Field trip scheduling through Feb. 26, 2027 is now available!
Scheduling for visits in March 2027 and beyond will open on Oct. 12, 2026.
Choose the experience that fits your classroom. Whether your students are studying the Great War, their own community's history, or the Constitution itself, we have a tour built for them.
Five things to know before you book
Reservations are required at least two weeks in advance.
- We are open Wednesday through Monday between Labor Day and Memorial Day. We do not schedule field trips on Tuesdays. Groups of 50 or more may request start times as early as 9 a.m.
Payment is completed online the day of your visit.
- One transaction for your whole group (no cash) is done electronically.
For the majority of tours, chaperones are required at one adult per 10 students (admitted free!).
- A second adult per 10 students may attend at a discounted rate. Two per 10 is the maximum. More detailed information is in FAQ
Field trips are for K-12 school groups of seven or more students.
- Scout troops, universities and adult groups should request a Group Tour instead
Grant Funding may be available for you.
Full details on payment, chaperones, lunch, parking and conduct are in the FAQ and Code of Conduct, which the lead teacher must review before visiting.
Onsite Field Trips
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WWI History and Galleries Tour
Tour the Museum galleries, either with a Museum guide or on a self-guided tour. This tour focuses on WWI history specifically.
- Two-hour experience
- For students studying WWI and related topics
- Recommended for grades 5-12
- $5 per student
Read more about this experience in the FAQ -
Local and Community History
Tour the Story of the Museum and Memorial exhibition, experience an architectural tour and visit the Liberty Memorial Tower, all with a Museum guide. This tour focuses on local history, civics and the question, “How will you serve?”
- One-hour experience
- For students studying local history, state history, community and civics
- Recommended for grades K-8
- $5 per student, Liberty Memorial Tower access included
- Limited to 70 students each hour.
Read more about this experience in the FAQAccessibility note: Liberty Memorial Tower is a historic landmark and the top deck is not wheelchair-accessible. Please contact us before booking so we can plan an equivalent experience for any groups or student(s) who need one.
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Announcement coming soon
(Open Nov. 12, 2026 – May 28, 2027 ONLY)
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to plan your visit. Please read fully before scheduling.
Questions? Email education@theworldwar.org.
General Information
To sign up for a field trip, provide your preferred dates and times in the appropriate online form. Scout troops, universities, and adult groups should instead fill out the Group Tours form.
- Advance reservations are required. Contact the Education department at least two weeks before your preferred date.
- Guided tours are available on weekdays that the Museum and Memorial is open – first-come, first-served. Guided tours are not available Saturdays or Sundays, but school groups are welcome to schedule a self-guided visit on those days.
- For discounted rates, school groups must include at least seven students.
- Group size limits vary by tour. “WWI History and Galleries” is limited to 200 students; larger groups may schedule multi-day visits. “Story of the Museum and Memorial” is limited to 70 students.
- Visits may not be booked during a school's final week in session.
- Due to a high volume of tours, time onsite is limited. Groups of 200 or fewer typically have a two-hour experience on the “WWI History and Galleries” tour. Verify arrival and departure times with our staff before your visit.
School groups participate in one tour per visit.
WWI History and Galleries
Access to the Main Gallery, Featured Exhibition(s) and the Lower Level. Self-guided or with a Museum guide, subject to availability.
Objectives: Students will be able to
- Explain the causes and effects of WWI on a global scale
- Describe the enduring impacts of WWI
- Connect the effects of changing technology and society on the Great War
- Connect the effects of the Great War to innovation and change
Local and Community History: Story of the Museum and Memorial
Access to the Story of the Museum and Memorial exhibition, the Liberty Memorial Tower and the grounds. Guided only, subject to availability.
Objectives: Students will be able to
- Explain why a community chose to build a memorial, and what that choice reveals about its values after the war
- Describe how the design and architecture of the Memorial communicate meaning without words
- Connect the civic actions of Kansas Citians in 1919 to forms of service available in their own community today
- Articulate a personal response to the question “How will you serve?” using evidence from the site
Planning your Visit
Provide your preferred date and time in our online form.
School groups planning to visit the Museum and Memorial must have a confirmed appointment. Confirmation from a Museum and Memorial Education staff member, not the submission of a reservation form, guarantees a tour time.
Museum and Memorial school visits book quickly; be sure to schedule early for your first choice of time and date.
The Museum and Memorial will make an effort to accommodate requests for guided visits, but because the Museum and Memorial relies on volunteers, it is not always possible. Teachers are encouraged to be prepared to lead students through the Museum and Memorial. Guided visits are available Tuesdays-Fridays.
Volunteers provide their time and expertise to help facilitate a visit that meets your group’s needs. The more information you have on the day of your visit, the better.
- What time do you need to leave?
- Would you prefer the Museum and Memorial provide more time for independent exploration or more facilitator highlights?
- Where are your students in the course of their study? Must they complete an assignment by the end of their visit?
Yes. We welcome school groups doing self-guided tours of the Museum and Memorial, but in order to receive the student group discount rate, at least one week prior notification of the visit is needed. Fill out our online form or contact us at education@theworldwar.org.
All guests should follow Museum and Memorial procedures and all groups should be mindful of other guests and tours. If a group has more than 30 members, you should divide into separate groups starting in various locations in order to prevent congestion in any one section of the Museum and Memorial.
The typical school visit for “WWI History and Galleries” lasts two hours. This requires an efficient pace to see all areas. If you would like a longer visit, ask us – it depends on availability.
“Story of the Museum and Memorial” is a one-hour experience.
Group size limits vary by tour: approximately 200 students for “WWI History and Galleries” and 70 students for “Story of the Museum and Memorial.” Inquire about accommodations for larger groups.
Any student group must include at least seven people to qualify for the student group discount. We provide facilitators where we can with priority to larger groups.
Special activities and guides are available for visually and hearing-impaired guests with advance notice. KultureCity® Sensory bags containing special KCVIP badges, feeling thermometer, fidget tools, and noise-canceling headphones are available for checkout at no cost. Two quiet areas are also available for students as needed.
All galleries are accessible to people with mobility limitations. The deck at the top of the Liberty Memorial Tower, a historic landmark, is not wheelchair-accessible. The “Story of the Museum and Memorial” tour includes the Tower, so please contact us before booking if any student needs an alternative.
Lunch at the Museum and Memorial
Sack lunches are available from the Museum-operated Over There Café for student groups at $7 each and usually include a sandwich, chips, a cookie, and a bottle of water. Due to limited seating, sack lunches cannot be eaten in the Café. Lunches must be eaten either outside on the grounds or on your school bus.
Group orders must be placed at least seven business days prior your visit. As Museum and Memorial ticketing and the Over There Café are separate, payment for café lunches will be paid for separately. If paying by check, café orders require a separate check made out to American Dining Creations. If you must cancel, please notify us two days prior to your scheduled lunch or you will be required to pay for the order.
Students should not individually purchase food or drinks from the Café. Students are not permitted to visit the Café without an adult chaperone.
Lunches must be eaten either outside on the grounds or on your school bus.
Ticket Payment
Your invoice and payment portal will be emailed to you on the day of your field trip, after your group has arrived onsite and reported final student and chaperone counts. You will need access to your email to complete payment within 24 hours of your trip.
- We do not process payment before the day of your visit, since group numbers often change.
- Your entire group must pay in a single transaction to receive the discounted field trip rate.
- We do not accept cash. Credit cards are accepted.
- If someone other than the onsite lead teacher is responsible for payment, send us that person’s email address – via our initial field trip form – before your visit.
- If your school requires payment by check, notify us in advance. A blank check must be brought onsite by the lead teacher and completed for the exact amount as directed by education staff. Because the final amount is not known until the day of the visit, checks cannot be written in advance or mailed.
- A receipt will be emailed to you following your visit.
Yes, grant funding is available thanks to the generous donations of our funders. Qualifying schools receive free admission, sack lunches, and a stipend to assist with student transportation or substitute teacher costs.
Pre-Visit Information
Trunks of VR headsets telling the story of the Choctaw Code Talkers of WWI may be borrowed for one week at a time. Contact the Education Department for more information at education@theworldwar.org.
Yes! Check out our Classroom Materials page to learn more about our educational resources, including primary sources, information, articles and lesson plans.
Day of the Visit
Buses should unload and load students and chaperones at the north end of the U-shaped drive on the Memorial Mall, then park on Kessler Road.
Please do not block the north entrance; other guests cannot pass buses. The provided map must be given to your bus drivers, as the school is responsible for where its drivers park.
Please plan to arrive as close to your tour time as possible. Guide availability is contingent upon a daily assigned schedule and it is not always possible to accommodate early or late groups.
Upon arrival, students will be directed to congregate with a Museum Facilitator in an area appropriate for their numbers. Only the group leader should go to the Ticketing Counter with the accurate number of students and adults in the group.
If paying upon arrival, wristbands will be received at that time. If pre-paid, the group leader will need to give the attendant the confirmation ticket and all unused wristbands. If necessary, a refund check will be issued and mailed to your school.
In many cases of inclement weather, there is a possibility the Tower may close. Far less frequently, the Museum and Memorial itself may close or have a late opening. If there is concern of winter weather closing, please check our website or call 816.888.8100. If your district cancels due to inclement weather, please contact us at education@theworldwar.org.
Code of Conduct
Please review with your students and chaperones before your visit.
Technology
- Silence all phones before entering. Students may use phones for notes or photos only; no gaming.
- Photography is allowed in most areas. It is not permitted in the films or where otherwise posted. No tripods or selfie sticks.
Writing
- Notes and written assignments are welcome. Please do not use walls, glass cases or exhibit boards as writing surfaces.
- Pencils only, no pens.
Wristbands
- Wristbands must stay on students’ wrists throughout the visit. They serve as both admission and group identification for our staff, volunteers and security officers.
Food and belongings
- No food, drink or large backpacks in the galleries. Bags are best left on the bus or at school. A holding area may be available.
- Please leave gum and candy behind. Schools may be charged for cleaning.
Respectful conduct
- The National WWI Museum and Memorial honors those who served in the Great War. Some galleries are quiet, reflective spaces, and we ask students to treat them that way.
- Artifacts may not be touched unless directed by a volunteer or a staff member says so. Please tell the students this before you arrive.
- Walking only, no running. Save General Pershing's Jumping Jacks for outside.
- We want students to talk about what they see with each other and with their guides. Please be mindful of other visitors nearby and do not yell.
Chaperones
All adults attending the school's field trip to the Museum and Memorial, whether they are on the school's transaction or pay independently, are considered a chaperone by the Education staff. Students cannot serve as chaperones, regardless of age.
| Per 10 students | Status | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1st chaperone | Required | Free |
| 2nd chaperone | Optional | $10 each |
| 3rd or more | Not permitted | N/A |
The maximum of two chaperones per 10 students exists to protect students’ access to the experience. Chaperone costs above the free ratio will be included in your anticipated total.
- Chaperones must always remain with their students, including restroom breaks, at the Liberty Memorial Tower (when applicable) and visits to the Museum Store (when applicable at a 1:5 ratio). Students should never be unaccompanied during the field trip.
- Chaperones may not bring additional children who are not students on the scheduled trip.
- If a student is unable to follow Museum guidelines, a chaperone will be asked to remain with that student in a separate area while the group continues.
- If your group requires additional chaperones, contact us as soon as possible and we will discuss options. Adults beyond the approved maximum for your visit will not be able to join the guided experience.
The two-per-10 maximum protects students’ access to their experience and applies to any adult accompanying the group, formally or informally. If your group needs additional chaperones to meet student needs, contact us at education@theworldwar.org to discuss further options.
Grant Assistance
The Museum and Memorial is able to offer grant-funded field trips to area schools thanks to the generous donations of the Francis Family Foundation, Oppenstein Brothers Foundation, Jedel Family Foundation, Sherman Family Foundation, William T. Kemper II Charitable Trust, PNC Foundation, Susann and Jeff Anthony, and Pritzker Military Foundation.
Qualifying schools receive:
- Free admission
- Free sack lunches from the Museum's Over There Cafe
- A $250 stipend to assist with student transportation or substitute teacher costs
To be eligible, the school must have at least a 51% free/reduced lunch ratio.
Please contact the Education Department to determine if your school qualifies.
Reserve your trip
WWI History and Galleries
Fill out this form with your requested date, time and more:
Inquire about reserving your field trip
Our Education Department will be in touch with availability as soon as possible.
Note: Filling out this form does not constitute reserving a field trip but does help Museum and Memorial staff coordinate field trips more efficiently. Please make sure you've read the FAQ and Code of Conduct first, then fill out the form and a staff member will reach out to you soon.
Local and Community History: Story of the Museum and Memorial
Fill out this form with your requested date, time and more:
Inquire about reserving your field trip
Our Education Department will be in touch with availability as soon as possible.
Note: Filling out this form does not constitute reserving a field trip but does help Museum and Memorial staff coordinate field trips more efficiently. Please make sure you've read the FAQ and Code of Conduct first, then fill out the form and a staff member will reach out to you soon.
