Onsite Programs

Bring your students to KTM&HC and immerse them in centuries of local history! Our emphasis on interactive, place-based learning creates new opportunities for engagement, connecting to and building on what’s already happening in the classroom.

We offer onsite experiences ranging from 45 minutes to three hours. Programs are led by staff educators and are customized for students of all ages and abilities. We’re happy to tailor our content to meet individual and/or classroom needs and requirements, so please reach out with any questions or ideas for integrating our programs into your students’ learning.

American Revolution (Grades 4-12)
Through storytelling, inquiry-based discussion, and hands-on activities, students learn what it might have been like to live through the American Revolution and the Battle of Ridgefield. On a tour of our c. 1713 historic house, students hear about the experiences of our site residents during Connecticut’s only inland Revolutionary War battle, on April 27, 1777. Students discover how members of the Keeler household – tavern owners Timothy and Esther Keeler, their two young children, and Betty Isaac, the child they enslaved – navigated community division and the war’s impact on families, including the choices they made about who to support: Patriots or Loyalists. In our Garden House, students learn how people living during the American Revolution communicated with friends and family at a distance by analyzing primary source documents and writing with a quill pen. On the museum’s front lawn, students learn about and try their hand at a series of colonial games, including hoops & sticks, quoits, and graces. In the case of inclement weather, outdoor games are replaced by a weaving activity in the carriage barn.
Colonial Life (Grades PreK-8)
Students learn what life was like in this area during the colonial era, and how it compares how we live today. On a tour of our c. 1713 historic house, students learn about the people who lived here during the 18th century as they explore various rooms – a kitchen, taproom, assembly room, and bedroom – and see how different objects were used to run a business and household. In our Garden House, students learn how former site residents used natural, locally sourced ingredients for practical purposes and participate in a hands-on activity to make their own bug-repelling sachets. On the museum’s front lawn, students learn about and try their hand at a series of colonial games, including hoops & sticks, quoits, and graces. In the case of inclement weather, outdoor games are replaced by table games and an ice harvesting activity in the carriage barn.
Creating Community (Grades K-12)
Through storytelling, inquiry-based discussion, and hands-on activities, students learn how the concept of what it meant to be a Ridgefielder, and an American, was in flux in 1915, as various groups attempted to live in community together. On a tour through the early 20th-century spaces in our historic house, students explore the stories of the immigrants, longtime Ridgefielders, and summer residents who lived and worked on our site in the 20th century, as they navigated personal priorities and public good. In our Garden House, students will examine primary source documents and explore different viewpoints as they learn about a 1926 road paving controversy that impacted all the individuals on our site. On the museum’s front lawn, students learn about and try their hand at period games, including croquet and bocce.
Beams to Balustrades (Grades 4-12)
How do you build a house that can withstand centuries of weather, generations of owners, and even a cannonball or two? Through a tour of the entire museum, students learn about the architectural evolution of KTM&HC’s historic house, from its colonial origins to its 20th-century preservation. Through an emphasis on energy efficiency, students discover how residents worked with and against the natural environment to maximize their comfort and suit their changing needs.
#HandsOnHistory (Grades PreK-8) - Fall Only
FREE for all school groups! One of KTM&HC’s signature programs: an annual series of rotating, interactive exhibits that showcase objects from the museum’s extensive tool collection and explore intersections of history, science, and technology. Students learn about local history through an emphasis on play and discovery, with fun opportunities to get hands-on with real historic objects. Can be paired with museum tours.

Homeschoolers: check out our Homeschool Group flyer for information about how our programs can be customized for groups of all ages.

Classroom Outreach