Education

School Field Trips

Field trips for school students in grades k-12 are available Tuesdays through Fridays between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Tours last approximately 1 ½ hours and include a visit to the farmyard, weather permitting. The primary focus is on the life and times of Charles Thomson in his role as Secretary of the Continental Congresses and his life in retirement at Harriton House. Add-on STEM/STEAM activities are also available. To schedule a school field trip, send an email to: education@harritonhouse.org

School Field Trip FAQs

• Bookings available Tuesday – Friday between 10:00 and 2:00 p.m.
• Email to: education@harritonhouse.org to request a field trip booking.
• Allow approximately 1 ½ hours for your guided tour of Harriton House.
• Admission $10.00 per student for a standard field trip tour, no charge for teachers or chaperones.
• Cash, check, and credit card are accepted for payment.
• Ideal class size: 24 students or fewer. Larger classes may be divided into smaller groups.
• Schedule at least 2 weeks in advance when possible.
• Picking outdoors on our lawn is encouraged, weather permitting.
• Free parking for buses or cars in our off-street lot.

STEM/STEAM Add-On Activities

Butter from Barn to Table
Students make and taste butter learning about the former Harriton Dairy and observing cream as it is transformed from a liquid to a solid.
$5.00 per person additional materials fee.

Hot & Heavy
Students work in historic kitchen at Harriton using pots and pans to record weights to make observations about the strength required of workers cooking daily meals. Students will also prepare toast over coals in the hearth to experience an authentic historic cooking technique.
$5.00 per person additional materials fee.

Junior Journalist
Students will study sample pages from Charles Thomson’s handwritten daybook where he recorded details of life at Harriton learning how primary sources benefit historians. While making their own small journal, students will discuss modern methods for recording daily life.
$10.00 per person additional materials fee.

Home School Groups

Harriton welcomes Home School groups Tuesdays through Fridays between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Tours offerings are similar to those for school field trips with a few minor exceptions. We ask for a minimum of 10 and maximum of 24 students per home school group. It is not required to have all the students in group at the same grade-level equivalent. STEM/STEAM add-on activities are also available for home school groups. For additional information, please read the SCHOOL FIELD TRIP FAQS above or email to: education@harrionhouse.org.

High School Independent Studies and Internships

High school students seeking opportunities for independent studies are encouraged to contact Harriton House by email to: education@harrionhouse.org. Our professional staff will work with students to create an independent study project or to guide them to resources available at Harriton House. Students seeking Senior Service Projects are also welcome at Harriton. We have helped students successfully complete the requirements of Senior Service Projects including invasive plant management, care of our farm animals, and assisting with maintenance for the Blacksmith Shed and Root Cellar.

College and Post-graduate Internships and Praxis

The Harriton Association encourages college and post-graduate students to consider the 300+ years of history and culture represented here to enhance their studies. We have created PRAXIS experiences for students in the Museum Studies department at Bryn Mawr College and seek to establish mutually beneficial relationships with other colleges and universities. To initiate a conversation about how Harriton can help with your academic pursuits, email to: director@harritonhouse.org.