School Field Trips
Whether at the museum, in class or virtually, we offer hands-on, exploratory and interactive programs on a variety of topics that provide your students with a fun way to learn about history, science, art and culture. All programs fulfill select WI Academic Standards.
On-site Programs
Days: Tuesday – Friday; September to June
Length: 90 minutes
Capacity: See individual program descriptions for program capacities
Cost: $6/student; $4/student for K-12 Schools in Kenosha County
Assembly Programs
Designed to accommodate larger school groups, these programs take place in the large museum lecture halls rather than exhibit spaces.
Days: Tuesday – Friday; September to June
Length: 60 minutes
Capacity: 100 students
Cost: $6/student; $4/student for K-12 Schools in Kenosha County
Outreach Programs
Days: Tuesday – Friday; September to June
Length: 60 minutes
Capacity: 35 students (if your classroom is larger, please reach out to us about possible accommodations)
Cost: $125 per classroom; Schools that are more than 30 miles from the museum will be charged mileage per the IRS Standard Mileage Rate
Virtual Programs
Days: Tuesday – Friday; September to June
Length: 60 minutes
Capacity: 35 students (if your classroom is larger, please reach out to us about possible accommodations)
Cost: $100
Materials: A box of artifacts and materials will be available for pickup at the museum prior to your program. For schools within a 20 mile radius, we will drop the box off at the school. If you would prefer the items be delivered, you will be charged shipping and return fees. If you elect not to utilize the materials, a fee will not be charged.
Theater Performances
Who better to tell the stories of the people who were touched by the Civil War or slavery than the individuals themselves? Professional actors and actresses portray authentic historical figures with scripts based on firsthand accounts written by the individuals themselves.
Days: Tuesday – Friday; September to June (based on actor availability)
Formats: On-site, virtual, outreach
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $300 for up to 50 students; $6/additional student
Cordelia Harvey – Wisconsin Angel
After Wisconsin governor Louis Harvey’s untimely death, his wife Cordelia was appointed Wisconsin’s representative to the Western Sanitary Commission. She traveled up and down the Mississippi River visiting Union hospitals and helping thousands of soldiers from Wisconsin and other Northern states. During the performance Harvey explains her travels and a dramatic meeting with a skeptical President Lincoln.
Caroline Quarlls – My Independence Day
During the performance, the audience meets Carolie in Canada in 1880. She has just received a letter from Lyman Goodnow, one of the people that helped her travel the Underground Railroad from Wisconsin to Canada in 1842. This powerful first-person performance recounts their harrowing experiences and is based on the responses Caroline wrote to questions in Goodnow’s letter.
School Festivals and Events
Enjoy hands-on activities, performances and games that appeal to a variety of your students’ interests while fulfilling select WI Academic Standards.
Youth Summit
Grades: K-12
Dates: Annually in September/October
The Smithsonian National Youth Summit brings middle and high school students together with scolars, teachers, policy experts and activists in a national conversation about important events in America’s past that have relevance to the nation’s present and future. The topic for the Summit changes yearly and teachers are notified when the topic is selected.
Contact
if you are interested in learning more about these annual events, please contact Curator of Social Sciences and School Liaison Bridget Nash at (262) 653-4423 or [email protected].
After School Programs
Continue learning outside of the classroom via on-site, virtual or outreach programs with content experts.
Outreach and Virtual Programs
Perfect for afterschool programs, summer and school break camps, and library programs. The museum brings hands-on, inquiry-based learning to your location.
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $125 for 35 students; $6/student thereafter
Family Nights/PTO Events
If you are planning a family event and need hands-on activities for all ages, we’ve got you covered. The museum can provide activity stations with all needed materials, a staff member and training for station volunteers.
Cost: $100 for first activity station; $75 per additional station, up to 2 hours
Events that are more than 30 miles from the museum will be charged mileage per the IRS Standard Mileage Rate.
Contact
For more information or to schedule an after-school program, contact Education Services Coordinator Jillian Waters at (262) 653-4424 or [email protected].
Plan Your Visit
Accommodations
Please let us know prior to your visit if you have any special accommodations or needs. Every effort will be made to ensure the trip is successful for everyone.
Elevators, wheelchairs, fidgets, weighted blankets, noise-canceling headphones, wobble-seats and quiet spaces are available at all three museums.
Dinosaur Discovery Museum: Wheelchair access to the museum is located at the rear of the building.
Kenosha Public Museum: There are uneven floors, some sound and blinking lights in the galleries.
Civil War Museum: There are uneven floors, talking mannequins and low-light in the galleries. The museum also features a 360-degree film that utilizes strobe lights, lighting changes and loud noises to depict a Civil War battle.
Lunch
Complimentary lunch space is offered with paid programs held at Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum. Reservations are available in 30-minute blocks. The Dinosaur Discovery Museum does not have a lunch space, however there is a park across the street from the building that may be used for picnics. Please note the museums do not have refrigerators, stoves/ovens or microwaves available.
Although the museums do not have onsite restaurants or cafes, there are several dining options nearby. Visit www.downtownkenosha.org or www.visitkenosha.com for more information.
Parking
Free parking is available. During the field trip reservation process we will provide you with the location of vehicle and/or bus parking.
Streetcar
If you are interested in taking your students on a 15-minute electric streetcar ride around downtown Kenosha, please let us know when you book your field trip. We are happy to arrange the ride through the City of Kenosha Transit department for you. The cost is $1 for students through Grade 6; $1.50 for Grade 7 through adult (including all chaperones and educators).
Gift Shop
All three museums have gift shops located off the lobby. All students must have an adult present, and the number of people in the gift shop at one time will be limited. If students are horsing around in the gift shop, a teacher will be asked to remove the students from the area.
Educators
Complimentary admission for educators.
Chaperones
A chaperone-to-student ratio of 1:8 is required. Required chaperones are free. Any additional chaperones must pay $5 for admission. Chaperones are expected to stay with their groups and to monitor their behavior while in the museum.
Scheduling
Programs must be scheduled at least three weeks prior to the requested program date. If we are able to accommodate a last-minute program, payment will be due at the time the program is scheduled.
If your group is running late, please call the museum at (262) 653-4140 to let us know. While we cannot guarantee that we will be able to adjust the program time, we will do our best to work with you to get the most out of your visit.
Program Confirmation
A program confirmation form will be sent when the program is booked. wE require the form to be signed and returned within a week of the program being booked. If the confirmation form is not signed and returned by the deadline, your program will not be placed on the calendar.
Payment
Payment is due two weeks prior to the scheduled program. If payment is not received at the museum by the deadline, the program will be canceled. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash, or check.
Refunds
Refunds for cancellations will only be issued with a week’s notice. All cancellations are eligible to be rescheduled for another date.
Rules of Conduct
Food and drink are prohibited in all exhibit gallery spaces. To ensure exhibits stay clean and pest-free, food and drinks must stay in the designated dining space.
Pleases refrain from flash photography in the galleries. The light can damage fragile artifacts and objects.
Please do not sit on or climb on/in the exhibit displays.
Only items handed to students by museum personnel may be touched. Please remind students all other objects are not meant to be touched. Oils from fingers/hands will damage artifacts and objects on display.
Groups damaging or destroying museum property, or otherwise not being adequately supervised, will be asked to leave.
