The tours listed below are designed for school-aged children. All tours may be adapted for any kind of group. The tours are guided by trained docents and stress critical thinking and observation skills.
See, Hear, Explore!
(Grades K-2, 1.25 hours)
Explore the museum using the senses: sight, touch, smell, and hearing. Designed as an introductory museum experience, it utilizes age-appropriate participatory activities in the art and history galleries.
What Is a City?
(Grades 2-3, 1.25 hours)
Begin with a brief visit to the Waterbury Green to observe elements that make a city. Build a model village in the Museum and discover how and why cities grow and change over time.
From Farm to Factory
(Grades 4-6, 1.25 hours)
Walk through American history with a hands-on local twist. Explore the lifestyle of a self-sufficient farmer, a slave named Fortune, a penniless inventor, an enterprising clock maker, an industrialist, and a factory worker. See real machines and learn about interchangeable parts, waterpower, invention, immigration, slavery, and child labor.
Learning to Look
(Grades 3-8, 1.25 hours)
Discover the tools of artistic analysis through observation, self-expression, and critical thought. Students become artists and art detectives in this guided tour through the history of American Art. At the end of the tour, students will take home art-work made during this program.
Labor History and the Global Economy
(Grades 8-12, 1.25 hours)
Learn about machines, unions, slave labor, and more in this highly interactive tour of the history exhibit. Students will work in small groups to analyze objects in the collections and draw conclusions about their effects on society.
Program Fees
Fees vary for tours. Inquire by calling the Education Department at 203-753-0381 x 117.
Group Size
Classes will be divided into small groups (15 to 20 students) led by trained museum docents. Tours can generally accommodate 35 students.
Facilities
The Museum does not provide food for school groups; however, lunch time may be reserved in the art classroom when the tour reservation is made.
Accessibility
The Museum is accessible to handicapped visitors.
