Bennington Museum
Bennington Museum Store
Bring your students to the museum, or bring the museum to your classroom through outreach and rentable programs.
The Bennington Museum offers a variety of educational programs for all grade levels. Our programs are aligned to the Vermont State Learning Standards and engage students in active, hands-on learning about art, history, and the natural world. Bring your students to the museum, or bring the museum to your classroom through outreach and rentable programs. Programs are flexible and designed to support your classroom curriculum.
Jump to Programs:
In-House Programs (programs at the museum)
Outreach Programs (programs at your school)
Rentable Programs (museum materials for your classroom)
Fee: $3 per student, per program, with a minimum fee of $35 per program. Students must be accompanied by 1 adult chaperone per every 8 children. Required chaperones are free. Additional chaperones are $6.50 each.
Museum Tours and Programs are 90 minutes long, unless otherwise noted. Allow extra time before and after your scheduled program for visits to the restrooms and gift shop.
Please encourage students to dress for the weather, if participating in an outdoor program.
Programs are available daily, except Wednesdays, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The Museum is closed on Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Please schedule your programs at least 2 weeks in advance. (We recommend scheduling Spring dates at least one month in advance, as those dates tend to fill up first.)
To arrange a program call the Museum at 802-447-1571, or email dmallory@benningtonmuseum.org
Once you have booked your program, you will receive confirmation materials by mail. Please review these materials carefully, as they contain valuable information about your program and useful pre- and post-visit materials. Share the Chaperone Information Sheet with all adults participating in the program.
The following programs are available at the museum. VT State Learning Standards are listed in brackets after each program.
Any Grade
Discover the three most important jobs of a museum through a guided tour of our galleries. Students will look for what the Bennington Museum collects, how it preserves and protects its collection, and how it educates visitors about the collection. If you would like your tour to include particular galleries or focus on a particular topic, please let us know when you make your reservation. The General Tour is highly adaptable to any age range.
[1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.19, 4.6, 5.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.19]
Grades 3 and up
Learn about the early history of Bennington while visiting several galleries in the museum. Students will listen carefully for information about important people, places, and things in order to complete their "Who Am I?" cards. They will learn about some of the important industries in early Bennington and then apply what they have learned to the creation of their own towns. The students will work in small groups using wooden buildings to assemble their town. The program culminates with the student presentations of their towns, during which they explain how their town got its name, and what its important industries and structures are.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 3.10, 4.6, 6.4, 6.8, 6.18]
Grades 3 and up (Outdoor Tour; Apr. through Oct.)
Discover the people and places of Bennington’s history as you make your way to the Battle Monument’s impressive view. The tour includes the Old Centre Cemetery, where poet Robert Frost, soldiers from the Battle of Bennington, and many of Bennington's earliest settlers are buried; a walk up Monument Avenue, stopping at the site of the Catamount Tavern and other landmarks; and a visit to the Bennington Battle Monument, where students take a ride in the elevator and have the opportunity to learn about the Monument's construction and history. Please be sure students wear comfortable walking shoes and are dressed appropriately for the weather. Please contact us in advance to make accommodations for any participants who are unable to make the tour on foot. We do not recommend this tour for students younger than Grade 3.
[1.4, 1.13, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 6.4, 6.6]
Grades PreK – 2
What did children do for fun before computers and remote control? Students discuss their own toys and then learn about the kids of toys children played with in the late 1800's and early 1900's - when their grandma's grandmas and grandpa's grandpas were girls and boys. After a brief demonstration of the various toys, such as the wooden Noah's ark, cast iron mechanical bank, and porcelain doll, students spend time playing with them! The program ends with a comparison and contrast of modern toys and those of long ago.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 6.4, 6.6]
Grades K – 6
See the paintings of Grandma Moses and learn about her life and art. Students visit the Grandma Moses Gallery to see her paintings and learn about her life through photographs and stories. They then visit the Grandma Moses Schoolhouse to learn about how she made her paintings. Working in small groups, the students use felt boards to create a Moses-style piece of art, which they then present to the class, focusing on how the paintings tell a story.
[1.13, 1.15, 3.10, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.7, 5.22, 5.25, 5.29, 6.4]
Grades 2 – 5
Visit a one-room schoolhouse and learn about the history of school. Students compare and contrast their own school experiences with those of children in the mid-1800s. They will learn to "make their manners," practice recitation, learn about rules and punishments for both students and teachers, and even practice writing with quill and ink.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 6.4, 6.6]
Grades 3 – 6
Will you graduate from apprentice to journeyman? Learn about and try your hand at some of the jobs men and women (and boys and girls) did in the 18th and 19th centuries.
[1.13, 1.15, 3.10, 3.15, 4.6, 6.4, 7.18, 7.19]
Grades 3 – 8
Discover the pros and cons of bathing, toothpaste, leeches and home remedies in this look at health care in the 1770’s.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.5, 6.4, 6.6, 7.4]
Grades 3 – 8
Stars, stripes and… snakes? View the Bennington Flag and discover the fascinating history and symbolism of the United States flag, then apply your knowledge to create your own flag.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.5, 6.4, 6.6, 6.19]
Grades 3 – 8
Create a personal connection to the Revolutionary War. Students will learn about the lives of Revolutionary soldiers through an exploration of their uniforms, weapons and more.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.18]
Grades 4 – 8
Who was the Civil War soldier? Find out through this exploration of the uniforms and belongings of Union and Confederate soldiers.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.18]
Grades 5 and up (Outdoor Program; Apr. through Oct.)
Explore gravestones as a resource for information about the people and cultural beliefs of the past.
[1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.13, 1.15, 1.19, 4.5, 6.4, 6.6, 6.13]
Grades 7 and up (Outdoor Program; Apr. through Oct.)
Use maps, documents, and your own observations to reveal the past of a well-known Bennington landmark.
[1.4, 1.13, 1.15, 1.19, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 3.10, 6.4, 6.7]
Fee: $50 per presentation. Schools outside of the Southwestern Vermont Supervisory Union pay an additional mileage fee, based on the federal rate. Maximum class size is 30 students.
Outreach programs are 60 minutes long. When scheduling multiple programs, please allow transition time between programs.
Classroom teachers or other school staff are required to be in the room during the presentation.
The following programs are available as outreaches (we come to you). VT State Learning Standards are listed in brackets after each program.
Grades PreK – 2
Find out what your great-grandma’s grandma did for fun when she was a little girl. We’ll bring our toys to you!
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 6.4, 6.6]
Grades PreK – 2
Take a role in a telling of the story Ox-Cart Man, by Donald Hall, while handling artifacts that help illustrate the seasonal cycles of a 19th century New England farm.
[1.3, 1.13, 1.15, 4.5, 4.6, 5.7, 6.4, 6.6, 6.15]
Grades K – 2
Practice counting, shape and pattern recognition, and fractions through an investigation of quilts.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.5, 2.6, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8]
Grades 3 - 6
How have changes in industry over time affected land use and impacted the environment? Explore these questions while examining some of the many products manufactured in Vermont during the state’s history.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.6, 6.4, 6.8, 6.16]
Grades 3 – 8
Discover the pros and cons of bathing, toothpaste, leeches and home remedies in this look at health care in the 1770’s.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.5, 6.4, 6.6, 7.4]
Grades 4 – 12
Use observation and inquiry skills in a hands-on investigation of some unusual artifacts. How were they used? What do they tell us about the past?
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 2.10, 3.10, 6.4, 6.6, 7.1]
Grades 3 – 8
Stars, stripes and… snakes? Discover the fascinating history and symbolism of the United States flag, then apply your knowledge to create a flag of your own.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.5, 6.4, 6.6, 6.19]
Grades 4 and Up
Meet the former slave who helped others escape to freedom. Learn about life in slavery and how escaping slaves used the “Underground Railroad."
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.4, 6.4, 6.5, 6.8, 6.12]
Fee: $25 per program for a 2 week rental. Overdue and damage fees will be applied as necessary.
Payment is due upon program pick up.
Rentable programs must be reserved in advance and are available on a first come, first served basis.
The renting school or organization is responsible for program pick up and drop off. The Museum does not ship rentable programs.
The following programs are available as rentable programs. VT State Learning Standards are listed in brackets following the description of each program.
Grades PreK – 2
Bring the story Ox-Cart Man to life for your class. This program includes artifacts that will help illustrate the story for your class, several activity suggestions for more extensive investigations of 19th century life, and information about poet laureate and author Donald Hall.
[1.3, 1.13, 1.15, 4.5, 4.6, 5.7, 6.4, 6.6, 6.15]
Grades K – 4
Prepare students for a visit to The Bennington Museum, or any museum. This program includes objects for practicing observation, tips on making the most of a museum visit, and activities to help prepare children for unique museum experiences.
[1.15, 2.1, 2.10, 6.4, 6.6, 7.1, 7.12]
Grades 2 – 5
Take your classroom back in time with objects designed to help you recreate a 19th century school room. This program includes items that will encourage your students to compare and contrast modern-day schools with those of the past.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 6.4, 6.6]
Grades 4 – 12
One of our most popular outreach programs, now available to rent for extended exploration. This program includes a number of artifacts with background information and activity suggestions that will exercise your students’ observation and inquiry skills.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 2.10, 3.10, 6.4, 6.6, 7.1]
Grades 3 – 8
Teach students about symbolism and national history through a study of flags from our country’s past. This program includes a series of hand-painted wooden reproduction flags, background information, and suggestions for flag and symbolism-themed activities.
[1.13, 1.15, 2.1, 4.5, 6.4, 6.6, 6.19]
