School Groups: Plan Your Visit

PLANNING YOUR VISIT

Planning a visit with your school or recreation group to the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine? We can’t wait to welcome you! Below, find information to help you plan your visit or field trip. Click HERE to go back to the School & Recreation Visit Homepage.

Group Rates and Eligibility

  • Groups receive 50% off the standard admission rate for adults and children.

  • Title 1A schools benefit from a special $5 rate for all tickets.

  • Staff assisting a student one-on-one receive complimentary admission.

Museum & Theatre Visits

Combined visits to the Museum & Theatre on the same day are welcome! We will help you book both tickets (pending ticket availability). Please let us know in the comments of the form (located on the corresponding group visit page) that you are hoping to do both on the same day. 

Visit Schedules

Groups can visit during designated two-hour timeslots on weekdays, as follows:

Fall/Winter Schedule:

  • Monday: 9:45-11:45 am

  • Wednesday: 9:45-11:45 am , 12:30-2:30 pm, 2-4 pm

  • Thursday: 9:45-11:45 am, 12:30-2:30 pm, 2-4 pm

  • Friday:  9:45-11:45 am, 12:30-2:30 pm, 2-4 pm

Summer Schedule:

  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:30-11:30am, 12:30-2:30pm, 2-4pm

note: CMTM is closed on Mondays, afternoons, and Tuesdays during the winter season.

School Vacation Weeks:

  • While group bookings are generally unavailable during Portland Public School vacation weeks, we may accommodate small groups (up to 30 children) for afternoon sessions on certain days, subject to ticket availability. 

Exhibit Access

  • Groups have access to all three floors of Museum exhibits and the outdoor playground for self-guided exploration.

  • Please note that Lighthouse Cove Toddler Park, MakerSpace, and CMTM's Maddy's Theatre are inaccessible for museum group visits.

Group Size Limitations

  • The minimum number of tickets required to get the group rate is 15. The maximum group size for children is 65. There is no limit on the number of supervising adults.

  • Larger groups will be divided across two sessions for a better experience.

Accommodation

If the ticket, pricing, or timing options listed below are a barrier to your group, please email bookings@kitetails.org, as we can make accommodations. 

Food

  • Groups are welcome to eat lunch or snack out front on our outdoor Gather Lawn. Please note that CMTM does not have an indoor eating option for groups.

Booking Information

  • Separate guidelines apply for booking theatre performances.

  • During the summer season, groups must contact us for booking at least two weeks in advance of their planned date to be eligible for the group rate

  • To book your group visit, please complete the provided form with your details, and our team will contact you to confirm availability and arrangements.

We Are Here For You

If you have suggestions, questions, or need more information to make your visit successful, please get in touch with us at bookings@kitetails.org.

Everyone belongs at CMTM. 🧡

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Add-On Programming

Group Rates and Eligibility

  • Onsite Programs are an additional $2 per attendee (including adults and children).

  • Title 1A schools qualify for a special rate of $1 per attendee.

  • Staff working one-on-one with a student receive complimentary participation in onsite programming if booked.

Group Size and Booking

  • Minimum group size: 20 (children).

  • School groups of over 32 students are asked to split into two groups. Upon arrival, the school will receive a schedule indicating the time and place of each group’s program.  

Additional Notes

  • Add-on programming offers hands-on exploration of a topic that supports classroom learning.  

  • Add-on programming is led by CMTM educators and between 20-30 minutes long.

  • Add-on programs are available to school groups at the discretion of CMTM staff.

  • For any specific requirements or assistance, reach out to bookings@kitetails.org.

Please indicate the program of your choice when booking your visit. A member of the Bookings team will be in touch to discuss availability. 

  • Meet a special guest ambassador turtle and explore turtle habitats near us! Engage in dramatic play to act out key aspects of turtle life and use natural and recycled objects to make a pretend turtle habitat. Together we will use scientific observation, movement, and hands-on making, to learn about the turtle’s home in the forest ecosystem.

  • Follow the design process in this interactive challenge to save wildflowers! Work in small groups to use simple machine technology to build a catapult to carry native plants into fields and forests.

  • Explore the unique animals in our freshwater and saltwater habitats, and discover the physical adaptations they use to survive. Explore how humans mimic the natural ability of animals as you play a game to match human-made tools like hardhats and suction cups to the animals that naturally have these abilities.

    *Currently available to school groups totaling 40 or fewer children per visit.

  • Flap your wings and tap your beak in a dramatic and interactive reading of Ashley Bryan’s Beautiful Blackbird. This is a special story about how everyone is unique and celebrates that black is beautiful! After your program, explore CMTM’s Ashley Bryan Beautiful Blackbird exhibit.