Planning your visit
We recommend teachers undertake a pre-visit to The Box to familiarise themselves with the galleries, facilities and current exhibitions. To support your visit to both venues we have included the following resources to help facilitate your day and inspire your students.
The Box Smeaton’s Tower Before visiting, if anyone in your group including staff or students has COVID-19 symptoms, we ask that you please postpone your visit.
On the day
Both venues have dedicated coach and mini bus drop off points. For mini bus and car parking please refer to the specific venue online resources. Our staff will meet you on arrival and show to your bag drop to store your coats and bags.
A typical schedule for the day will be:
| 10am-11am | Arrive at The Box to take part in our STEAM inspired workshop exploring the engineering feats of Plymouth (including Smeaton’s Tower, the Breakwater and the Tamar Bridge). |
| 11am-12pm | Guided tour of The Box’s galleries focusing on your curriculum topic, accompanied by a learning facilitator or learning volunteer. |
| 12pm-1pm | Lunch and travel to Smeaton’s Tower (please note you are responsible for your own travel between the two sites). |
| 1pm-2pm | Admission and self-directed tour of the historic Smeaton’s Tower on Plymouth Hoe (please note Smeaton’s Tower accommodates 15 visitors at a time, so please allow extra time in your schedule for larger student groups). |
| 2pm | Group departure or enjoy some self-directed time on Plymouth Hoe. |
FAQs
Do you have a workshop layout?
Detailed workshop layouts for The Box are included in the
Pre-visit Workshop Resources section under ‘KS2 Bridges pre visit resource’.
Do you have a risk assessment?
You can download both venue’s risk assessments from the links above. The Box provides a
Teachers’ Hazard Assessment to help you to write your own risk assessment.
How do we make payment?
Visiting schools or groups will be invoiced by ARCA (Plymouth) our financial company post-visit to confirm student numbers. Please note we only accept payment through bank transfers. If your school or organisation issues purchase orders for payments, we ask that you provide us with the PO number within 7 days or we cannot confirm your booking.
What if we have to cancel?
We operate a 14 day cancellation policy as stated in our
Terms and Conditions under ‘Group Bookings’. If your booking is cancelled in less than the 14 days before the agreed workshop/tour, we will request full payment to cover facilitator and administration fees.
What if our students have special, medical or access requirements?
Please click both venue’s access sections for detailed information on how we can support students with special or access requirements. If your students have specific medical requirements such as lunch timings or private space please contact The Box before your visit. Please note due to the historic nature of Smeaton’s Tower we regret there is no disabled access inside the lighthouse.
Where do we eat lunch?
Lunch space is provided at The Box in the Simmons Learning Room within easy access to all museum facilities.
Is there parking on-site?
The Box is located near Plymouth’s city centre with coach drop-off points located next to the museum entrances on North Hill (maximum waiting time 15 minutes). For details on short and long stay car parking locations please visit
Plymouth City Council’s parking page. Long stay coach parking is available at Plymouth Pavilions and Stagecoach South West.
For access to Smeaton’s Tower there is limited
drop-off and pick-up points located on both the Barbican and the Mayflower Steps within walking distance of Plymouth Hoe.
Will we have any self-directed time?
If your group would like some self-directed time at The Box and/or time to visit the museum shop we ask that you notify your facilitator on arrival.
How do we find out about upcoming exhibitions and teacher events?
To hear about teacher’s exhibition previews, inspirational school projects and professional learning opportunities, subscribe to our newsletter.
