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The Historic New Orleans Collection
A group of students gathered around a table, intently looking at a large paper or map. One student is pointing with a pencil. They appear engaged in a discussion or study session.

Field Trips

Free, staff-led visits for K-12 students, including transportation assistance from HNOC.

Learning for All Ages

A young girl in a red polo shirt smiles proudly while holding up her drawing in a museum. Behind her, classic paintings adorn the green wall. Crayons and paper are on the table in front of her.

“Our students and teachers all loved everything you let us see and experience on our visit. You helped our class get a much better understanding of the history of New Orleans. We all greatly enjoyed our time.”

Children in red shirts walk past and enter The Historic New Orleans Collection building on a sunny street. The group is accompanied by adults. The street features historic architecture with iron balconies.

Overview

While there is no fee to schedule a field trip to HNOC, all student groups must be reserved through our education department via the reservation form on this page, or by calling (504) 556-7661. We are unable to accommodate unscheduled field trips.   

HNOC most commonly provides guided tours in our galleries, which may include visits to the museum’s ongoing or temporary exhibitions. If sufficient notice is provided, we are also happy to design a unique experience that meets the needs of your classroom—including organizing walking tours, show-and-tell presentations, offsite visits, or explorations of a specific theme or topic.  

Field trip group size is capped at 40 students to best accommodate all of our spaces. HNOC requires one (1) adult chaperone for every ten (10) students. Depending on group size, students may be split into small groups amongst museum staff. For larger groups, our team may suggest scheduling rotating morning and afternoon sessions over a single day or across multiple days. HNOC is fortunate to be located within walking distance of many other museums and historic sites, and our team is happy to refer you to nearby institutions with whom we regularly collaborate.

Contact & Cancellations

In the event any changes are made to your itinerary, group size, or if you need to cancel your visit, please contact our education department immediately at education@hnoc.org or call (504) 556-7661. HNOC reserves the right to modify, adjust, or cancel a field trip for groups that arrive later than 30 minutes after their scheduled time without prior communication with museum staff.

Children participate in a field trip at HNOC's "The Trail They Blazed" exhibition.

Buses & Transportation

For groups traveling by bus, several arrival options are available. If the cost of transportation is preventing you from scheduling a trip, ask about our Bus Fund program to learn about how HNOC can help cover transportation expenses. 

  • Classroom Drop-Off: School buses may pull up directly to our classroom space located at 610 Toulouse Street for loading and unloading. School buses must be within the size limits required to travel through the French Quarter. 
  • Drop-Off, Walk, and Park Option: Students and chaperones maybe dropped off at the corner of Decatur Street and Toulouse Street (facing east towards downtown), before walking one block to 610 Toulouse Street. Buses may then park on the 300 block of Front Street and return to the same Decatur/Toulouse intersection at the scheduled pick-up time.  
  • Park and Walk Option: Buses may park on the 300 block of Front Street, a common tour bus area—though spaces are not guaranteed. If this option is chosen, your group will have to walk approximately five blocks to 610 Toulouse Street.  

Coordinating your group’s arrival to and departure from 610 Toulouse Street on foot—and confirming drop-off and pick-up arrangements with your bus drivers—is highly recommended.  Please view these locations on the map below.

Drop-Off Locations

Accessibility

All field trips begin at our education classroom located at 610 Toulouse Street. Your group's experiences may involve visits to multiple locations across HNOC’s campus. If you have any special accessibility or mobility requirements, please let us know in advance when you submit the reservation form. View our Accessibility page for more information.

Food & Drink

Food and drinks, large backpacks, and oversized school supplies are not allowed in HNOC galleries. These items may be secured in our classroom at 610 Toulouse Street upon arrival. HNOC does not provide space for group lunches onsite. If your group plans to eat lunch in the French Quarter, we suggest Jackson Square or Woldenberg Park on the Mississippi River levee. Please view these locations on the map below. 

Food & Drink Locations

Rules & Guidelines

Before visiting the galleries, HNOC’s Education Department will provide a brief orientation on museum rules and expectations. Of course, reviewing these guidelines with your students and chaperones prior to your arrival goes a long way!

Running is prohibited in all buildings and gallery spaces and is discouraged on public streets outside of HNOC buildings.

Use low-level voices when speaking and engaging with museum staff and one another. Respect each other and other visitors in shared spaces.

Only touch items that are designed for visitor engagement. These items will be pointed out during your visit and may include touchpads or other interactive items. Please do not touch objects mounted on walls or those behind barriers or ropes. Always maintain a safe distance from objects on display.

Refrain from leaning on walls, cases, freestanding objects, or stepping on platforms. If your visit involves an assignment or activity (such as journaling or sketching), please bring pencils (no pens) and pads, and hold your materials in your arms or in your lap. Never position these items against walls or place them on gallery objects.

Please disable the flash on cameras and phones before arrival, as their lighting can cause damage to light-sensitive objects. 

HNOC requires one (1) adult chaperone for every ten (10) students. Adults accompanying students should always remain with their groups. Chaperones are expected to assist with navigating and maneuvering within spaces while monitoring student behavior during visits.

Your visit will follow the preset itinerary and schedule agreed upon in advance with museum staff. Due to time and staffing limitations, your group will not see every part of the museum.

Restrooms are located on the first and second floors of the Tricentennial Wing of our 520 Royal Street campus. Students must be accompanied by an adult if they need to visit the restroom, especially if they are separated from their group. 

Though our museum offers a café and gift shop, these spaces are not included in field trips. We encourage visitors to return and enjoy these areas when visiting HNOC for personal pleasure.

Reserve Your Field Trip

Ready to book your custom field trip? Please submit the form below. Please email education@hnoc.org or call (504) 556-7661 if you have questions.

Schedule a Field Trip

Contact Name

Please select all that apply. If using a computer/laptop, click and drag to select multiple grade levels (if needed).

Note: a max of 40 students can be accomodated at one time. For larger groups, our team will help schedule multiple sessions per day or across multiple days.

One chaperone is required per every ten students.

Preferred Dates

Note: HNOC Field trips are offered Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Preferred Arrival Date & Time #1 
Preferred Arrival Date & Time #2 

Such as school bus, public transport, arriving in separate vehicles, etc.

Let us know if your group has specific needs (such as for accessibility, mobility, etc). If you wish to request a theme or topic-based tour or classroom experience, let us know. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

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