Trip Tips
Visit
The Visitor Services information desk is located in the main lobby at the main entrance of the museum. Please check in at the desk upon your arrival. To enter at ground level, use the north doors closest to the Kansas Memorial Union. The elevator is to the left.
Buses and Parking
Buses can load and unload in front of the museum. Bus parking is at the football stadium, lot #94. No other vehicles are allowed on campus. Cars may be parked in the parking garage (lot #68) – one block north of the museum – for $1.50 per hour. A campus map and additional parking information is available.
School Programs
If you have a school program scheduled at the museum, check in at Visitor Services upon your arrival. Groups should arrive 15 minutes before the start of their scheduled programs to split into groups, receive an introduction by Visitor Services and be escorted to the classroom. If you are late, it will be necessary to cut the length of your program to accommodate other bookings or schedules. If you arrive more than 15 minutes after the start of your scheduled program, that program will be canceled.
Please organize your groups ahead of time. If you have multiple groups, each group should meet at the Visitor Services Desk five minutes before the scheduled start of their program. A teacher should be present in all programs. Program fees should be given directly to the Public Education staff member who greets your group. Payment can be made by cash, check (made out to KU Natural History Museum) or credit card (MasterCard or Visa). If you are collecting money from each person, please do this ahead of time.
Lunches
Consumption of food and drink in the museum is prohibited. If sack lunches cannot be left on the bus during your visit, see Visitor Services when you arrive for information on a designated area where lunches may be stored (lunches should be consolidated into boxes or other storage containers). Lunch space can be reserved seven days in advance at the Kansas Memorial Union, next to the museum. The Union charges a fee for reservations made more than seven days in advance. Contact 785.864.4651 or eventservices@ku.edu to reserve space. To arrange a picnic space in a Lawrence city park call 785.832.7923.
Chaperones and Safety
We want to ensure visitors have an enjoyable and safe visit. Choose competent chaperones and be sure they know the behavior you expect of your students and your visit schedule. Adults must remain with the children at all times. Museum staff should not be expected to supervise or deal with discipline problems in the classroom or in the galleries. Noncompliance with museum rules or lack of respect to museum staff or visitors will result in your group being asked to leave the museum and may affect future visits.
Museum Guides: Scavenger Hunts & Checklists
Museum Guides provide ways for groups to explore the museum together; these can be copied and used during your visit. Scavenger Hunts explore a variety fo exhibits, and Museum Checklists use a more open-ended format. Scavenger Hunts and Checklists are available for download, along with a Chaperone Guide with suggestions on how they can be used with groups. Answer keys are available at the Visitor Services desk.
Contributions
The museum has a suggested contribution of $5 for adults and $3 for children. Contributions are separate from program fees. They can be given directly to Visitor Services at the main entrance and can be paid by cash, check or credit card. Checks for contributions should be made out to the KU Natural History Museum/KUEA.
Museum Gift Shop
Establish a policy about visiting the museum gift shop. Decide if, when, and how long your group will visit the store. The gift shop area is small; we allow a maximum of 20 students in the gift shop at any one time. Chaperones must supervise students.
