School, Scout, and youth groups are invited to explore Old Sturbridge Village’s 200 acres and discover New England history. Whether your group is visiting for 3 hours or all day, curate your Village experience on this self-guided visit.

3rd–8th grade groups have the option to use our themed Make History Guides to explore the Village. Themes include Amazing Agriculture, Cooking and Eating, and Making It. Printed Make History Guides are available for free upon arrival at the museum or downloadable online-under "Resources for Before you Visit" https://www.osv.org/education/educator-resources/.

Pricing: $12 (Students), $17 (Chaperones), FREE (Teachers and School Support Staff)

In addition to exploring Old Sturbridge Village, students and youth group members can participate in hands-on workshops in our Museum Education Center. Each class will participate in a 50-minute workshop focused on one of the following themes: cooking, agriculture, textiles, or printing. Each theme allows them to try out some of the activities they’ll see costumed historians doing in the Village. Through inquiry and analysis, students make connections and comparisons to life today.

Pricing: $17 (Students), $17 (Chaperones), FREE (Teachers and School Support Staff)

This option is great for groups preferring a more structured tour experience. Classes will be divided in half to tour the Village with a museum educator. Tours are 2 hours and themes include trades and households, early industry, or agriculture. When booking tours, please include your focus of choice in the notes section.

Pricing: $22 (Students), $17 (Chaperones), FREE (Teacher and School Support Staff) a 50% deposit is required for this experience.

Please call 508-347-0274 or email osved@osv.org to book this program. Program is only available on Wednesdays

Our new virtual field trips work well as a stand-alone activity for students, or as a preview to an in-person visit to Old Sturbridge Village. In this 45-minute virtual experience, a knowledgeable educator utilizes 3D tours of several of the Village’s buildings to explore different themes live for a class of students. Peek behind counters and zoom in on artifacts to get closer than you ever have before. Tour topics include: the district schoolhouse and education in the 1800s; 19th-century commerce and the Asa Knight Store; and a general Village tour will be available later this Fall. Teachers will also receive supplemental craft lessons plans to enhance the virtual field trip.

Pricing: $125 per class maximum of 30 students per class

In this civics-focused program students participate in a mock town meeting where they learn how local government functions. The program explores the essential question “How should our town care for its poorest citizens?” At the start of the trip, students begin with a short 15 minute introduction at the Museum Education Center and then enter the museum to interview Villagers and gather different points of view. The program concludes in the Center Meetinghouse where students participate in a 45 minute Town Meeting lead by a costumed interpreter to debate and vote on the issue. This interactive program encourages students to think critically, form arguments, and back up their opinions using historical information. Please note: Times selected are for concluding Town Meeting.

This program requires pre-visit work to be done in class ahead of your trip. Visit www.osv.org for pre-visit materials.

Pricing: $14 (Students), $17 (Chaperones), FREE (Teachers and School Support Staff)

Can’t decide between a tour or a hands-on workshop? Do both in this option that combines a 2-hour tour with a 50-minute hands-on workshop for a 3-hour total experience.

Pricing: $27 (Students), $17 (Chaperones), FREE (Teachers and School Support Staff)

Please call 508-347-0274 or email osved@osv.org to book this program. Program is only available on Wednesdays.

Through primary sources and interactive experiences throughout the Village, students will learn about the ways in which the Northern states participated in the institution of slavery in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as the ways that some people fought against this system. Focusing on the 19th-century abolitionist movement, participants in this program will piece together a larger picture of the impact of slavery in a town like Sturbridge in the 1830s. At the start of the trip, students begin with a short, educator-led introduction at the Museum Education Center. In small groups, they will visit specific sites in the Museum to look at primary sources. They will think deeply about the factors that influence their everyday choices and how they can use their own voices to create radical change. The program concludes at 12:30 in the Center Meetinghouse, where students participate in a 30-minute guided discussion and conclusion.
This program requires pre-visit work to be done in class ahead of your trip. (will send link for pre-visit materials soon)
Recommended for 5th through 12th grades. Minimum of 25 students.
Pricing: $14 (Students), $17 (Chaperones), FREE (Teachers and School Support Staff)

Students work as a team to prepare a hearth-cooked meal using 19th-century methods and utensils. As they eat together, students compare and contrast historic dining customs and etiquette with modern meals. Allow 3 hours for the meal experience in addition to 1 to 3 hours exploring the Village.

Recommended for 2nd through 12th grades.

Pricing: $77 (Students), $30 (Chaperones), FREE (Teacher and School Support Staff)

To book this experience call 508-347-0274 or email osved@osv.org for more details.