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Preparing for Your Field Trip
Arrival instructions | Parking | Food and drinks | Museum store | Chaperones | Behavior expectations
Arrival and departure
Please check your group in at the information desk located inside the south entrance of the Michigan Library and Historical Center, or at the admissions desk under the "Museums - Archives" archway. Classroom size lockers are provided for groups to store their lunches and belongings while visiting the museum. Visitor services staff members will assist you with lockers upon your arrival. Please be advised that the lockers are small, and teachers and students are advised to leave big items and backpacks at the school or on the bus.
If you have scheduled a guided tour or program, please allow extra time in your schedule to arrive, use the restroom and eat lunch (if applicable). Our museum educators are committed for the exact times that your programs are scheduled. Should you not be able to begin your program at the scheduled time the content will be modified to fit in the time you have remaining.
Parking
Buses park free; cars or vans pay a $5 daily rate. The Michigan Library & Historical Center parking lot is at Kalamazoo and Butler Streets; The lot entrance is off Kalamazoo Street, via the circle drive in front of the building's south entrance.
Buses may drop off students in the circle drive at the south entrance of the Michigan Library and Historical Center before continuing to the parking lot. Parking is not allowed in the circle drive.
For cars and vans, please be advised that a Visa, MasterCard or Discover card is needed to access the parking lot. It does not accept cash or American Express.
Food and beverages
Please note that food, beverages (including water) and chewing gum are not allowed in the museum galleries. Drinking fountains are available in the museum. If a member of your group requires food and/or drinks to be on hand while in the galleries, please notify our Visitors Services Team prior to your visit at 517-335-2581.
The museum has a small lunch room where snacks and sack lunches can be enjoyed on site. Please note that space is limited, and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. If table space is not available in the lunch room for your group, we encourage you to enjoy your lunch on our lawn or at the picnic tables near the Kalamazoo entrance if the weather is nice. Please arrive with a back-up lunch plan in case the lunch room is not available during your visit.
Museum store
The Michigan History Center museum store carries many affordable souvenirs, snacks, toys and books, and is very popular with students. Please be advised that all students must be accompanied by an adult when visiting the store. Students entering without an adult will be asked to leave. During the busy spring tour season, lines can be quite long. Please plan time for visiting the museum store into your schedule.
Chaperone policy
The Michigan History Museum requires a minimum of one chaperone for every 10 students. Chaperones are responsible for monitoring student behavior and must accompany their assigned students during the entire visit, including when using the restrooms. Download our chaperone instructions (PDF) to hand out prior to your arrival.
Behavior guidelines
Teachers, groups leaders and chaperones are responsible for monitoring student behavior at all times in the museum. If students are disruptive and disrespectful towards staff and other groups, your group may be asked to leave. If students’ behavior causes damage to the facilities or the museum exhibits, you group may be asked to leave and invoiced for any damage. Specific behavior guidelines for your visit to the museum are:
Please DO:
- Take photographs and post them to social media, but please turn off the flash.
- Encourage students to touch and interact with items clearly marked with a "Please Touch" sign.
- Leave large bags and backpacks in your storage locker or on the bus.
Please DO NOT:
- Climb on the exhibits, especially the scenic areas like the glaciers, forests and mines.
- Run in the museum, for your safety and the safety of others.
- Bring food, chewing gum, or drinks (including water) into the museum.