Group Visits

To request a group visit:

Please submit a group request form. Visits must be requested at least 5 weeks in advance. Our staff will contact you to confirm dates and times (based on availability) within five business days.

Dates are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis; it is helpful to have alternate dates in mind when submitting your request. A non-refundable credit card processing fee that does not apply toward the group total secures date and time of your visit, unless you are a local* school. Your reservation is not official until the non-refundable fee is processed.

Two weeks prior to your visit, you will receive an email with pre-visit information.

Dates and Group Size Limits
Now accepting group visit requests from June 17 through August 2024. Group visit requests through June 16 are closed. Group visit requests for 2024/2025 school year opens July 1, 2024.

• Organized groups of 16–80 people may make reservations Wednesday–Friday and Monday. Groups of up to 35 may also make reservations on Saturday.
• Planet Word is NOT open on Tuesday.
• No group booking on Sunday.
• Have a larger group or a special experience in mind? We’d be happy to work with you, please email [email protected].
• PW’s content is geared for 3rd grade level and up. Kinder through 2nd grade groups of up to 35 may make reservations. There must be 1 chaperone for every 7 students.
• PreK group booking is not permitted.

Times
Planet Word accepts group reservations at two specific time slots:

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Pricing: *Updated as of August 2023*

A $25 non-refundable credit card processing fee that does not apply toward the group total secures the date and time for your group visit. Full payment must be received 15 days prior to your scheduled visit. If a credit card is not received within three business days of your reservation request, your reservation hold will be cancelled. Full payment must be received 15 days prior to your scheduled visit, or your visit will be cancelled.

Local* DMV schools up to 80 will have the $25 non-refundable processing fee waived. Schools that cancel or reschedule within 15 days of the group visit will be invoiced the group total plus the $25 non-refundable processing fee. Schools will not be permitted to schedule another group visit until this invoice has been paid in full. Cancelling or rescheduling prior to the 15 days ahead of the group visit will incur no additional charge.

*Planet Word associates local DMV schools in the following counties: D.C., Maryland (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties) and Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Prince William counties).

Local* Title I schools up to 80
Please note that while your visit is free, you will be invoiced the group total plus the $25 non-refundable processing fee if you cancel or reschedule within 15 days of the group visit. Schools will not be permitted to schedule another group visit until this invoice has been paid in full. Cancelling or rescheduling prior to the 15 days ahead of the group visit will incur no additional charge.

Local* nonprofit education centers of 35 or fewer
Please note that while your visit is free, a non-refundable credit card processing fee is required to secure the time and date for your group visit. You will be invoiced the group total if you cancel or reschedule within 15 days of the group visit and will not be permitted to schedule another group visit until this invoice has been paid in full. Cancelling or rescheduling prior to the 15 days ahead of the group visit will incur no additional charge.

Groups 16–35
$210 + $25 non-refundable processing fee that does not apply toward the group total secures date and time. Full payment must be received 15 days prior to your scheduled visit.

Groups 36–60
$480 + $25 non-refundable processing fee that does not apply toward the group total secures date and time. Full payment must be received 15 days prior to your scheduled visit.

Groups 61–80
$800 + $25 non-refundable processing fee that does not apply toward the group total secures date and time. Full payment must be received 15 days prior to your scheduled visit.

Arrangements for room rentals, performances, or special workshops can be added for additional fees.

Please note
The non-refundable processing fee does NOT apply toward the group total.

Reserved group visits will be cancelled if payment is not received by the deadline (full payment due 15 days prior to visit). Groups that arrive at the museum after their reservation has been cancelled will not be accommodated.

Payments
Planet Word accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express. Reservation fees can be made with a valid credit card only. Please contact our Reservations desk at 202-918-6136, Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Please make all checks payable to:  Planet Word or The Museum of Language Arts. If you have a Purchase Order, email proof of P.O. at [email protected].

*Planet Word defines “local Title I schools and non-profit education centers” as schools receiving Title I funding and mission aligned non-profit learning centers serving disadvantaged populations in the following counties: D.C., Maryland (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties) and Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Prince William counties).

If you need to cancel your visit, please contact us as soon as possible at [email protected] or 202-918-6136. Processing fees are non-refundable and cancelled group visits will forfeit their processing fees. Groups that need to reschedule within the 15 day visit will need to submit a new online request form and pay a new non-refundable processing fee.

Local* Title I schools up to 80
You will be invoiced the group total plus the $25 non-refundable processing fee if you cancel or reschedule within 15 days of the group visit. Schools will not be permitted to schedule another group visit until this invoice has been paid in full. Cancelling or rescheduling prior to the 15 days ahead of the group visit will incur no additional charge.

Local* nonprofit education centers of 35 of fewer
You will be invoiced the group total if you cancel or reschedule within 15 days of the group visit and will not be permitted to schedule another group visit until this invoice has been paid in full. Cancelling or rescheduling prior to the 15 days ahead of the group visit will incur no additional charge.

All other groups: Group visits cancelled within 15 days of the reservation forfeit any payment made towards the group total.

If a group must cancel a visit due to inclement weather or to an unexpected change in the Homeland Security Threat system, the Museum will attempt to reschedule the program at no additional charge, subject to existing reservations. If Planet Word must cancel a visit due to unexpected circumstances, groups will be offered the option to reschedule or receive a full refund.

*Planet Word defines “local Title I schools and non-profit education centers” as schools receiving Title I funding and mission aligned non-profit learning centers serving disadvantaged populations in the following counties: D.C., Maryland (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties) and Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Prince William counties).

Planet Word receives a high volume of requests for group visits. To ensure a fair and equitable process, changes to the group visit date and time are limited. If you must make changes to your reserved date and time, contact [email protected] to cancel your existing reservation. Please submit a new online request form and plan to pay a new processing fee to book a new date and time.

Changes can be made to the group size up to 15 days before the group visit by contacting [email protected]. A new invoice will be sent with the updated amount due. Changes cannot be made after final payment has been received or within 15 days of your group visit.

If a group arrives with more people than were confirmed, we will charge a group credit card for the extra people at the time of arrival, up to the museum’s capacity at the group’s scheduled arrival time. If the number of people exceeds the museum’s total capacity, the group may be turned away.

Like mysteries, riddles, and puzzles? Take a trip through Lexicon Lane, a charming village full of wordplay surprises on the museum’s third floor. Reserve a puzzle case and find clues that will help you solve fascinating mysteries among the town’s quirky shops and byways.

Great for solo sleuthing or team bonding, each case contains a set of themed word puzzles. Search the room for clues and crack each case one by one!

The same group policies and procedures apply when booking a Lexicon Lane group.

Dates, Ages and Group Size Limits
Planet Word is currently accepting Lexicon Lane reservations through June 2024.

• Organized groups of 20-50 people may make reservations Wednesday–Monday.
• Planet Word is NOT open on Tuesday.
• Lexicon Lane is for ages 12+ only.
• Have a larger group or a special experience in mind? We’d be happy to work with you, please email [email protected].

Times
Planet Word accepts Lexicon Lane group reservations at three session time slots:

10 a.m. – 12 p.m., 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Pricing 

$1000 for a private 2-hour Lexicon Lane experience, plus the cost of group admission. 

A 25% non-refundable processing fee applies toward group total ($250) and secures the date and time. If a credit card is not received within three business days of your reservation request, your reservation hold will be cancelled. Full payment must be received 15 days prior to your scheduled visit, or your visit will be cancelled.

Arrangements for general admission, room rentals, performances, and special workshops can be added for additional fees

The same group policies and procedures apply when booking a Planet Wordshop.

Dive deeper with one of Planet Word’s educator-facilitated Wordshops. Each Wordshop can either be added to an in-person, self-guided gallery visit to the museum or offered virtually. All offerings are Common Core standards aligned.

Wordshop packages are offered from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. on weekdays when Planet Word is open, starting with the Wordshop and ending with an hour of focused gallery time.

Wordshops are designed for classes of 35 or fewer and last an hour unless otherwise noted.

Virtual Wordshops cost $125; on-site Wordshops cost $200, plus the cost of group admission. Fee waived for local* DMV Title I schools and DMV non-profit organizations up to 35 serving disadvantaged populations.

For more Planet Wordshop information, please visit For Educators.

*Planet Word defines local as the following jurisdictions: D.C., Maryland (Ann Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties) and Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Prince William counties).

Getting here
For up-to-date driving, metro, or city bus directions, visit the Plan Your Visit page. Groups arriving by school or charter bus can unload on 13th St. and walk to the entrance on K St. There is no on-site parking for private cars or buses.

Arrival procedures
When you arrive, please send the leader to the welcome desk to alert staff to your arrival. A staff member will greet your group on the bus or guide your group to an available space within the museum and provide a brief welcome and orientation to Planet Word.

Please do not bring large bags, backpacks, lunches or drinks with you to Planet Word.

Moving through the museum
Many of the museum’s galleries are small. Large groups should plan to divide into groups of no more than ten to move through the galleries. Please be conscious of other visitors as you move your group through the galleries.

The museum features galleries on three floors. If you’d like to plan ahead, please review this Museum Map.

Visit duration
Groups are scheduled at one of two time slots (10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.). Please arrive at the time of your reserved group visit. Groups that arrive more than an hour after their scheduled arrival time may be denied entry. All groups must leave at the conclusion of their time slot unless prior arrangements have been made. We do not allow re-entry for large groups once they depart the building.

Food
Groups may not eat on-site at Planet Word. We encourage groups to eat lunch at Franklin Park, directly across 13th St. from the museum.

If you need to take a short snack break, please step into the museum’s courtyard. Food or water needed for medical reasons may be consumed in the stairwells.

Detailed information applicable to school and youth groups including chaperone requirements, youth visitor guidelines, and learning resources can be found on our School and Youth Group Visit Resources page. Please review all the provided information before your visit.

For additional questions please contact our Reservations team at [email protected] or 202-918-6136. Office hours are Monday through Friday 10-4pm.