Planning Your ITC Group Visit
Discover Texas as a living tapestry through stories, objects, and art.
School and group visits to the UT San Antonio Institute of Texan Cultures invite participants to explore Common Threads — our semi‑permanent exhibition — along with the lobby mural Texas Tapestry: Patterns of Belonging and our rotating gallery.
In addition to historical objects and everyday items, the exhibit features artworks and paintings including narrative pieces, portraits and other works that connect visual art to Texas music, identity, and community life.
Visits are designed to be flexible and visitor‑centered. Every group has access to:
- The exhibitions
- A zine‑style Mini Explorer Guide with prompts and activities
- Orientation briefing from our staff to help you get started
When staffing, date, time, group size, and visit length allow, we may also include brief staff or docent‑led highlights (such as a short orientation or one spotlight object stop). These guided elements are subject to availability and will be confirmed during the reservation process.
School Visits
School visits are offered on Wednesdays during museum hours and must be reserved in advance. Availability outside Wednesday may be limited; contact us and we’ll try to accommodate.
School visits are available for K–12 classes, homeschool co‑ops, and youth programs.
What’s Included
- Self‑guided exploration of Common Threads and current exhibits
- A student‑friendly zine‑style Mini Explorer Guide with prompts and activities
- A brief welcome or spotlight from staff or docents
(Guided elements are subject to availability.)
Learning Support
Designed to complement Texas social studies learning, school visits emphasize:
- TEKS‑aligned content, especially for 4th and 7th grades
- Home and family life in Texas
- Heritage, traditions, arts, music, and performance
- Community, service, and representation
Students are encouraged to look closely, think critically, and see themselves in the story of Texas.
Group Visits
Group visits are offered during regular museum hours. Reservations are required to ensure we can properly accommodate your group and provide the best possible experience.
Available for:
- Adult and mixed‑age community groups
- Cultural organizations and clubs
- Nonprofits
- Corporate and professional groups
- College and university classes
- Including pre‑service teachers and university students from any discipline
What’s Included
- Self‑guided access to Common Threads and current exhibits
- Zine‑style Mini Explorer Guides and in‑gallery prompts to support exploration
Optional staff or docent‑led highlights, such as:
- A short orientation
- A single “spotlight” object stop
(Guided elements are subject to availability.)
Themes Explored
- Home and heritage
- Creativity and community
- Migration and movement
- Service and social movementsVisual culture, including objects, paintings, music, and stories
University Students
- University groups gain additional value through:Exposure to museum practice and public history
- Opportunities to see object‑based learning in action
- Insight into visitor‑centered interpretation
- Experience with how exhibitions function as live learning environments
Registration Steps for School and Group Visits
- Go to our ticketing site.
- Under “All Upcoming Events,” choose School Visits or Group Visits.
- Use the date dropdown to check availability.
- Create an account before selecting any dates.
- When prompted for billing/address information, use your school, institution, or group address.
- Enter the contact name, phone number, and email for the person coordinating the visit.
- Select your desired date and reserve the placeholder tickets.
No payment is required at this stage.
You are not charged for submitting a request. - After you submit your request, our team will contact you within five (5) business days to:
• Confirm your visit details
• Discuss any possible staff‑ or docent‑led elements
• Outline next steps
Important Note!
Submitting a request does not finalize your visit. Your visit is confirmed only after a staff member reviews your request and follows up with you.
School and Group Visit FAQs
- Submitting a request does not finalize or confirm your visit. After your request is submitted, a member of our Customer Service Team will contact you within five (5) business days to review the details and finalize your visit.
- You will also receive an email outlining next steps, which may include payment information and confirmation of whether guided components can be included in your visit.
- If you do not hear from us within five business days, please call 210-458-2291.
- Please note: If we do not receive a response from you within ten (10) days of our outreach, we may be unable to fulfill your original request.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate lunch spaces at this time.
We cannot accommodate school groups larger than 40 per time slot. Larger groups may require multiple time slots.
We recommend selecting the School Visit option (which includes more structure and student‑focused materials) rather than registering as a general adult group. This helps us prepare the appropriate interpretive materials for your learners.
Please familiarize your group with our polices and procedures before your visit.