Replica toys and games from the 1700s and 1800s help children to learn how children of the past enjoyed their leisure time. For example, children will see what dolls and action figures looked like in the 1800s and play with old-fashioned toys like Jacob’s ladders and tumbling men. This program is appropriate for most ages spanning our youngest preschool visitors to 2nd-3rd grade students. This program will be held in our air-conditioned tour office and is a good choice for hot or inclement weather. Due to the space constraints of this room there is a maximum number of 30 students allowed at a time.

In this walking tour students will see a variety of plants and trees on the grounds of the museum complex and learn about their roles and importance in the lives of people living in Lexington County in the 1700s and 1800s. This program is appropriate for children of all ages as well as adults.

This 2 hour program offers a window into the culture and history of the early Cherokee Indians in the Lexington area. Children will learn about foods, nature arts and early technology. Original objects related to basketry, hunting, fishing, clothing, and pottery are shown. Each child gets to make their own clay pinch pot to take back to their class. Children will also participate in various Native American games such as Lacrosse, Chunkee, and others which test hand to eye coordination. These two hours are sure to provide great enjoyment and give good insight into the Cherokee culture. This program is available during morning hours only. This program is appropriate for elementary-aged students.

Experience a typical school day in the 1800s through the three “Rs” Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. Other activities may include spelling bees, writing on chalk slates and writing with quill pens. Students will be able to draw comparisons with their current classrooms and also learn how the typical school experience has changed over time. This is a good choice for elementary social studies field trips and is often paired with our Colonial Home or Historic Pastimes programs. This program takes place in our un-air-conditioned 1815 schoolhouse and due to space constraints we limit students to a maximum of number of 25.

Children will learn about the historic farm buildings we have at the museum and will have an opportunity to use authentic tools to rake, hoe, plant seeds, and build a scarecrow in our farm setting. This program takes place outdoors and is most appropriate for our younger visitors aged 4 – 7 years-old.

Everyone loves the kitchen! After experiencing the kitchen and learning how certain items were used, children proceed into the kitchen yard and inspect all of the outbuildings used for preparing a meal. The activities in the yard include butter-churning, corn shucking, using a coffee grinder, and much more. Teachers and parents will be given a short list of food items needed to do this tour. Due to space constraints groups will be limited to 30 students. This tour is appropriate for elementary aged students and is primarily held outdoors.

This program allows students to experience the Colonial AND antebellum history of Lexington County. Start your tour with Lexington’s oldest documented log cabin (ca. 1770), the Oak Grove one room school house (ca. 1815), and other buildings built in the early 1800s. Across the street, experience life in the John Fox House (ca. 1830), explore the outbuildings and discover the people who made antebellum life possible. Students will be able to observe how technology and historic events caused Lexington County to change over time. There is not a hands-on component to this program. It can be adapted in order to discuss more subjects in depth. It can also be treated as an add-on with another program.

After the American Civil War, millions of African Americans set about transforming their lives, finding work, owning land and educating themselves and their families. Through a tour featuring pre- and post- Civil War artifacts and historic buildings, students will discover the lives of Lexington citizens during this
turbulent time. For example, students will learn about sharecropping by examining a sharecropper’s contract. Artifacts include: farm tools, family documents, Edgefield pottery and furniture. This program will take place both inside and outside. Due to the room constraints, groups will be limited to a maximum number of 25 students. This program is most appropriate for 7-12 graders.

This three-part program is an overview of postal history in early Lexington. Students will write a letter with quill and ink, learn how to fold and seal their letter with a wax seal, and discover how mail was “delivered” through an interactive game. Since this program involves reading and writing it is appropriate for 3rd-6th graders.

Attendees will learn about Edgefield pottery and the enslaved potter and poet, David Drake in this interactive program. Students will get to see pottery made by Dave and other enslaved potters from Edgefield, SC while discussing the risks he took while practicing his craft and why he was an important figure in history. We will also discuss the technology of the pottery industry, the slave economy of antebellum South Carolina and the concept of ownership. This program also includes a hands-on activity and is suitable for 4th-6th graders.

In this program students will learn about the intersection of history, technology, industry and transportation in the 1700s and 1800s. Using buildings on our grounds including the 1800s cotton gin, the carriage house, log cabins and frame structures we discuss the challenges and solutions that early residents developed. We will also play games related to transportation. This program is appropriate for 4th-6th graders.