The Reagan Presidential Library doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. What the class visits page does offer is free admission for K-12 students on a booked school tour, plus free admission for the chaperones the tour requires: one for every 5 students in kindergarten through 2nd grade, and one for every 10 in 3rd through 12th grade.
If you’re planning a class trip to Simi Valley, the savings come from the booking, not from an ID shown at the ticket window. If you’re heading there with your own family, the ticket tables don’t have an educator line, so we’ve listed what an individual visitor can use further down.
How To Get The Reagan Presidential Library Teacher Discount
There isn’t an individual teacher discount to claim, so the way in is to book a school tour. The page says all public and private school students in Kindergarten through 12th grade receive free admission to the Reagan Museum when they book a tour with the Visitor Services Department. You can fill out the reservation form on the page, email visitorservices@reaganfoundation.org, or call 805-577-4066. Spots fill up quickly, the page says, so contact Visitor Services as soon as you have potential dates.
A tour needs at least 10 students, and the page caps the number of students allowed each day at 60. Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes visit self-guided, because the page says the library doesn’t offer guided tours for those grades, and they need a chaperone for every 5 students. Grades 3 through 12 need a chaperone for every 10. In both cases the required chaperones are admitted free, and any additional adults pay full admission price.
What A School Tour Includes
For 3rd through 12th grade, the page describes 2-hour docent-led museum tours that engage and inform students about Ronald Reagan’s presidency and his legacy. Extra adults beyond the ratio self-guide through the museum when a guided tour is chosen, so plan your headcount before you invite every parent who offers.
One cost to budget for: the page says there’s an additional charge to visit the special exhibit for all groups, if one applies. After-school programs are treated as a paying group tour and receive a group discount if they qualify. The page also has a school pre-visit informational video section, which is handy if you want your students to know what they’re walking into.
Homeschool Days
If you teach your own kids at home, the page lists two free Homeschool Days each school year. K-12 students enjoy free admission to the museum galleries, though general admission fees apply to everyone else in the family, and the checklist says parents must purchase admission to receive free tickets for the students. Parents also need to stay on campus at all times with their children, and the page asks each family to sign up individually rather than as a Homeschool Co-op.
Fifth through 12th graders can also take part in a simulation called “Operation Urgent Fury.” The dates change from year to year, so check the page for the next two before you plan around one. The checklist adds that backpacks aren’t permitted in the museum, so large bags stay in your vehicle.
Visiting On Your Own
The Plan Your Visit page lists general, senior (62+), youth (11-17) and child (3-10) tickets, with children 2 and under free, and none of them is a teacher or educator ticket. The page shows two price lists for different stretches of the year. In the first, general admission is $16.00, senior admission is $13.00, youth admission is $9.00 and child admission is $6.00. The second list includes a special exhibit, and general admission there is $29.95, so check which one covers your day before you budget.
Reagan Foundation members and their guests enjoy free entry, and active US military receive free admission with a valid military ID. Veterans with valid military ID and college students with valid college ID receive $3 off admission when they buy in person at the library, which may be your route if you’re also working on a degree. Tickets bought online carry an additional nonrefundable $2.50 surcharge per ticket.
The page suggests allowing three to four hours for the galleries and grounds, and it says no food or drink may be brought into the museum galleries.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The class visits page says the required chaperones are admitted free, but it doesn’t say whether the teacher counts as one of them, so ask Visitor Services when you book. The school tour pages we read don’t mention a teacher or educator rate, a scholarship or a Title I program, and the membership page has no teacher or educator wording either.
Q&A
Does the Reagan Presidential Library give teachers a discount?
Not on individual tickets. The admission tables on the Plan Your Visit page don’t have a teacher or educator category. The savings are on booked school tours, where students are admitted free along with the required chaperones.
Who counts as a free chaperone?
The page requires 1 chaperone for every 5 students in kindergarten through 2nd grade and 1 for every 10 in 3rd through 12th grade, and says those chaperones receive free admission. It doesn’t say whether the teacher is one of them, and additional adults pay full admission price.
How many students do I need to book a tour?
At least 10, and the page says the maximum allowed each day is 60.
Do kindergarten through 2nd grade classes get a guided tour?
No. The page says guided tours aren’t offered for those grades and that self-guided tours are available.
Can homeschool families visit free?
On the two Homeschool Days each school year, K-12 students enjoy free admission to the galleries, and everyone else in the family pays general admission.
How do I book a tour?
Fill out the reservation form on the class visits page, email visitorservices@reaganfoundation.org or call 805-577-4066.
More Information:
The details above come from the library’s own pages as they loaded when we checked, and rates change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.