The Museum of Modern Art's Department of Education is dedicated to providing children with meaningful learning experiences through the visual arts. MoMA's programs are based on the fundamental belief that both looking at and making art play vital roles in a child's development. These activities can help to transform and enrich lives, build self-confidence, and strengthen critical thinking skills. Art education programs based on students' abilities and educational goals can enhance both creative growth and skills necessary for academic achievement.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy art. The Museum has designed an extensive range of activities and resources specifically for children in grades K–12 with disabilities, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, developmentally disabled, or have limited mobility. MoMA examines the needs, strengths, and interests of these individuals in order to plan Museum programs that invite participation.
K–12 Students with Disabilities
Groups are welcome to schedule a one-time visit or a multipart program. Each group visiting the Museum is limited to twenty-five people. Sessions are planned with the visiting group's teacher so that the material can be presented in the most appropriate and accessible way. Sign language interpretation can be scheduled for all programs with at least two weeks advance notice.
Lessons can be conducted in all of the Museum's collection galleries: Painting and Sculpture, Architecture and Design, Prints and Illustrated Books, Photography, Drawings, and Media and Performance Art. All lessons meet New York State Standards for Arts #3, "Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art," and #4, "Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts," as well as other national
learning standards in social studies and English language arts.
For a menu of program options and information on scheduling a group visit, please see Planning a Group Visit.
Resources for Teachers and Administrators
Professional Development Workshops
Professional development workshops offer an introduction to MoMA's educational approaches for groups of special-education teachers or administrators. Each workshop is designed to address specific themes and questions that arise in response to modern and contemporary art, and to provide interdisciplinary curricular links.
Professional development workshops take place at the Museum. They are held several times a year and are also available by appointment.
Participants in teacher programs at MoMA receive an educator pass for unlimited free admission to the Museum, a 10% discount on educational materials at the MoMA Stores, and access to teacher resources.
For more information on professional development workshops, please call (212) 408-6347 or e-mail accessprograms@moma.org.
For additional resources, please see Educators Programs.
The floor plan and select special-exhibition brochures are available in large print and braille from the lobby information desk. Tactile diagrams of numerous works from the Museum's collection are available for loan at no charge for classroom use.
MoMA Audio: Visual Descriptions
MoMA Audio: Visual Descriptions is an audio program for blind and partially sighted visitors as well as the general public and is available at the audio program desks. It provides vivid and detailed descriptions of select works in the Museum's collection. Available free of charge and in English only.
Transcripts of this and all Museum audio programs are available in large print at the MoMA Audio desk.
Art inSight
This program for blind and partially sighted adults is held monthly in the Museum galleries. Specially trained Museum lecturers highlight specific themes, artists, and exhibitions, engaging participants through extensive verbal descriptions.
Upcoming events
Touch Tours
Blind and partially sighted visitors experience a selection of sculptures and design objects from the collection. These tours take place in the Museum's galleries and Sculpture Garden and are available to individuals or groups by appointment. To schedule a touch tour, please contact Group Services at (212) 708-9685 (voice), (212) 247-1230 (TTY), or e-mail groupservices@moma.org.
All MoMA theaters are equipped with infrared sound enhancement systems. Headsets and neck loops are available. In addition, The Celeste Bartos Theater (Theater 3) and one of The Edward John Noble Education Center's classrooms are equipped with induction loops that transmit directly to hearing aids with T-Coils. Foreign-language films include English captioning.
MoMA Audio
MoMA Audio is an audio program devoted to the Museum's collection and special exhibitions. Four distinctive programs—Modern Voices, Modern Kids, Visual Descriptions, and Special Exhibitions—are available on one player.
MoMA Audio is T-Coil compatible, and transcripts of all audio programs are available upon request. MoMA Audio is available free of charge, courtesy of Bloomberg.
Public Telephones with TTY
Public telephones with volume control and TTY are located on the ground floor, in the vestibule of the public restrooms (two regular and one TTY).
Interpreting MoMA
We are pleased to invite you to join us for Interpreting MoMA, our program for deaf adults. Each program will begin with a wine and cheese reception, followed
by a sign language–interpreted or voice-interpreted private gallery talk focusing on one of MoMA’s special exhibitions.
Upcoming events
Brown Bag Lunch Lectures
Museum lecturers, curators, and educators discuss special topics related to modern and contemporary art and MoMA’s current exhibitions through informal
lectures at lunchtime. Learn more through in-depth presentations on topics from Picasso and Pollock to interior design and architecture.
Sign language interpretation is scheduled for selected Brown Bag Lunch Lectures. An induction loop sound amplification system is available for all Brown Bag Lunch Lectures.
Conversations with Contemporary Artists
Established and emerging contemporary artists representing diverse mediums discuss their work, the creative process, and the most current issues in contemporary art.
Sign language interpretation and CART (Computer-Assisted Real-Time) captioning are scheduled for selected Conversations with Contemporary Artists. Induction loop or infrared sound-amplification systems are available for all Conversations with Contemporary Artists.
Gallery Talks
Museum lecturers, educators, graduate students, and curators lead talks in the collection galleries and special exhibitions. Lectures are free with Museum admission.
Sign language interpretation is available for Gallery Talks on the fourth Sunday of the month at 1:30 p.m. FM assistive listening devices (headsets and neck loops) are available for all Gallery Talks.
Other Public Programs
To request sign language interpretation free of charge for any program, please call (212) 408–6347 or (212) 247–1230 (TTY), or e-mail accessprograms@moma.org, with at least two weeks' advance notice.
Family Programs at MoMA
Look closely at modern masterpieces and cutting-edge contemporary art. Families explore MoMA’s collection and exhibitions through lively discussions
in the galleries.
Sign language interpretation can be scheduled for any Tours for Fours, A Closer Look for Kids, or Tours for Tweens program with at least two weeks’ advance notice by calling (212) 408-6347 or (212) 247-1230 (TTY), or e-mailing accessprograms@moma.org. FM assistive listening devices (headsets and neck loops) are available for all Family Programs.
Teleconference courses for homebound individuals are available on a regular basis as part of a collaborative effort with community-based organizations. Museum lecturers conduct an interactive art course by telephone with up to ten homebound individuals who are connected in their homes through a single conference call. Using notebooks of color reproductions that have been distributed to each person before the first call, participants learn from and about art.
For more information, please call Access Programs at (212) 408-6347 or (212) 247-1230 (TTY), or e-mail accessprograms@moma.org.
Meet Me at MoMA
Meet me at MoMA...and make memories! Please join us for our monthly program for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their family members or caregivers. Meet Me at MoMA provides a forum for dialogue through looking at and making art. Specially trained Museum educators highlight themes, artists, and exhibitions during an interactive program in the Museum’s galleries and classrooms.
Upcoming events
Groups
Programs for groups of visitors with Alzheimer’s can also be arranged. Please see Planning a Group Visit for information on making a reservation.
The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project
The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project is a nationwide expansion of the Museum's outreach program for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Funded by a major grant from MetLife Foundation, this initiative will broaden the reach of Meet Me at MoMA through the development of program models that can be adapted by other museums, assisted living facilities, and Alzheimer’s Association chapters across the country.
Learn more about The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project.
Special events for seniors, including Grandparents Day, are offered free of charge several times a year. During these events, senior citizens can enjoy the collection galleries and special exhibitions at their leisure. Guided tours, large-print brochures, FM assitive listening devices (headsets and neck loops), and audio programs are all available.
Create·Ability
The Museum of Modern Art welcomes you to join us for Create·Ability, a program for individuals with learning and developmental disabilities and their families. Each month, participants focus on a different theme, exploring various artworks in the galleries and creating artworks in the classroom.
Upcoming events
Programs for Groups
Programs for groups of visitors with learning and developmental disabilities can be arranged and tailored to meet the needs and interests of your particular group. Please see Planning a Group Visit for information on making a reservation.
All public areas of the Museum, including
the galleries, The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, The
Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education
and Research Building, The Celeste Bartos Theater, the restaurants,
and the MoMA Stores, are wheelchair accessible. All
entrances are wheelchair accessible. Entrances are located on Fifty-third
and Fifty-fourth streets between Fifth and Sixth avenues.
Wheelchairs are available free of charge on a
first-come, first-served basis and are located in the checkroom
in the main lobby. Motorized wheelchairs are permitted.
Wheelchair-accessible restrooms, each with an adjoining water
fountain, are located on all floors except the Titus
Theater 2 level and the entry level of The Lewis B. and Dorothy
Cullman Education and Research Building. There are no wheelchair-accessible
restrooms or water fountains on the Titus Theater 2 level. A single-user
restroom is located on the fifth floor.
Elevators are available throughout the Museum.
Groups are welcome to schedule a one-time visit or a multipart program. Each group visiting the Museum is limited to twenty-five people.
One-Time Museum Visits
A one-time Museum visit is one hour long and includes a guided gallery tour with a Museum educator. All participants receive one family pass (admits up to five visitors) good for one complimentary visit to MoMA.
One-Time Community-Based Lectures
A one-time, slide-illustrated, off-site lecture is one hour long. We welcome any group size your space can accommodate. All participants receive one family pass (admits up to five visitors) good for one complimentary visit to MoMA.
Art Studios
An art studio is a two-hour program that includes looking at art in the galleries and art making in the Museum's education classrooms or in the galleries. Students of all levels explore a theme in the Museum's collections and enhance their understanding of concepts by creating their own works of art. All participants receive one family pass (admits up to five visitors) good for one complimentary visit to MoMA.
Three-Part Series
Highly recommended for community organizations, three-part series allow for in-depth engagement with artworks and a more extensive Museum experience.
Our three-part series includes a pre-visit, where a MoMA educator comes to your site and engages participants in art-looking activities. A visit to the Museum constitutes the second part, followed by a post-visit, either at your facility or at the Museum. The post-visit often incorporates an art-making activity. Each part is one hour in length. All participants receive one family pass (admits up to five visitors) good for one complimentary visit to MoMA.
Extended Partnerships
A limited number of programs are available for more extensive, long-term partnerships and multipart programs. All partnerships include planning meetings with the coordinator to develop curricula, professional development, and a series of Museum visits and off-site visits to your school or organization.
Visit Meet Me and explore The MoMA Alzheimer’s Project
Gabriel Orozco
MoMA Multimedia: video, audio, and interactives
Download the Tim Burton Family Activity Guide (PDF format)
Research Resources at MoMA
Shop MoMAstore.org now »
Access MoMA Audio on your iPhone or iPod Touch
Membership
Skip the lines. $5 guest passes. Private previews. Free films. MoMA Store discounts