Group Tours

Discover Waukesha County with interactive tours that explore the history and culture of the area. From glaciers and early settlement to technology and architecture, trained tour guides offer insight into the varied history that is unique to Waukesha County. Programs and tours can be customized to your group's needs. Student and scout tours also offer an optional, age-appropriate craft. 

Click here to see details on the FREE Educator Open House this fall!

School Programs at the Museum - Click here

Museum To Go Outreach Program - Click here

Adult Tours - Click here

Scout Groups - Click here

School Programming at the Museum

The Education Department has created new and updated programming, ideal for any grade level. Choice one of the three options to best suit your classroom needs!

Option 1: Education Programs - These 60 minute curriculum intensive programs feature one exhibit theme and includes activities such as hands-on artifact handling, music, costumes, letters and photographs, and active games.  These are ideal for an intensive study of one area.  Topics include: "Native Americans," "Victorian Life and the Springs Era," "Fur Trading," "Pioneer Life," "Civil War," "Technology," "Toys and Games," "Underground Railroad," "Immigration," and "Geology and Natural History."

Option 2: Mini Programs - Choose three exhibits to be featured, each exhibit program will last 25 minutes.  Activities include costumes, artifact showing, and images. Exhibit programs include "Civil War," "Native Americans," "Technology," "Toys and Games," "Fur Trade," "Wool Processing," and "Springs Era."

Option 3: Guided Exhibit Tours - Want to see the whole museum?  This is the option that is best suited, and each tour can feature a different theme.  Themes include "Family," "Waukesha County," "Household Tools and Technology," "Plants and Animals," "Immigration," and "Transportation."

Extras:

• Craft Project, $2 per student - Choose from Native American games, weaving looms, quilt squares, Civil War flags, and Victorian games
• Self-Guided Tour (no additional charge)

A space to eat bagged lunches is also available at no additional cost.

The 2011-2012 Education Program and Tour Brochure will be available shortly.  To see details of our FREE Educator Open House, click here!

Fees:

Students: $4.00 each, additional $2.00 per student for a craft project

Teachers: Free

Chaperones: 1 free per 10 students, additional chaperones are $3.00 each

To schedule your group, please contact Kristen Hoeker, Director of Education and Programming, at (262) 521-2859, ext. 224 or khoeker@wchsm.org.

We need tour guides! More information here.

Adult Tours

Tour the museum with your group, led by a museum educator.  Tours can be flexible to meet your group's needs.  Example tours include Waukesha history, a specific topic like the Civil War, museum practices, and a tour of the museum's newest temporary exhibit (currently the Owen Gromme artwork).

Minimum of $20.00 per tour.

Adult tours (age 18 & up)
Guided tour: 1 hour- $7.00 per person
Bus driver and group leader free.

Senior tours (age 62 and up)
Guided tour: 1 hour- $6.00 per person

Bus driver and group leader free.

Museum To Go Outreach Program

This new program allows the museum to visit your classroom!  The museum will bring several themed programs to your school, which include artifacts, images, and clothing. Programs last 30-60 minutes each and are flexible to meet your classroom size and timing needs.

One Room Schoolhouse (Grades K-4) - Travel back to a typical school day in the mid-1800s!  Your teacher will have the students follow a few historic lessons, write on chalkboards, play a historic game, and explore life of a pioneer child.

Folk Arts (Grades K-5) - Creating artwork that is beautiful and also useful is an important aspect of our history and culture.  Students will explore quilts, toys, baskets, photography, hair art, and tin punching to discover how and why people in our community created these works.

Tools and Innovations (Grades 2-5) - Humans have made innovations for thousands of years that we use on a daily basis.  Travel through history to discover these inventions and tools, and how they relate to our modern tools and gadgets. Featured innovations include transportation, farming tools, building tools, cameras, electricity, and more!

Your Town History (Grades 1-5) - Waukesha County has many historic figures that have shaped our community.  Students will explore several of these figures, including Col. Dunbar, Theodora Youmans, Morris Cutler, the Cushing Brothers, Increase Lapham, Les Paul, and many more!

Beaks, Claws, and Hooves (Grades K-5) - Animals have played a large role in our community's history.  Students will explore the fur trading industry, agriculture and dairy farming, and transportation to discover the importance of animals in the past, present, and future!

History of the Home (Grades K-5) - Homes come in all shapes and sizes, and by comparing historic and modern homes we can see similarities as well as differences.  Students will explore the architecture, family stories, daily chores, toys and games, and household tools that were found in homes throughout Waukesha's history.

Fees:

$5.00 per student, plus a $25.00 travel fee

To schedule your group, please contact Kristen Hoeker, Director of Education and Programming, at (262) 521-2859, ext. 224 or khoeker@wchsm.org.