Learn

Visit OMCA in person for a guided gallery visit, performance, or self-guided field trip. Program sold out? We encourage you to join our waitlist.

Payment

Field trips scheduled using our online registration system require a credit card for payment. To pay by invoice, email [email protected] before registering.

Scholarships & Discounts

New this year! All programs and self-guided visits are free for Oakland Unified School District groups. Title I schools outside of OUSD receive a 50% discount during the school year.

Public transit and bus scholarships are available during the school year. Please request a scholarship during the registration process. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis throughout the year, with priority given to OUSD and Title I schools. Transportation scholarships are not guaranteed to all those who apply.

OMCA offers a 30% discount for Oakland Unified School District groups during summer visits.

Cancellations & Rescheduling

If you need to reschedule or cancel your field trip, please contact [email protected] at least two weeks before your scheduled visit to receive a refund.

Walk-up Groups

We ask that all groups book in advance. Due to limited same-day availability, we may not be able to accommodate a walk-up group. Walk-up groups are required to pay the standard group rate in order to gain entry to the Museum, plus a $25 walk-up fee. No additional discounts are available for walk-up groups.

Waitlist

Join our 2025/26 school year waitlist if the program you are interested in is currently sold out. If a program spot opens up that matches your request, we’ll contact you to make your reservation. Please note there is no waitlist for summer visits.

Chaperones

The Museum requires these chaperone-to-student ratios through grade 12:

1:10 minimum
1:4 maximum
1:6 in the OMCA Store

A maximum of 10 chaperones are allowed per reservation. Please note, if the ratio of adult chaperones to students exceeds 1:4, there will be a charge of $9.50 per additional adult.

School Group Entrance

The OMCA School Group Entrance is located in the Amphitheater on 10th Street, at the intersection with Fallon Street.

Transportation & Parking

We encourage groups to take public transportation when possible. We are located one block from the Lake Merritt BART Station and a 15-minute walk from 12th Street BART Station. Check out BART’s field trip discounts. Buses may drop off at the School Group Entrance on 10th Street. The Museum parking garage may be full at times. If you drive, please allow extra time for parking. Learn more.

Lunch & Backpack Storage

Please leave student backpacks at school or on the bus. A limited number of first-come, first-served lockers are located outside of the Gallery of California History, and cannot be guaranteed available. Please do not bring valuables to the Museum. Adults with backpacks must hand-carry them at their side or front while in the galleries. Lunches can be stored at OMCA’s School Group Entrance during your visit. Bag lunches can be eaten in the OMCA garden or at the picnic tables near the Koi Pond, but are not allowed in the Town Fare by Michele McQueen or at the tables on the cafe terrace.

Accessibility

OMCA is committed to accessibility for all. Guests using wheelchairs should enter at the Oak Street Plaza entrance, which is accessible by ramp from the sidewalk on Oak Street. Inside the museum, an elevator allows access to all three levels. A limited number of wheelchairs and assistive listening devices are available for loan onsite. Please reserve at least three weeks in advance and email [email protected] if you would like a program adapted to the needs of your group. Learn more.

Museum Guidelines

Please review the Museum’s rules ahead of time with students and chaperones. Learn more.

Explore OMCA

While you’re at OMCA, be sure to check out our Gallery of California Art, Gallery of California History, Gallery of California Natural Sciences, and Garden. Please note that the OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace was designed for children ages 2 to 5. We ask that K–12 school groups refrain from entering this area. Learn more.

Questions?

Contact us at [email protected].

Apply for OMCA’s 2026 Teacher Fellowship! Join fellow teachers and OMCA staff to build and prototype learning experiences for your students using OMCA’s galleries and collections. This year, we will explore the question: How can students learn from Native Californians about stewardship of healthy habitats and communities, for today’s and for future generations?

The fellowship kicks off with a 5-day Teacher Summer Camp at OMCA. Drawing inspiration from Museum exhibits, talks with Native educators and Museum curators, and inquiry-based learning experiences, you will collaborate with peers and OMCA staff to draft learning resources for your students. These resources will guide a field trip to OMCA that supports your existing curriculum, elevate your students’ understanding of Native California, and empower student voices as changemakers. 

Monthly Zoom check-ins with the cohort will provide ongoing community for support with implementation and problem-solving, and a continued injection of inspiration, resources, and partnership.

Dates & times

• June 22–26, 2026: Teacher Summer Camp, 9 am–4 pm, in person at OMCA
• Fall and early winter 2026: Four after-school Zoom check-ins
• Spring 2027: Fellows will share their work as part of OMCA’s spring Teacher Night

What does OMCA provide?

• Curriculum development support and educational resources
• Free OMCA field trip in fall 2026 for your class, including bus transportation
• Breakfast and lunch during Teacher Summer Camp
• A stipend of $1,500 upon completion of the program
• Free OMCA admission during the program

What’s the commitment for Teacher Fellows?

• Attend 5-day Teacher Summer Camp at OMCA
• Collaboratively develop Native California curriculum resources to support a field trip to OMCA, including pre- and post-visit classroom components. 
• Implement your curriculum in the 2026-2027 school year
• Attend 4 after-school Zoom check-ins
• Assist in the evaluation of the Teacher Fellowship and OMCA education programs, including providing artifacts or other evidence of student impact

Who are we looking for?

This year’s focus is on Bay Area teachers in grades 3–4. We encourage teachers to apply with a partner from the same school or district. Don’t have a partner? Please apply on your own, and we can help match teachers after the application period closes. OUSD teachers and teachers who hold marginalized identities are highly encouraged to apply. Because a field trip to OMCA is part of the experience, teachers will need to be within “field trip” or short driving distance of OMCA.

How to apply

• Applications are due by March 31, 2026
• Participants will be notified by April 22, 2026

Have questions? Contact [email protected].

School programs are made possible in part by generous support from the Oakland Women’s Board, Kaiser Permanente, Koret Foundation, and PG&E.

Additional support is provided by the Banks Family Foundation, Dodge & Cox, Daryl Lillie Fund for Oakland Students, the Doris Fisher Education Fund, the Joseph and Mercedes McMicking Foundation, Port of Oakland, the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation.