To register:

Call: 860.572.5322
Or email:
education@mysticseaport.org

Download the 2012-13 Education Brochure

Mystic Seaport
Comes to You

Learn more about our
In-School Programs.

Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education

This annual award recognizes stellar teachers who are inspiring to their students and to their colleagues.

School Group Kits

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History-to-Go® In-School Program

With History-to-Go®, Mystic Seaport educators bring the Museum's collections, artifacts and maritime experiences to you through a variety of programs. Adult and youth programs are available. Take a virtual tour of Mystic Seaport, discover how "foc's'le songs" helped sailors pass the long days at sea, use the tools of whaling and whalers, explore how customs of faraway homelands blended to become an "old fashioned New England Christmas," and so much more.

A costumed Mystic Seaport roleplayer can be added to any History-to-Go® program for an additional fee of $50.

Grades: Pre-K - 12
Offered: Year-round
Length: 45-60 minutes
Times: Arranged to accommodate group needs
Group Size: 30 students (classroom-sized groups)
Fees: $175 per program plus travel expenses. Up to two additional presentations may be scheduled on the same day at the same time for an additional $80 per program. Full payment is due within 30 days of making the reservation.

Youth Programs

Youth programs can be tailored to suit multiple age groups. Each program meets the Connecticut Framework Standards for Social Studies History Content (Standards 1, 2, 3, and 4) and for Language Arts Content (Standard 1).

A Sailor's Life: Grades Pre-K - 2
Using artifacts, primary documents and historical photographs from Mystic Seaport collections, a museum educator guides children as they unpack a sailor's sea chest. Young people use the objects in the sea chest like clues and piece together a picture of what a sailor's life would have been like more than 100 years ago.

Music On the Water: Grades Pre-K - 12
Sailors not only sang as they worked, they often passed their few hours of rest with song as well. Their music tells stories about life at sea and ashore -- stories best learned by joining in a chorus, picturing the events in a ballad or by using a chantey as a tool to help accomplish hard work. Learn these songs and sing along with one of Mystic Seaport's renowned musician educators.

Life in a Seaport Town: Grades 2 - 12
Using artifacts, primary documents and historical photographs from Mystic Seaport collections, children compare and contrast 19th-century coastal living with their own lives in the 21st century by examining changes in living conditions, industry, commerce and technology.

Whales, Whaling, and Whalers: Grades 2 - 12
In this program, children use the tools of the whaler and learn their stories. A harpoon, samples of baleen, in addition to other artifacts and primary documents illustrate the dangerous and exciting work of 19th-century whalers.

Skills and Trades of the 19th Century: Grades 3 - 12
Educators can choose from three different skills and trades: cooper, printer and shipsmith. Hands-on activities and demonstrations by skilled artisans will bring these activities to life. Students who learn best by direct involvement and participation will benefit from this offering.

Adult Programs

Adults enjoy learning about maritime life and history just as much, and many times more, than children. That's why we've created some special programs for adult audiences. Whether at a library, school, adult care facility, college, yacht club or historical society (just to name a few), these programs are perfect for kids of all ages and can be adapted for any generation audience.

Mystic Seaport: A Virtual Tour
Explore the history of the town of Mystic and Mystic Seaport in this lively and informative virtual tour. Using images and artifacts, a Museum Educator will acquaint you with the history of the Museum -- the tall ships, coastal village, preservation shipyard, special exhibitions -- and the town of Mystic.

Thar She Blows! The Yankee Whaling Industry
Learn about life on board a whaleship, like Mystic Seaport's Charles W. Morgan, during voyages that lasted for years and circled the globe. Historic photographs, samples of baleen and ivory, harpoons, and other whaling artifacts illustrate a discussion of the types of whales that were hunted and processed into 19th-century necessities.

Looking to visit Mystic Seaport in person? Explore our website for further information about planning a field-trip.