's Architectural History: An overview of the Museum's architectural history, focusing on the new expansion and the artworks surrounding it.
- Roaming the Perimeter: A tour of outdoor artworks, including works in the Sculpture Garden.
- Materiality in Art: Explore how artists use materials to express their ideas and themes.
- Abstraction in Art: Discover abstract art from the 1960s-70s in MCASD’s collection.
- Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960's: Learn about Niki de Saint Phalle's art practice and legacy, including her Tir and Nana series.
- Contemporary Art for Beginners: Explore basic elements of art appreciation, including language for artistic techniques and approaches for how to "look" at contemporary art.
- All About Kids: A fun and engaging tour for children to learn the basic elements of art.
For questions and accommodations, email education@mcasd.org
* If your group has more than 45 visitors, please contact the Education Department at education@mcasd.org. Please note that the museum reserves the right to adjust the maximum group size and/or break your group into smaller groups based on the nature of our exhibitions.
Look & Explore Tour
A Look & Explore Tour is an hour-long, visitor-centered dialogue in which visitors gain a greater understanding of works on view through visual inquiry and in-gallery activities. Museum educators facilitate lively conversations on a select number of artworks, site-specific installations, or the architecture of the museum to allow. Look & Explore Tours must be scheduled at least 3 weeks in advance and any applicable fees must be paid in full a minimum of one-week prior to the tour.
School Groups
MCASD offers guided tours and workshops for K-12 groups. All Title I schools are eligible for MCASD's Full Transit Scholarship.Learn more here
Available: Between 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Sunday
Group Size: Maximum group size of 45 people per group; 1 adult chaperone required per every 15 participants.
Cost: Free
Higher Education Groups
Available: Between 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Sunday
Group Size: Maximum group size of 45 people per group
Cost: Free w/ ID
Community Groups + Private Groups
- Available: Between 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Sunday
- Group Size: Maximum group size of 45 people per group; 1 adult chaperone is required per every 15 participants.
- Cost: Admission cost + $50 tour fee
Look & Explore + Workshop
Workshops build on the Look & Explore Tour with an additional 1-hour workshop experience in which visitors also explore process and materials. Workshops offer visitors a unique opportunity to work with museum educators on a project inspired by works on view. Workshops must be scheduled at least 3 weeks in advance and any applicable fees must be paid in full a minimum of one-week prior to the workshop.
Student + Higher Education Groups
Available: Between 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Sunday
Group Size: Maximum group size of 45 people per group; 1 adult chaperone required per every 15 participants.
Cost: $15 per person (admission included)
Community + Private Tours
- Available: Between 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Sunday
- Group Size: Maximum group size of 45 people per group; 1 adult chaperone required per every 15 participants.
Cost: Admission cost + $15 dollars per person
Self-Guided Tours
Self-Guided Tours give educators the ability to use the Museum galleries as an extended classroom. Self-Guided tours must be scheduled at least 2-weeks in advance to guarantee access for your group. Admission should be paid upon arrival.
Available: Between 10 AM – 4 PM Thursday through Sunday
Group Size: Maximum group size of 45 people per group
Cost: Free with admission
Public Tours
Join MCASD’s museum educators for public tours at MCASD La Jolla on Saturday at 2 PM.
Tours are also held at 6 PM on the Third Thursday of the month. No reservations necessary.
Cost: Free with admission.