Education
History comes to life! Through engaging, hands-on educational experiences, students will explore centuries of history right in their own backyard!
Why book a field trip at HBMS?
Explore Bethlehem
- One of only 3 World Heritage Sites in Pennsylvania and only 27 in all of the United States! To learn more click here!
- Trained museum teachers create engaging, hands-on experiences for all ages.
- The programs are aligned with state standards.
- The field trips are local, impactful, and affordable!
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Field Trips - Grades K-8
Education Walking Tours - Grades 5+
Outreach Programs
Bring History to Your Classroom!
Can’t make it to Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites? We’ll come to you! Our interactive outreach programs bring local and national history directly into your classroom through hands-on activities, engaging storytelling, and primary sources. Programs are curriculum-aligned and led by a costumed museum educator who makes the past vivid, meaningful, and memorable for students of all ages.
Program topics include:
- Life on a Coloinal Farm
- Colonial Crafts and Trades
- Bethlehem Steel and Industrial History
- Moravians and the Founding of the 18th Century Bethlehem
- Bethlehem during the American Revolution
Other topics may be available upon request.
The Burnside Plantation is a very educational and “hands on” experience for any students! The visit is very organized and structured and the activities such as building a barn and writing with real quills really enhanced my students visit! My students learned a lot about these historical times and had fun doing it!
— Susan G., Covenant Christian Academy
We always look forward to our day at Burnside Plantation. The hands-on, high quality learning experiences complement our classroom activities and investigations beautifully.
— Alison P., Seven Generations Charter School
Thank you for an amazing field trip. We enjoyed learning a lot about the historical farm. Our class liked the different stations. We especially loved building a barn and learning to write with a quill pen. If you need more horse power give us a call! We hope to visit again.
— Mrs. Straub's Class, Saucon Valley Elementary School
Students were engaged and enjoyed the hands-on activity. They were able to explore and observe how life was years ago and how inventions have been made to help our society live life easier.
— Tatiana G., Seven Generations Charter School
Don’t wait, spots are filling up fast! Schedule your school program today! Contact Charlotte Filiciotto, cfiliciotto@historicbethlehem.org, Manager of Programs & Volunteers to book a program that fits your needs.
School Program Inquiry Form
Education FAQs
How much do school programs cost?
Program prices range from $10-$15 per student.
How long do school programs take?
Programs typically range in length from 1 to 2.5 hours.
How many adults need to be with the students?
We require at least one teacher or adult chaperone to be with every student tour/activity group. Groups may have more than one adult per group, with any additional chaperones beyond the number included with the program being added at the chaperone rate. Certain programs may have room size restrictions that would affect the number of adults that can be added to each group.
Is the museum or historic site accessible?
Due to the nature of historic sites, some activities or tours might not be completely accessible for students with mobility, visual, or auditory difficulties (especially in terms of being able to navigate the space or climb stairs in some historic buildings). If you have any student that might have mobility difficulties, please let us know when inquiring about a tour or program so we can make sure to best adapt that program where possible for your visit.
Can students have lunch on site?
Most tours and programs taking place at our historic sites have space available for the group to eat their packed lunches after the program if requested. We recommend that blankets be brought if groups are having their picnic lunch on the grass at Burnside or in the Colonial Industrial Quarter. There are spaces at Burnside and the Colonial Industrial Quarter where students can eat lunch under a roof in the event that weather prohibits eating on the grounds. We do not provide or sell food, so lunches must be brought.
Can the program time or content be customized?
We can alter the regular timeframe of a program or tour slightly as needed based on your needs. While most activity stations for our hands-on programs are 30 minutes in length, it is possible to shorten those stations by 5 minutes for an abbreviated program. If you are looking for a slightly longer visit, you can inquire about our extended variants of the Century at Burnside or Handmade in the 18th Century programs. The length of walking tours can also be customized slightly as needed. The best way to substantially increase the length of your visit to Historic Bethlehem is to schedule a second tour or program.
EITC Donors
Our EITC programs are funded with the help of organizations such as Embassy Bank, Steve Voudouris, Rush Order Tees, and Ninja Transfers LLC.
