Field Trips

Youth Programs at the Burke are operated in compliance with UW's Operational Guidance for UW Youth Programs and the Washington State Department of Health Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools, Child Care, Early Learning, Youth Development and Day Camps.

If you plan to arrive by bus, there is bus parking available in the lower parking lot in front of the museum. This parking is limited and must be reserved before your visit. Please let us know that you will need bus parking when you book your program. 

If you plan to arrive by car, personal vehicles are subject to University of Washington (UW) parking policies. Please visit our Directions & Parking page for campus parking information. For further questions about parking, please call UW Transportation Services at 206.685.1543. 

• Early Learner Programs: $210 per group of up to 30 students
• Elementary & Middle School Programs: $280 per group of up to 35 students
• Self-guided: $120 per group of up to 20 students

Yes! Our generous donors make it possible for us to offer financial assistance to schools and programs across the state. To apply, please fill out our Field Trip Financial Assistance request form. 

Yes, if you need to change or cancel a reservation, please respond to the confirmation email sent to you by Burke Education as soon as possible. You can also call the Education office at 206.543.5591. 

To receive a refund, cancellations must be made a minimum of two weeks before the scheduled program. Cancellations made with less than two weeks’ notice will be charged the full fee. We will work with you to reschedule the program for a different date if possible. 

We do not offer facilitated or self-guided field trip programs on Free First Thursdays. Learn more about Free First Thursdays at the Burke Museum. 

• Early Learner programs are 60 minutes long and include a series of hands-on activities led by a museum educator. These activities will take place in a related gallery and learning space at the museum.

• Elementary and Middle School programs are 90 minutes and include a 45 minute facilitated lesson led by a museum educator, and a 45 minute gallery connection which is self-guided. If you are bringing more than 70 students you will need to spend an additional 45 minutes at the museum to accommodate everyone. We ask that you decide in advance how your groups will spend their extra time. Enjoying another gallery is a great option!

• Self-guided groups are free to move through the museum at their own pace. We recommend planning to be at the museum for at least 90 minutes.

After your program, you are welcome to stay and explore the other galleries in the museum. Should you need to leave and come back on the same day, re-entry is permitted. The museum is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day.

We prefer groups stay after their program to see the rest of the museum, rather than arriving early. Please notify Burke Education in advance if this is something you would like to do.

If you have fewer than 15 students in your group, please select a self-guided visit to the museum.  

Group size limits vary by program type:

– Early Learners: 15 youth minimum; 60 youth maximum; groups over 30 will be divided in half during your program. 

– Elementary and Middle School: 20 youth minimum; 105 youth maximum; will be divided into groups of 35 maximum for activity rotations. 

– Self-guided: 90 youth maximum, will be divided into groups of 30 per museum floor. 

We require a minimum of one (1) adult chaperone for every seven (7) students participating in the program. Chaperones are admitted free to the museum with your group. Chaperones must stay with their assigned student group during the visit. 

Groups do not need to bring anything on their field trip. Please leave valuables and any unnecessary belongings at home. Food, drinks, and backpacks are not allowed in the galleries (except chaperones carrying medical supplies). The Burke can provide a bin to store belongings during the visit, but does not have secured storage space onsite and is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Unfortunately, the Burke does not have dedicated indoor space for groups to eat lunch, and food and drink is not permitted in the galleries. We recommend that groups eat lunch at school if possible. 

If you are concerned about the facility’s ability to meet your group’s needs, please contact the Education Department at 206.543.5591.

To request additional disability accommodations, please contact the University of Washington Disability Services office at least 10 days prior to your visit to the museum. The office can be reached at 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), or dso@uw.edu.

Field trip visits for groups of youth require a minimum of three weeks advance booking. Programs can be arranged online via our online request form.  

If you have questions about our field trip programs, please contact us via email at burked@uw.edu or by phone at 206.543.5591 before submitting a request. When you’re ready, you can submit your request via our online form. Once we have received your request, we will respond with more information. If we can accommodate your request, you will receive an email with your reservation details and a link to confirm or decline the reservation. If we are unable to accommodate your request, we will contact you to discuss alternative dates or options. 

Once your field trip is finalized, you will receive an invoice and a packet of pre-visit information via email. You can pay for your program by check, credit card or purchase order. Payment is due on or before the date of your program. If you choose to pay by credit card, you can do so via our online portal. You will receive a link to this portal when you confirm your reservation. 

Please note:

– Placing a hold on a tentative date and time will hold your program for one week. If you do not confirm your program within one week of placing a hold, your hold will be released. 

– Cancellation for school programs must be made two weeks in advance to receive a refund. Efforts will be made to reschedule your program if you must cancel within two weeks prior to your program, but refunds cannot be offered.