Vizcaya presents outstanding opportunities for learners of all ages – in an environment unlike any other in Miami – that is certain to amaze and astound your students. We are in the process of reviewing and enhancing educational programs for schools and other visitors, with our current offerings specified below.

For reservations or information on group tours, please contact Jessica Aguilar at 305-860-8421 or jessica.aguilar@vizcayamuseum.org.

Tours
Pricing
Cancellation
Scheduling
Supervision
Lunch
Map & Driving Directions
Photography
Self-Guided Activities
Bags & Backpacks
Gift Shop
Museum Education Program (MEP)

Tours
Guided tours of the Main House are available for school groups from 4th – 12th grades.  Group tours are conducted by professionally trained Volunteer Guides and are available by appointment any day of the week.  Tours last approximately one hour.  Because Vizcaya fetures 34 rooms on several floors, each tour may not include all areas of the Main House.  However, to include visiting the Main House or gardens more extensively on your own, plan to spend at least two hours. 

The Learning Division of Vizcaya has developed new tours for school audiences which support local, state and national curricular goals.  The following newly developed thematic and inquiry-based tours are available for school audiences as of April 1, 2008:

     Geography & Exploration, 4th – 8th grades
     A Day in the Life of Vizcaya, 4th – 8th grades
     Art & Art History, 4th – 5th grades
     Vizcaya & The American Renaissance, 6th – 12th grades
     Design & Architecture, 4th – 5th grades
     Design & Architecture, 6th – 12th grades 
     
     * Tour titles subject to change pending pilot program review.

For descriptions of each theme tour and a classroom lesson, please visit School Tour Descriptions & Materials.


Pricing
To qualify for the discounted group rate for student tours, tours must be reserved within five (5) days of the scheduled tour date.  Guides are guaranteed for groups who reserve at least three (3) weeks in advance of the scheduled visit.  Reservations may not be made more than six (6) months in advance.

• The discounted group rate for students ages 4 years and above is $4/person.
  A minimum of ten (10) students is required to receive the discounted group rate and a volunteer guided tour. 
• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens requires one (1) adult chaperone for every ten (10) students, these chaperones are admitted at no charge.  Additional chaperones, above that ratio, receive the discount tour rate of $4/person.  At minimum, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens requires two (2) adult chaperones for every visiting school group.
• Once a tour has been scheduled, a confirmation packet will be sent to the group leader.  The tour is not confirmed until you receive notice from the Museum.
• Cash, school check, or credit card (Visa/Mastercard/American Express) are accepted as payment.  Personal checks are not accepted.
• Payment in full is required upon arrival.  No deposit is necessary.
  
  
    

Cancellation
All reserved tours must be canceled with the Group Tour Coordinator as soon as possible in the event a group is unable to visit.  Please contact Jessica Aguilar at 305-860-8421 or  jessica.aguilar@vizcayamuseum.org.

Scheduling
Though the estate and Main House are quite large, individual rooms within the Main House are small.  For this reason, the number of students in a visiting tour is limited to seventy (70) and the number of students on a reserved tour of the Main House, at one time, is limited to thirty-five (35) people. 

• To accomodate groups of thirty-five (35) or more the group is asked to divide into sections that can alternately tour the Main House, visit the gardens, and have lunch over a period of at least two hours.
• Prompt arrival is important, since tours are led by Volunteer Guides.  Groups arriving later than fifteen (15) minutes of their scheduled time may forfeit their reserved tour.

Supervision
It is the responsibility of teachers and chaperones to supervise students at all times, during guided tours or self-guided tours, in any area of the estate.  Chaperones accompany small groups of students, divided from the larger group, during the tour, and supervise students during all aspects of the visit.  To aid in supervision, Guidelines for Chaperones  may be shared with chaperones prior to the day of your visit.


Lunch
Students may bring their lunches and eat in the shaded group picnic area.  The outdoor space includes a grassy area and tables which seat approximately eighty (80) people.  Groups must package lunches together in a box or bag with the school name on the front.  Lunches may be stored inside the Main House until the group is ready for lunch.  Volunteer Guides can help direct groups to this area upon arrival at the front entrance.  Unfortunately, at this time, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens does not have a covered or indoor area for lunches in the event of rain. 

No eating or drinking is permitted in the Main House, gardens or David A. Klein Orchidarium.

All groups of ten (10) or more wishing to eat at the Vizcaya Café need to make advance reservations, 305-856-8189.


Map & Driving Directions
Download map and directions (pdf) or click here for directions.

Photography
Visitors to Vizcaya are welcome to take photographs or videos in the gardens only.  Photographs and videos are not permitted in the Main House for the benefit of other visitors and to protect our collection.  Information on film and photography permits may be obtained here.


Self-Guided Activities
Self-directed art activities are permitted in the Main House and gardens.  These experiences should be reserved in addition to a guided tour, or instead of a guided tour.  Visitors interested in sketching indoors may only use graphite pencils.  No other materials are permitted inside the Main House.  Visitors may sketch and paint outdoors; no sprayed materials, permanent markers or electrical tools are permitted.  Vizcaya Museum and Gardens reserves the right to prohibit any materials security officers or staff deem unsafe for the public, estate or collection.


Bags & Backpacks
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens does not have a bag check.  Students should leave book bags and backpacks at school or on the bus.  Vizcaya security officers reserve the right to review bag size upon entry and prohibit any bags large enough to pose a hazard to the collections.


Gift Shop
Gift Shop visitation is at the discretion of the group leader.  Small groups of students (10 maximum) may visit the Gift Shop, but must be accompanied by a chaperone.


Museum Education Program (MEP)
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens places great value on its participation in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Museum Education Program (MEP). The MEP is a collaborative effort between the school system’s Art Education Office and local museums. The program is designed to provide students an opportunity to view and discuss original art and architecture. Throughout the school year, students in grades 4-12 are taken to Vizcaya and are given a curriculum-specific tour of the Main House. This is followed by a hands-on art activity in the gardens. The Art Education Office arranges transportation and Vizcaya waives its admission for this partnership.

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