Student Programs

Student Programs

At LancasterHistory, our educational programs and workshops actively engage K–12 students with our shared history. Lancaster County’s past provides a case study in national history, with opportunities for celebration as well as understanding difficult legacies. Through primary source materials including documents, objects, works of art, and even a US president’s house, students will develop the tools to begin to understand our collective past, and the world in which we live today.

If you would like to learn more about any of LancasterHistory’s school group tours or workshops, including their pricing, please contact groups@lancasterhistory.org or fill out the Contact Form on our Group Tours webpage. Qualifying schools may also apply for scholarship funds to cover the cost of field trips. Please inquire about availability.

Onsite Student Tours

  • President Buchanan’s Life and Times
    Perspective view of Wheatland from the northwest facing Marietta Avenue.
    President James Buchanan’s Wheatland was built in 1828 by William Jenkins. Buchanan was the fourth owner of the home.
    • 1 hour in-person experience led by a Museum Education Guide (1 hour online option also available.)
    • Travel back in time to the year 1857 and explore the home of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States. Objects, documents, and images help students to learn more about James Buchanan and his “little family,” and to discover the dilemmas and decisions that President Buchanan faced during the challenging times leading up to the Civil War.
    • Tours can be customized to meet students’ needs across all ages and learning styles
  • Thieves & Vagabonds Gallery Exploration
    • In a self-guided experience, students will explore our exhibition Thieves & Vagabonds and, by viewing documents, objects, and works of art, will about learn the history of law and justice in Lancaster County. They’ll consider questions like: Why do we have laws? What is justice? (Suggested for ages 12 and older)
    • Groups can also add a brief introduction from the curator to the themes and content of the exhibit.

Onsite Student Workshops

  • Hands-On Object Workshop (add-on to Wheatland tour)
    • 30-45 minutes in length; appropriate for grades K–7
    • Students will examine and interact with objects in this workshop designed as an add-on to a tour of President Buchanan’s Wheatland
    • Students will use their deductive and inductive reasoning skills to determine the use of Victorian-era artifacts
  • Primary and Secondary Source Workshop
    • 1 hour workshop led by staff in the Library and Archives at LancasterHistory (also available as a 30-minute add-on to Wheatland tours or a 30-minute virtual program); workshops can be adapted for grades K-12 and undergraduate.
    • Students will learn about the differences between primary and secondary sources through examination and interaction with books, documents, and objects in the LancasterHistory collections.
    • Workshops can highlight various topics. All workshops will provide an overview of how to do research at LancasterHistory and what is in the collections.

Off-Site Student Tours

  • Origins of the Underground Railroad in Lancaster County
    • Combination bus and walking tour experience led by LancasterHistory’s Randy Harris. 2-hour and 4-hour options.
    • Students will visit historic sites around Lancaster County to learn about some of the earliest episodes of anti-slavery resistance in America.
    • Tours can be customized to meet students’ needs across ages and learning styles, but they are best suited for grades 6-12.
  • Thaddeus Stevens’ Lancaster City
    • Walking tour experience led by LancasterHistory’s Randy Harris. 1-hour and 2-hour options.
    • Students will visit historic sites in Lancaster City and learn about US Congressman Thaddeus Stevens; Lydia Hamilton Smith, Stevens’ housekeeper and confidante; and the Underground Railroad.
    • Tours can be customized to meet students’ needs across ages and learning styles, but they are best suited for grades 6-12.

Offsite & Virtual Classroom Visits

LancasterHistory staff are also available for off-site and virtual classroom visits.

  • Off-site offerings include:
    • Primary and Secondary Source Workshops
    • Presentations on Thaddeus Stevens and the Underground Railroad
  • Virtual programs are conducted in real time with LancasterHistory volunteers or staff via Zoom. Teachers and students can ask questions live using Zoom’s Q&A function. Virtual offerings include:
    • Presentations on primary and secondary sources (30 minutes)

If you would like to learn more about any of LancasterHistory’s school group tours or workshops, including their pricing, please contact groups@lancasterhistory.org. You can also fill out our Contact Form on our Group Tours webpage.

Looking for something you don’t see above? Let us know! Email info@lancasterhistory.org.

We look forward to seeing you and your students soon on the Lancaster Campus of History!