General Info
Group Educational Programs for Children
Visit the Millyard Museum to bring history to life for your students! The Manchester Historic Association provides educational programs that enhance classroom learning. Topics explored in the Millyard Museum include Native Peoples, early European settlement, the textile industry, waterpower, labor struggles, immigration, child labor, inventors and inventions, etc.
Programs are adaptable for grades K-12. The programs may be used to enliven studies of science, literature, social studies, mathematics, and art. They are appropriate for public and private schools, camp groups, home school groups and Scout troups. Each program is adaptable to your needs. If there is a topic your group would like to further explore, we would be happy to discuss how we can incorporate that topic into your program. For suggested reading to do with your class prior to your visit, take a look at our lists here:
Elementary School Suggested Reading
Middle and High School Suggested Reading
For more information about school programs, please call Kristy Ellsworth, Museum Educator at (603) 622-7531, ext. 303.
Fees for school and camp groups:
- $5 per student and chaperone for one program
- $8 per student and chaperone for any two programs
- Free for teachers and camp counselors
**Please note that these fees have changed.
Fees for homeschool groups and Scout troops:
- $5 per student and parent for one program
- $8 per student and parent for any two programs
- Free for one leader per group
- Toddler family members are welcome, free of charge
**Please note that these fees have changed.
Please note: As homeschool groups tend to be smaller, there is a $25 minimum fee for programs
General Information:
- School programs are available Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Advance reservations for programs are required.
- Allow 1 to 1½ hours per program scheduled.
- School programs are designed for a minimum of 10 students and a maximum of 25.
- Please arrange to have one chaperone for every eight children.
- Indoor space is available for eating bag lunches if requested in advance.
- The Museum Shop features many inexpensive items for children.
Gallery Tour
Each of these 1 to 1½ hour Gallery Tours in the Millyard Museum may be combined with a Walking Tour.
From Paleo-Indians to the Segway
This program will make time travel a reality! Beginning 11,000 years ago and ending in present-day Manchester, students will follow the evolution of Manchester's rich history. Working in small teams to answer a series of questions, students will become experts on one gallery in the museum. The teams will then present their findings to their classmates as the tour guide leads them through the museum, providing additional information. Topics discussed in this program are Native peoples, early European settlement and industry, waterpower, textiles, labor struggles, immigration, simple machines, and leisure activities. Please allow a full 1.5 - 2 hours for this program.
This program fulfills the following NH State Standards: EC: 1, 3; GE: 4; HI: 4, 5; WH: 5
'100 Years Ago' Gallery Tour Program
Discover what it was like to live and work in Manchester 100 years ago! This interactive program allows students to work together as they explore the museum. Students will work in small teams to answer a series of questions, as they become experts on one gallery. The teams will then present their findings to their classmates as the tour guide leads them through the museum, providing additional information. Topics covered in this program are waterpower and the building of the mills, textiles, child labor, housing, inventions, and immigration.
This program fulfills the following NH State Standards: EC: 1, 3; HI: 4, 5; WH: 5
A Child's Life in Industrial New Hampshire
Learn about children growing up in 19th and early 20th century New Hampshire. Try typical activities a child might do related to work, chores, school, and leisure. Students work in small groups as they complete tasks at different stations using artifacts and primary resources. Concepts explored include child labor, labor struggles, weaving, immigration and ethnicity, home life, and technology. This program can be adapted for 5th grade and younger or 6th grade and up.
This program fulfills the following NH State Standards: HI: 4, 5; WH: 5
Manchester's Legacies
Who do you think of when you think of Manchester? Through this program, students will explore the history of the city through some its most influential citizens. From John Stark to Mattie Knight to Dean Kamen, students will learn about the innovators that have come out of the city. Students will work in small groups to become experts on one Manchester person and will then teach out what they learned to their peers. Discussions will focus on inventions, innovations, and the impacts made on both a local and global level.
The Franco-American Experience in Manchester
This program is ideal for high school French classes as well as anyone studying immigration. The program includes a guided tour of the museum with a strong emphasis on the Franco-American experience in Manchester.
This program fulfills the following NH State Standards: GE: 4; HI: 4, 5; WH: 2, 4, 5; French 3.1
Walking Tour
This 1 to 1½ hour walking tour may be paired with a Gallery Tour. In poor weather an indoor program may be substituted for the walking tour.
Millyard Discovery: Exploring a New Hampshire Industrial City
Walk with a guide through the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Millyard and along the Merrimack River to find out what made this planned industrial city tick. Survey the area’s unique architectural and structural heritage. The construction of mills, canals, dams, and railroads supported the growth of industry along the river, making the Amoskeag Millyard one of the largest textile mill complexes in the world. Also, see where mill employees lived and worked.
This program fulfills the following NH State Standards: EC: 3.1; HI: 4, 5
Time Trunks
Travel back in time without leaving the classroom!
Rent one of four traveling trunks for two weeks of self-guided, hands-on study in the classroom. Each steamer trunk contains real objects for students to examine and includes a notebook full of suggested lessons and activities, which may be photocopied. Local teachers designed each trunk. Use them as pre-visit or post-visit activities for a trip to the Millyard Museum, or to enhance your curriculum.
Rental fee for time trunks:
$50 for two weeks ($35 for Manchester schools), plus $10 per day late fee.
Abenaki
Explore the lives of the first people living in the Merrimack River Valley region of New Hampshire.
Amoskeag Cotton
Examine cotton textile production and its history at the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company.
Manchester Electrified
Discover what life was like before electricity. See and touch real antique household objects.
School Days
Learn what school and daily life was like for students before the 21st century. Be challenged doing old-fashioned lessons. Play popular 19th century games.
