Field Trips

History Awaits!

Investigate a time capsule of Victorian-era Sacramento childhood, stake a claim on the American River to pan for gold, or take a tour through the original street level of the city!

There’s always more to learn at the Sacramento History Museum.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions	Requests	Prices
Program Descriptions	Virtual, Outreach, & Rentals	Scholarships
Adult Groups	Tour Companies

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Requesting a Field Trip

To request a field trip, please complete our Field Trip Request Form.

If you are unable to access the online form, please download the PDF version and return it to the Education Department at shm-education@sachistorymuseum.org.

Program requests usually take 1-2 weeks to process and are scheduled in the order in which they were received.  If we have received a large number of requests, it may take longer to schedule your program.

Underground Tours and Gold Fever! Adventures require at least 3 weeks notice.

Once we have processed your request, you will receive a confirmation email with an invoice and schedule of your program.  Submitting a request form does not guarantee you the program, date, or time you prefer.

 

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Program Prices, Capacities, and Recommended Ages

	30-min Programs	60-min Programs	90-min Programs	Cemetery Tours (90 min)
10-19 Students	$95	$135	$155	$135
20-30 Students	$150	$210	$240	$210
+ 1 Student	$5	$7	$8	$7
+ 1 Chaperone	$5 *	$5 **	$5	$5

 

* Gold Panning is for students only, additional chaperones will not be charged for this program.
** Additional chaperones for Underground Tours & Gold Fever! Adventures are charged at a rate of $10 per adult.

Program Name	Program Length	Maximum	Recommended Age
Print Shop	30 minutes	35 individuals	All grades
Gold Panning	30 minutes	50 students	All grades
Underground Tour	60 minutes	25 individuals	3rd grade and above
Gold Fever! Adventure	60 minutes	25 individuals	4th grade and above
History Mystery	60 minutes	35 individuals	1st & 2nd grade
Museum Scavenger Hunt	60 minutes	35 individuals	All grades
Old Sac Scavenger Hunt	60 minutes	50 individuals	All grades
Nisenan	60 minutes	35 individuals	4th grade and above
Cemetery Tour	90 minutes	35 individuals	3rd grade and above
Gold Rush with Gold Panning	90 minutes	35 individuals	4th grade and above
Heading West	90 minutes	35 individuals	4th grade and above

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Program Descriptions

Gold Panning
30 minutes of pure gold!  Students stake their claim on the American River and pan for gems, minerals, and real gold in our outdoor troughs.  Just like prospectors in the 1850s, some will strike it rich and others will have to make their living another way.

This program also includes a plastic vial for each student, which they can fill with any treasures they find in their search for gold.  Due to physical space and material costs, chaperones and teachers are not able to participate in gold panning.

Historic Print Shop
Long before radio, computers, and smart phones, the printing press kept the world informed of news.  Students learn about Gutenberg’s invention of moveable type, the catalyst for the expansion of print materials like books, flyers, and newspapers.  Our docents provide demonstrations of our 1852 Washington Hand Press and our 1902 Chandler and Price Jobbing Press as we explore the impact of print material on California history with your group.

This program also includes two mementos for the class, printed in the shop.

Underground Tour
Raise the city!  Students learn about our astonishing efforts to save Sacramento from devastating floods in the 1860s by exploring the underground spaces and sidewalks created by the lifting process.  Groups are guided through Old Sac by someone who lived through that time period and brings their own unique perspective on the flood, process, and events of the time period.

Gold Fever! Adventure
Eureka!  Having found gold on the American River, students journey through Old Sacramento City to legally establish their claim, buy supplies for the winter, and have their gold assessed for value.  Your goal?  To return home rich.  Your fate?  Unclear.  Your actions?  Have consequences.

History Mystery
A mystery awaits!  During this hands-on program, students use items from an 1800s trunk to piece together the childhood of its owner.  Who owned the trunk?  How does their life compare with ours?  What can we learn about life in the 19th century from the items they owned?

Remember: it’s a mystery for the students to solve, so do not reveal the owner of the trunk before they arrive!  The trunk contains items once owned by May Woolsey, a Sacramento child from the 1890s.  After her passing, her belongings were stored away and now serve as a time-capsule of childhood in the 19th century.

Museum Scavenger Hunt
The Sacramento History Museum showcases artifacts, photos, and experiences that focus on the history of the city: from Mómtim Péwinan, or River People, whose ancestral lands this museum resides on, to the Gold Rush and the multitude of cultures that filled the city through the decades.  Students not only learn about key figures, major events, and everyday life in Sacramento, but are also encouraged to find connections to their own lives today.  Your Story Lives Here!

Old Sacramento Scavenger Hunt
In groups, students explore (preferably led by an adult chaperone) the Old Sacramento District, a two block by four block area along the Sacramento River.  The questions draw their eyes to historic sites, landmarks, and buildings that they might not notice on their own.  Highlights include the site James LLF Warren introduced California to its state flower, a building that survived a fire when 80% of the city did not, and a retired steam boat that once cruised the waters from San Francisco to Sacramento.

Groups are outfitted by a docent with clipboards, maps, and pencils while at the museum before embarking on their journey.  Docents remain at the Museum for the duration of the program and groups may return throughout for assistance.

Nisenan
Who are the first people of the Sacramento region?  Students learn about the Nisenan people’s traditional uses of land and items made from nature, as well as efforts by native tribes to teach techniques within their communities today and the continued presence of the Nisenan people today.  Topics covered include the Nisenan connection to the land, childhood, and trade.  Many of the items used in the program and on display in the Mómtim Péwinan exhibit were made by members of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and their Traditional Ecological Knowledge, TEK, department.

Cemetery Tour
One of the oldest burial grounds in Sacramento, the Old City Cemetery records the city’s history on its tombstones.  Led through the cemetery by docents, students visit the graves of notable residents, including three California governors, John Sutter Jr., and Sacramento’s first elected mayor, Hardin Bigelow.  Also covered on this tour are burial customs, Victorian symbols carved on gravesites, and the cemetery’s adaptation throughout history.

This program does NOT meet at the Museum.  Guests will meet their tour guide at the Cemetery on 1000 Broadway near Riverside Boulevard in Sacramento.  Transportation to/from the Museum is not provided.

Gold Rush
“Gold!  Gold!  Gold from the American River!”  These words launched the largest human migration in modern history, as 300,00 people traveled to California and attempted to make their fortunes.  Students will learn about how people from different cultures interacted with each other, how the search for gold changed over time, and how news of the discovery spread around the world.

This program also includes a 10-minute Print Shop demonstration as well as a 30-minute Gold Panning experience in our outdoor troughs.  Due to schedule limitations, Panning may be scheduled before, after, or separate from the indoor portion of the program.  This program also includes a take-home memento for students to learn more about these diverse prospectors as well as two mementos for the class from the Print Shop.

Heading West
By land and by sea, thousands of people risked their lives to reach California and other parts of what is now the Western United States.  Students learn how and why people embarked on this journey and how a family’s or individual’s circumstances and future plans influenced which route was taken.  Then, students embark on their own journeys either overland or on ship, as they work together in small groups to safely reach California during our “Heading West” game.

This program includes a take-home memento for students to learn more about the real people who took this journey.

 

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Virtual Field Trips, Outreach Programs, and Trunk Rentals

Can’t come to the Museum?  Bring the Museum to you! 

To request a virtual program, outreach program, or trunk rental, please complete our Virtual Field Trip, Outreach Program, and Trunk Rental Form.

If you are unable to access the online form, please download the PDF Version and return it to the Education Department at shm-education@sachistorymuseum.org.

Program requests usually take 1-2 weeks to process and are scheduled in the order in which they were received.  If we have received a large number of requests, it may take longer to schedule your program.

Once we have processed your request, you will receive a confirmation email with an invoice and schedule of your program.  Submitting a request form does not guarantee you the program, date, or time you prefer.

 

Virtual Field Trips

The Sacramento History Museum provides live online versions of our in-person programs. Virtual Programs are preferred on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00am to 3:30pm, but other days and times may be approved dependent on staffing levels.

All programs are 1 hour long and delivered on Zoom or your school’s preferred platform.  Each program has a limit of 35 students / screens per presentation.

The cost of each Virtual Program is $75.

Available as Virtual Programs
– History Mystery
– Nisenan: California Indians of the Sacramento Valley
– Gold Rush (does not include Gold Panning)
– Heading West

 

Outreach Programs

We bring our catalog of educational programs to you, to fit your schedule!  Outreaches are preferred on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9:00am to 3:30pm, but other days and times may be approved dependent on staffing levels.

Each presentation is 1 hour long and adapted for classroom formats.  Each program has a limit of 35 students per presentation.

The cost of a single Outreach Program is $200 plus mileage to and from the Sacramento History Museum.  Additional programs in the same day are $75 each.  Outreach programs are generally restricted to within 25 miles of the Museum; please contact us with any questions.

Available as Outreach Programs
– History Mystery
– Nisenan: California Indians of the Sacramento Valley
– Gold Rush (does not include Gold Panning)
– Heading West

 

Time Traveler’s Trunk Rental

The Gold Rush in a steamer trunk!  Our Time Traveler’s Trunk comes with easily adaptable lesson plans, as well as primary sources, historic artifacts, costumes, and hands-on activities that will bring history to life for your students.  You may rent the Time Traveler’s Trunk in two-week increments, allowing you the flexibility to enhance your curriculum at your own pace.

A two-week rental of our Time Traveler’s Trunk is $150.

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Scholarships

The Sacramento History Alliance provides a limited number of scholarships for Title 1 and low-income schools.  Scholarships are available for in-person field trips, outreach, and virtual programs.

If awarded, scholarships cover 1 program for 1 class of 35 students.  If there are multiple classes attending the field trip, each needs to be accounted for in the scholarship form.  Chaperones beyond the number of free adults provided (approximately 1 per 8 students) are not covered by scholarships and are charged an additional fee.

To request a scholarship, please complete our Scholarship Request Form and return it to the Education Department at shm-education@sachistorymuseum.org.

 

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Adult and Non-School Groups

In addition to our School Programs, groups of adults such as retirement communities and company retreats can book a Guided Museum Tour.  These tours include a docent to lead the group around the Museum and admission for the group to independently explore following the tour.

Guided Museum Tours are $12 per person.  To book, please email the Education Department at shm-education@sachistorymuseum.org.

 

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Tour Companies

If you are a Tour Company looking to book with us, please complete our Tour Company Request Form.

If you are unable to access the online form, please download the PDF version and return it to the Education Department at shm-education@sachistorymuseum.org.

Program requests usually take 1-2 weeks to process and are scheduled in the order in which they were received.  If we have received a large number of requests, it may take longer to schedule your program.

Underground Tours and Gold Fever! Adventures require at least 3 weeks notice.

Once we have processed your request, you will receive a confirmation email with an invoice and schedule of your program.  Submitting a request form does not guarantee you the program, date, or time you prefer.

 

Please note that we require at least 1 week notice for changes or cancellations to scheduled programs.  We are unable to accommodate changes to programming or issue refunds with less than 7 days notice.  No Call, No Shows will be assessed a $50 fee in addition to the full balance of the invoiced program(s).