School Visits Virtual Visits Plan Your Visit
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visitors in Common Ground

Group Visits

Education Group Visits

Sharing the richness of the Japanese American experience

Book an on-site group visit for seniors, adults, and college students.

Education Notice

Visitor Notice

Please note that at this time, guided group visits are being booked at a reduced capacity and we may not be able to accommodate all requests. Groups are also welcome to book a visit to JANM for a self-guided experience. Requests for a guided or self-guided visit may be made below.

If you have any questions, please email us at groupvisits@janm.org.

Available Tours

Guided Tour: | 1 hour | 20 maximum (Click for details)

Includes: Guided Tour

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Available Tuesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. start time.

Guided Tour

Guided tours of our exhibition Common Ground: The Heart of Community are available for adult groups of ten or more.

Guided tours must be booked at least three weeks in advance and are pending docent availability.

Self-Guided Tour: | 60 maximum (Click for details) |

Includes: Self-Guided Tour

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Available Tuesday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m. start time.

Self-Guided Tour

If you are planning a self-guided visit to JANM, reservations are requested to ensure a better experience for your group and any other guests who may be in the galleries at the same time.

Some temporary exhibitions may have age restrictions, additional chaperone requirements, and/or be off-limits to self-guided groups. Due to safety concerns and occupancy limits, JANM can only accommodate 60 visitors per self-guided group. If there are visitors under the age of 18, it is especially important that self-guided groups have the appropriate number of chaperones (one per 10 students). 

Connection Guide: Finding Meaning at JANM is a resource available to support self-guided visits to the museum. It is informed by the learning objectives of our school visit program and is designed to foster personal and human connections between students and the museum’s collections, inspire critical thinking, and encourage active participation. If you would like to schedule a self-guided visit of the museum, please fill out an online reservation form. You may also request to have the self-guided resource emailed to you by contacting groupvisits@janm.org.

Planning your visit

Plan your group’s JANM visit to explore stories about the Japanese American experience.

Policies and Visiting Info

FAQ

Have questions? Here are answers to the most common inquiries.

View FAQ

Education Resources

Prepare for your visit to JANM by exploring resources prepared by JANM’s Education Unit.

Explore

More Ways to Visit

Virtual

Virtual Visits

Virtual visits use video conferencing technology to engage visitors and students in conversations surrounding JANM’s collections.These visits offer a new way to make sure that the important lessons of history are not forgotten.

Learn More

School Visits Students with geta

School Visits

A JANM School Visit inspires students to learn about the Japanese American story and its significance today.

Learn more

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group-visits-policy

Group Visits’ Policies and Procedures

Admission

Adult and senior groups of 10 or more receive an admission discount: $10/adult, $7/senior.

To qualify for group rates, groups must schedule their visit in advance through the Education Unit. Admission rates are subject to change. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted. Group payment is due upon arrival. 

Cancellations

Call 213.625.0414 or email groupvisits@janm.org.

Contact the Education Unit immediately if your group must cancel. If you cancel well in advance, your spot can be offered to other visitors. If your group expects to be delayed, please call to inform us of your estimated arrival time. We may not be able to accommodate groups arriving more than 20 minutes late.
 

Parking

Please check Metro.net for a list of local parking lots. From the Regional Connector Transit Project page, in the sidebar menu, under “Maps,” click on “Little Tokyo Parking Facilities” to view a list of locations.

Public Transportation

JANM is easily accessible by public transportation, including the Dash and Metro lines. Union Station is a 15-minute walk or a short ride on a Dash bus. Contact your local public transportation agency for bus routes, times, and fees: ladottransit.com/dash, metro.net.

Due to ongoing construction of the Metro Regional Connector, there may be changes to schedules and routes. Please check their websites for updated information.

Accessibility

The Japanese American National Museum is fully accessible. Please notify the Education Unit of any special needs when you make your reservation.

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faq

FAQ

Do you have a place where we can eat lunch?

JANM does not have group dining facilities. Small groups are welcome to sit on the plaza outside of the museum to enjoy their lunches or order food from any number of restaurants in the Little Tokyo area. A list of restaurants can be provided upon request.

Do you have a place to store personal belongings?

Large bags and food items are not allowed in exhibition areas. We recommend leaving these items at home.

A limited number of self-serve storage lockers (9"W x 22"H x 16"D) available on a first-come basis. Valid ID required to use lockers. JANM cannot hold any jackets, clothing, or bags.

Do you have docents who are veterans or former inmates that we can talk to?

Our volunteer docents and facilitators may not be on-site for your visit. If you wish to speak to a volunteer through a virtual platform, please submit a reservation request for a Virtual Visits experience.

Many of our docents have first-hand experience with the American concentration camps. We cannot guarantee, however, that your group will be led by a WWII veteran or former camp inmate. All of our volunteers are well-trained and will be able to provide their own unique perspectives. To access oral histories online, visit DiscoverNikkei.org.

Do you have Japanese-speaking docents?

Guided tours of the Common Ground exhibition are available with Japanese-speaking guides. Please note that the availability of these tours is extremely limited. To inquire about a guided visit in Japanese, please complete the online reservation form. We will inform you of the availability.

Why does JANM use the term “concentration camp” when speaking of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans?

The terms used to describe what happened to 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II—relocation, evacuation, incarceration, internment, or concentration camp—vary among scholars, government officials, and even Japanese Americans themselves. While most people associate “concentration camp” with the Holocaust and many Americans feel more comfortable with milder terms like internment camps, JANM uses the term “concentration camp” because by definition a concentration camp is a place where people are imprisoned not because they are guilty of any crimes, but simply because of who they are. The U.S. government, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, used the phrase “concentration camp” in speeches and written documents during World War II.

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