Field Trips
The following programs are available March – November. Please note that during this time, the Museum is open Wednesday – Sunday.
Option 1: EXPLORE
School, scout and youth groups are invited to explore Old Sturbridge Village’s 200 acres and discover New England history. Whether your group is visiting for 3 hours or all day, curate your Village experience on this self-guided visit. 3rd–8th grade groups have the option to use our themed Make History Guides to explore the Village. Themes include Amazing Agriculture, Cooking and Eating, and Making It.
Printed Make History Guides are available for free upon arrival at the museum.
You can also download the guides below (for best results print double-sided on 8 1/2″ x 14″ paper)
Make History – Amazing Agriculture
Make History – Cooking and Eating
Recommended for K through 12th grades.
Students………………………………………………$10
Chaperones…………………………………………$15
Teacher/Youth Group Leader…………..FREE
We welcome chaperones but ask that you please share this guide with all chaperones attending the field trip.
Option 2: MAKE + EXPLORE
In addition to exploring Old Sturbridge Village, students and youth group members can participate in hands-on workshops in our Museum Education Center that allows them to try out some of the activities they’ll see costumed historians doing in the Village. Each class will participate in a 50-minute workshop focused on one of the following themes: hearth cooking, agriculture, textiles, or printing. Through inquiry and analysis, students make connections and comparisons to life today.
Recommended for 1st through 12th grades. Minimum of 10 students.
Students…………………………………………….$15
Chaperones……………………………………….$15
Teacher/Youth Group Leader…………FREE
We welcome chaperones but ask that you please share this guide with all chaperones attending the field trip.
Option 3A: TOUR + EXPLORE
Back by popular demand! This option is great for groups preferring a more structured tour experience. Classes will be divided in half to tour the Village with a museum educator. Tours are 2 hours long and themes include trades and households, early industry, or agriculture. When booking tours, please include your focus of choice in the notes section.
Recommended for 3rd through 12th grades. Minimum of 10 students.
Students…………………………………………….$18
Chaperones……………………………………….$15
Teacher/Youth Group Leader………..FREE
We welcome chaperones but ask that you please share this guide with all chaperones attending the field trip.
Option 3B: TOUR + EXPLORE PLUS
Can’t decide between a tour or a hands-on workshop? Do both in this option that combines a 2 hour tour with a 50 minute hands-on workshop for a 3 hour total experience.
Recommended for 3rd through 12th grades. Minimum of 10 students.
Students…………………………………………….$23
Chaperones………………………………………$15
Teacher/Youth Group Leader……….FREE
We welcome chaperones but ask that you please share this guide with all chaperones attending the field trip.
Option 4: CONNECT + EXPLORE
School, scout and youth groups, as well as their chaperones are invited to a 45-minute experience in our theater led by expert Old Sturbridge Village historians and educators. These new programs focus on connecting science, engineering and social studies elements from the past, with life today. Part show-and-tell and part learning laboratory, these interactive, themed shows include demonstrations, audience participation, and a whole lot of fun!
2017/2018 School Year – Food for Keeps: Delve into the science of historic food preservation including salting, drying, brining and smoking. Students will learn about the intersection of chemistry and preserving food both today and in the past.
Recommended for 3rd through 5th grades. These programs are designed for groups of 50 students or larger and take place at 11:00 am in the Brewer Theater in our Main Visitor Center.
Teacher/Youth Group Leader………………..FREE
Chaperones……………………………………………….$15
Students…………………………………………………….$12
We welcome chaperones but ask that you please share this guide with all chaperones attending the field trip.
Option 5: PARTICIPATE + EXPLORE
Students participate in My Voice, My Vote – a mock town meeting where they learn how local government functions. Students explore the essential question “How should our town care for its poorest citizens?” At the museum, students begin with a short introduction and then enter the museum to interview Villagers to gather different points of view and then join a costumed moderator at the Center Meetinghouse to debate and vote on the issue. This interactive program encourages students to think critically, form arguments, and back up their opinions using historical information.
This program requires pre-visit work to be done in class ahead of your trip. Click here to download pre-visit materials.
Recommended for 6th through 12th grades. Minimum of 25 students.
Students……………………………………………..$12
Chaperones………………………………………..$15
Teacher/Youth Group Leader………….FREE
We welcome chaperones but ask that you please share this guide with all chaperones attending the field trip.
For more intensive experiences: IMMERSE + EXPLORE
Cooking a 19th-Century Meal
Students work as a team to prepare a hearth-cooked meal using 19th-century methods and utensils. As they eat together, students compare and contrast historic dining customs and etiquette with modern meals. Allow 3 hours for the meal experience in addition to 1 to 3 hours exploring the Village.
Recommended for 5th through 12th grades.
Students & Chaperones……………….$60
Teacher/Youth Group Leader……..FREE
History Immersion
Recommended for 2nd through 12th grades, Old Sturbridge Village offers schools and youth programs multi-day, immersive educational experiences that are customized based on the group’s goals. Experiences may include dressing in 19th-century costume, roleplaying and performing, cooking over an open hearth or apprenticing in a trade shop. These hands-on, content-rich experiences provide a stimulating, multi-sensory immersion into the past. For details and pricing, call 508-347-0274, or email us at osved@osv.org.
