Field Trips
Our field trips require a minimum of 15 students per reservation. For groups of fewer than 15 students, please go directly to our admission counter upon arrival, or consider purchasing a membership.
History Lab programs are nearly full until June 18, 2010. If you have a small group or wish to be placed on the waiting list for History Lab cancellations, please complete the online form. Self-directed visits and Ghosts of the Great Hall programs are still open for reservations.
What mysteries wait to be uncovered in our "Natural Settings" area?
Are your students studying a particular topic in Washington's history? Are you interested in exploring the museum at your own pace? If so, a self-guided visit is the option for you! We even supply a teachers' field guide.
Exhibits at the museum are interactive and self-paced. We don't give guided tours of the museum, but your class will receive an orientation to our galleries, along with information about the featured exhibits on view during your visit. Students will have the opportunity to view artifacts up close. Our volunteer gallery interpreters will help students in their search for information, answer questions about the museum, and provide insight about objects and exhibits.
Additional information
on the Great Hall of Washington History.
Make a reservation for a self-directed tour of the Great Hall of Washington History. Admission prices are $4 per student. The museum admits one chaperone per five students for free.
Are your students ready to listen, learn, and make connections? Time and Place are two tools used in the Lab to make connections.
From the moment a class walks into the History Lab, the excitement begins. Students become detectives in this engaging, one-and-a-half hour facilitated field trip where they learn about historical evidence by using the "Tools of the History Trade." Artifacts, ephemera, images, and electronic media are all tools that your class will use to solve a particular mystery in Washington state’s history. Armed with a map, a clue, and a code, students must crack the case and find the answer to one of the many secrets in Washington's past.
This program serves students in grades 3-12, with a maximum capacity of 35 students per session. We offer two Lab sessions each day at 9:30 am and 11:00 am with priority booking on Thursday and Friday.
History Lab may now be booked for the 2009-2010 school year.
Additional information on the History Lab Learning Center.
Make a reservation for a facilitated visit to the History Lab Learning Center. Admission prices are $6 per student. The museum admits one chaperone per five students for free.
From music to monsters, our Ghosts of the Great Hall programs bring history alive!
Our Ghosts of the Great Hall programs capture the imagination of your students while building a foundation for studying history in the classroom. While your students are here, they will be introduced to program themes through listening to a series of dramatic monologues performed by local professional actors. At the conclusion of each, the actors will encourage students to ask questions about the event and the life of their character. Special pre- and post-visit materials are provided.
Please note: History Lab will be unavailable during the run of these programs.
Programs Available in 2009-2010:
Icons of Washington
February 3-5, 2010
What makes the Evergreen State unique? Join iconic figures from Washington to explore the culture, industry, and ecology of the Pacific Northwest. From lumber camp cooks to rockstars, these characters will inspire students to 'dig deeper" into the stories and people from the state they call home. NOTE: This program complements the featured exhibit, "Icons of Washington History," that runs from November 2009 to July 2010.
Unsolved Mysteries
March 3-5, 2010
What notorious northwesterner stole over $200,000 and was never found? Was there really a robbery at the History Museum? Who - or WHAT - is Sasquatch? Students will investigate these and other famous northwest puzzles as they explore the museum galleries, trying to solve the "Mystery of the Great Tozier Heist" with the help of these historical characters.
Make a reservation for a facilitated visit to a Ghosts of the Great Hall program. Admission prices are $6 per student. The museum admits one chaperone per five students for free.
Visit the Prep Materials page for helpful hints and instructions to enhance any field trip visit!