School and Camp Programs

Students working on project

The Morgan Library & Museum is pleased to welcome student and camp groups! Please visit us on Explorable Places to view our current offerings and schedule your field trip.

Book Here

College groups, please e-mail tickets@themorgan.org to reserve your visit.

We’re happy to offer the following core programs as well as field trips to our rotating exhibitions.

Ongoing School Programs

  • Colors of the World
    Illuminated Manuscripts in the Age of Exploration, Part I

    Explore some of the finest examples of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the Morgan’s collection, identify the different parts of a manuscript, and consider how books were made before the printing press. Through primary sources, maps, and touch objects, students discuss the Silk Road and other trade routes, and trace the origins of natural resources, such as saffron, malachite, and lapis lazuli, that were used to make pigments and paints for illuminated manuscripts.
  • Colors of the World
    Illuminated Manuscripts in the Age of Exploration, Part II

    In this hands-on workshop students learn some of the medieval and Renaissance bookmaking techniques covered in Colors of the World, Part I. Using traditional tools, students grind natural materials to make pigments, mix watercolor paints, learn how to apply 22-karat gold leaf, and create an original painted initial inspired by the Morgan’s manuscript collection.
    This unique, fun, and experiential program invites students to understand and appreciate the steps and skills required to make illuminated manuscripts, and better understand why they are collected and cared for in institutions such as the Morgan.

    Colors of the World, Part II must be booked in combination with Colors of the World, Part I. Limited slots for offsite Colors II programs are available by request, where educators travel to schools to conduct the program in the classroom.

  • Reading a Building: J. Pierpont Morgan and His Library
    Through objects and architecture, students travel back to the Gilded Age in New York City during the time of J. Pierpont Morgan. Groups explore highlights of the Morgan Library & Museum’s buildings and collections, and consider what we can learn from primary sources about people, places, and time periods. Discussions include themes such as collecting, architectural styles, design, and libraries.
  • Myths and Symbols: From Mesopotamia to Modern
    Throughout history, myths and symbols have been used to construct and convey personal and cultural narratives. Explore a range of objects created over time in a variety of cultures, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern and contemporary art, and uncover the meaning of symbols used in sculptures, manuscripts, paintings, decorative arts, and architecture.

    Through close looking, discussion, and activities, students will consider how individuals and cultures use myths and symbols to protect, adorn, and define themselves, and consider their own use of myths and symbols today.

For more information abouton these programs and information about accessibility and accommodations, e-mail schools@themorgan.org