Tours
For safety reasons, all in-person gallery tours are currently suspended. Please check here and our events calendar periodically for virtual tour options.
Groups of 20 people or less are welcome to self-guide through the museum. To allow for physical distancing, capacity will be limited and some groups may be divided.
Request a Self-Guided Group tour.
Please review our Know Before You Go page in preparation for your visit. You may register for your timed tickets using the button below.
Virtual School Group Tours
Virtual school group tours are $25 for 10–30 participants from one or multiple devices through Zoom. Virtual school group tours are available Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM–1 AM, and last 40–45 minutes. At least two weeks’ advanced notice is required.
On the request form, teachers may choose a topic from two curriculum-based virtual tours. School group virtual tours are led by museum staff and docents via Zoom. After scheduling a tour, teachers will be asked to create a Zoom meeting with their classroom account and send an invite to the Tour Coordinator.
Grades 6-12: African American Art & Identity
Explore works of art from the Mint’s collection by African American artists Kehinde Wiley and Ken West. This virtual experience integrates the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, as well as the North Carolina Visual Arts Standards.
Grades 4-8: Places & Spaces
Explore American and Contemporary works of art from the Mint’s collection that depict places
and spaces. This virtual experience integrates the Common Core Standards for English Language
Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, as well as the North Carolina Visual Arts Standards.
Tour Objectives and Curriculum connections
• Critical thinking- students gain confidence in developing personal interpretations about works of art and learn to recognize that people may view or interpret art differently
• Communication- students engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led), building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
North Carolina English Language Arts Standards
CCR Anchor Standard RL.1 – Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCR Anchor Standard SL.1 – Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
North Carolina Visual Arts Essential Standards
Critical Response
“Use critical analysis to generate responses to a variety of prompts.”
Virtual Adult Tours: Take Your Pick!
Engage remotely with the Mint’s diverse collections through Virtual Adult Tours, led by Mint Docents. For more information, contact Julie Olson Anna, julie.olsonanna@mintmuseum.org
African American Art & Identity
How do black artists express ideas about identity and contemporary culture? This tour looks at works of art from the Mint’s collection by African American artists Kehinde Wiley and Ken West, who challenge us to consider different viewpoints and come to a broader understanding of what it means to be black and male in America. This tour is 45 minutes.
The Art of Dining
It’s 1810. Imagine that you’ve just received an invitation to dine with the Duke. Who will be there? Where will you be seated – and what will that say about your social standing? What foods will be served and in what order? Who will you be permitted to speak with while dining? This tour explores the Art of Dining in the early 19th century. Using pieces from the Mint’s noted collection of late 17th through early 19th century ceramics, your docent will tell stories about the rules of seating, menus, table settings and etiquette of that era. This tour is 60 minutes.
Highlights of the Mint’s Collection
The Mint Museum was the first art museum established in North Carolina (1936). But before that museum building showcased art, it housed the first branch of the U.S. Mint. Hence our name. This tour gives a brief history of the museum and then visits both sites as it highlights pieces from the Mint’s diverse collections including Fashion, Decorative Arts, Art of the Ancient Americas, American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, and Craft + Design. This tour is 60 minutes.
The Invention of Wings
Using Sue Monk Kidd’s book, set in early 19th Century Charleston, this tour focuses on art pieces that illustrate the parallel but very different lives of two women. One an urban enslaved descended from Fon people of western Africa. And the other a member of a wealthy planter family who evolved into a Quaker abolitionist and feminist. Galleries visited include Arts of Africa, North Carolina Pottery, British Ceramics, and Decorative Arts. Note: you need not have read this book to enjoy this tour. This tour is 60 minutes.
Not Just a Pretty Face
An 18th century “selfie” goes awry…an artist changes his name to escape a family scandal…a 14th Century French King is reimagined, with attitude, in Hip-Hop clothing. They’re not just “pretty faces,” there’s a story (or two) behind every portrait at the Mint. Join us for a tour that spans 200 years of portraiture and reveals the often-unknown tales about the artists, the subjects, and the times in which they lived. This tour is 60 minutes.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s novel of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. This tour connects that work with British pottery and porcelain from that historic period in the Mint’s Portals to the Past galleries. Selected art pieces help bring to life the notable events, social customs, and lifestyles depicted in this classic work. Note: you need not have read this book to enjoy this tour. This tour is 60 minutes.
