School Tours

Docent–Guided Tours are provided by knowledgeable docents trained to engage students in a broad spectrum of school curriculum as they guide the students through the big world of miniatures. Tours are aligned with Arizona Department of Education standards.

Self-Guided Tour groups are not led by museum docents or staff. Please note: self-guided tour groups still require advance booking.

• Required chaperone to student ratio is 1:15 for grades pre-k—12.
• All tours require 4 weeks advance notice to be booked.  
• School Tours can be scheduled Tuesdays–Fridays between 9:30am and 2:30pm, with most tours being scheduled at 10:00am, 11:30am, or 1:30pm. Unfortunately, we are not able to book tours for Mondays, holidays, or during museum events, so some dates may not be available. 
• A minimum of 20 students are required for a school tour.
• Groups larger than 60 may need to be staggered or divided into smaller groups, spread over multiple dates. 
• Tours are booked on a first-come first-served basis, and dates from March to May often fill quickly. When scheduling, please provide a prioritized list of 3 possible dates to allow for scheduling flexibility. 
• Please notify us as soon as possible of a cancellation or reservation changes. 
• Chaperones are responsible for behavior of students in their group and must stay with their assigned students at all times.

Our Sizing Up My World program provides funds to cover the costs of admission and transportation for all schools. 

Sizing Up My World Program Guidelines:

• Any k-12 school is welcome to apply. Contact us if your school qualifies as Title 1, Free Lunch, socioeconomically disadvantaged or if you serve underrepresented populations to inquire about grants funds that can pay for your trip to the museum.
• Applications must be submitted at least four weeks prior to your planned visit.
• Groups may apply for admission grants or admission and transportation grants.
• Awards will be made at the discretion of TMTM’s grants review staff until funds are depleted.
• The museum will provide up to $200 toward qualifying transportation costs for a single museum visit (Contact us for more details). We encourage teachers to collaborate on SUMW Mini Grant applications.
• Each school or service organization may receive up to $600 per calendar year. We encourage you to inform your colleagues about the availability of funds so that the greatest number of students at your school have the opportunity to visit the museum.
• Schools may apply annually; having received an award in a previous year does not make a school ineligible.
• The Museum can accommodate a maximum of 60 students per one-hour tour. For groups larger than 60, back-to-back tours can be scheduled.
• All transportation arrangements must be made by the school or service organization.
• Awardees must complete a post-visit survey as well as submit impact letters and transportation invoice/reimbursement forms within two weeks of completing the tour.
• Your visit will be scheduled at the time of notification of the award.

Apply for a Sizing Up My World Grant >>

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures Education Department has created and compiled various resources including; coloring pages, miniature making tutorials, articles, lessons plans, exhibit guides, and more for families, teachers, chaperones, and life-long learners to use at home, in the classroom, or during a museum visit.

Visit our Resources page to access these materials.