In-Person Field Trips

We are no longer accepting new in-person field trip requests for April and May, 2023. Check back for Summer availability. Please visit our Outreach Page (link) for other options.

Our in-person programs are designed to accommodate different grade levels. All programs adhere to the California Curriculum Standards. Programs range in time from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.

Available For All Grade Levels

Museum Scavenger Hunt (1 Hour)

The Museum is full of artifacts about Sacramento’s history. Students discover them with their
own Scavenger Hunt, revealing important people and events that shaped this Gold Rush city.
The Scavenger Hunt booklet becomes a momento of their visit.

Old Sacramento Scavenger Hunt (1 Hour)

Follow the clues to discover the Old Sacramento Historic District! On this scavenger hunt,
students work in teams with class chaperones to find the important landmarks that reveal
the city’s world-changing story. This program can accommodate up to 50 people.

Gold Panning (Half-Hour)

Enjoy 30 minutes of pure gold! Students pan for precious metals, minerals, and real gold on
our Museum’s front porch. They receive plastic vials to collect their hard-won treasure.

Historic Print Shop (Half-Hour)

Long before computers and smart phones, the power of the printing press informed the world.
Join our world-famous print shop for a demonstration of presses more than a century old.

Available For Grades 1 and 2

History Mystery (1 Hour)

Uncover one of Sacramento’s greatest mysteries! Students decode the past using clues from
a trunk hidden for 100 years. This program looks at a young child’s life from the 1800’s. Students see the differences and similarities of their lives to May Woolsey.

Available For Grades 3 and Above

Old Sacramento Underground Tour (1 Hour)

Witness Sacramento’s astonishing effort to save the city from devastating floods in the 1850s and 1860s! Students uncover evidence of the city’s successful attempts to raise its streets and historic buildings, which created underground spaces and sidewalks.

Old City Cemetery Tour* (1 Hour)

Visit the Old City Cemetery with us! Students learn the cemetery’s history, the meaning of
Victorian symbols on gravestones, and some of the famous people buried here.
*The Tour meets at the Cemetery on 1000 Broadway near Riverside in Sacramento. Check for available dates. *

Available For Grades 4 and Above

Gold Rush* (1.5 Hours)

“Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!” Those words launched the largest human migration
in modern history. Students learn how prospectors sought their fortunes during the California
Gold Rush, including gold-mining methods. *This includes the Gold Panning and a shortened Print Shop. *

Heading West (1.5 Hours)

Why did thousands of people risk their lives on land and sea to reach the American West?
Students learn the how and why of 1800s travel — then embark on their own journey.
Will they make it to California in our Heading West game?

Pricing

1.5-Hour Programs

Heading West and Gold Rush*

For 10-19 students, 1 teacher and 2 chaperones: $135
For 20-30 students, 1 teacher and 4 chaperones: $210
Additional students, $7 each, additional chaperones $5 each

*Group size cannot exceed 35 people per program

1-Hour Programs

History Mystery, * Old Sacramento Underground Tour,^†Old City Cemetery Tour, * Museum Scavenger Hunt* and Old Sac Scavenger Hunt°

For 10-19 students, 1 teacher and 2 chaperones: $115
For 20-30 students, 1 teacher and 4 chaperones: $180 dollars:
Additional students $6 each, additional chaperones $5 each ($10 for the Underground Tour)

*Cannot exceed 35 people per program

^†Underground Tour cannot exceed 25 people per program

°Old Sac Scavenger Hunt can have up to 50 students per program

30-Minute Programs

Gold Panning, Print Shop*

For 10-19 students, 1 teacher and 2 chaperones: $95
For 20-30 Students, 1 teacher and 4 chaperones: $150:
Additional students $5 each, additional chaperones $5 each (No charge for Gold Panning, Chaperones do not pan)