Field Trips
Historic Arkansas Museum is a favorite field trip destination for educators across the state. With annual programs and field trips for grades K - 3rd, 4th - 6th and 7th - 12th, there's a field trip opportunity for any age group. Before arranging transportation, be sure your date and time have been confirmed. A confirmation letter will be sent out to confirm the date and time.
Combine your Field Trip with our Loan Boxes. for more in-depth study.
NOTE: The museum has limited field trip capacity. Please contact us for more info using the below form.
Guided Tours
Historic Homes Tour
1 hour • $1 each • Daily
Max. group size: 60; can accommodate 100 for 2 hrs. paired with Museum Center visit
Learn what brought settlers to Little Rock early in the 19th century. Visit the homes they built, learn what their current events were and find out why some left town in 1849.
Guided Museum Center Visit
1 hour • Free • Daily (must have reservations) • Max. group size: 60
Take a walk through our galleries and explore Arkansas Made art and artists. Students will get the opportunity to hear the “behind the scenes” stories of several of the pieces on display in the museum’s current exhibits while developing a sense for what defines beauty and art.
Hands-on Field Trips
School Fair (Fall and Spring)
2.5 hours • $6 • Grades K- 6 • Offered in Fall and in Spring on specific dates
Twice a year our staff prepare season-related, theme-based, mid-19th century programming in a special format. Previous themes have included “Spring Planting”, “Fall Harvest”, “the 1834 Total Eclipse”, as well as “the 1840 Presidential Election.” The School Fair format allows us to accommodate larger (over 100 students) and smaller (under 15 students) groups than our normal school programming. Scheduling is available from 9:30am-12:00pm, or 11:00am-1:30pm on each day.
Choose Your Own Adventure (Fall and Spring)
$5 each • Choose 4-6 stations • 20 minutes per station • Sept., Oct., Nov., Mar., Apr., May • Max. group size: 100 or 25 students in 4 groups
Here's your chance to tailor your Historic Arkansas Museum field trip to fit your students' needs. Choose your top four stations, plus two secondary options. This must be scheduled six weeks in advance to assure staff availability.
Storytelling (K-4): Students will listen to a lively, age-appropriate story related to a current Museum exhibit.
Visit the Woodruff Print Shop (K-12): Inside the Woodruff Print Shop students will learn how the Arkansas Gazette newspaper was made and how it connected Arkansans to the world. Students will have the chance to operate a reproduction printing press. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Visit the Blacksmith Shop (K-12): At the Blacksmith Shop, students will learn about the importance of blacksmithing in the everyday lives of Arkansans 200 years ago. Students will see the Forge in operation. Learning the basic tools and vernacular. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Churning Butter (K-12): Students will use a butter churn to make butter the way 19th-century Arkansans did—with simple ingredients and a lot of elbow grease. After all their hard work, they’ll be rewarded with a taste of fresh-churned butter! View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Life in a Log Cabin (K-12): Life as a farmer differed greatly from life in downtown Little Rock 200 years ago. Through hands-on activities, this program gives students the opportunity to learn about the various aspects of life in a log cabin in Arkansas in the 1820s – 1850s. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Washing Day Relays (2-6): Before washing machines, there were washing boards—and before there was detergent, there was lye soap. Students will learn about old-fashioned methods to clean clothes and get their hands wet as they try it out for themselves. This program builds appreciation for modern technology while demonstrating how laundry is still done in many parts of the world. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Indoor Games (2-6): Students will learn about the day-to-day life of children in Arkansas 200 years ago. Then, they’ll get a chance to test their mental acuity by playing a variety of indoor games popular in the 1800s. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Traveling in the 1800’s & Wagon Wheel Assembly (2-8): Students learn the various modes of transportation available 200 years ago, before the invention of cars and planes. They’ll also put a wagon wheel together, giving them an idea of the difference between transportation then and now. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Gallery Walk Through (2-12): Students will have the opportunity to explore galleries of Arkansas Made art and history ranging from indigenous Arkansans to contemporary artists and artisans.
Food Preservation (2-12): Without modern appliances like refrigerators how did Arkansans keep their food from spoiling? In this program, students will learn (and taste) the variety of ways Arkansans kept their food safe to eat. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Outdoor Games (2-12): Students will learn about the day-to-day life of children in Arkansas 200 years ago. Then, they’ll get a chance to test their physical coordination and skill by engaging a variety of outdoor games popular in the 1800s. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Historic Textiles & Carding Cotton (3-12): Clothing today is defined by fast fashion and flashy styles, but clothing 200 years ago was largely practical and made with what was available. Students will discuss fashion trends and how clothing is made, then learn to card cotton, an old-fashioned process that readies the material for spinning into thread. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Historic Land Surveying (4-12): Surveyors in historic Arkansas had the important task of using primitive tools to provide precise and accurate maps. In this program, students will learn about these tools and how to use them. View Teacher Packet with Frameworks.
Work & Play (Summer)
2 hours (10am-12pm) • $4 each • K-12 • June, July, and August • Reservations Required • Min. 15 students - Max. group size: 100
Looking
for a historic field trip for your Summer Camp, Day Care, or Co-op?
During the summer months the Historic Arkansas Museum still strives
to provide hands-on programming. Come learn about historic trades,
chores, and travel, by rotating between four 20-minute hands-on
programing stations. Stations include: visiting
our Print Shop, Traveling in the 1830’s & Wagon Wheel Assembly),
Washing Relay, and Outdoor Games. Programs are based on the summer heat
to help provide a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities. Stations
may be adapted or changed in case
of Heat Advisory.
Hidden Histories (Winter)
2 hours (10am-12pm) • $4 each • K-12 • December, January & February • Reservations Required • Min. 15 students - Max. group size: 100This Historic Homes Program focuses on the people of color who lived and worked on our blocks before emancipation came to Arkansas.
Bill Worthen
Future of History Fund
The Bill Worthen Future of History Fund, named for Historic Arkansas Museum’s former director of more than 40 years, supports programs and initiatives that provide school groups from around the state with face-to-face, interactive experiences with history. Since its creation in 2016, the fund has underwritten field trips for thousands of kids from all parts of the state.
If you are interested in this program to fund your field trip, select the check box in the form below.