School Programs

Historic Richmond Town’s rich array of educational programming is designed by, with and for teachers and students. With a goal of enhancing the classroom experience with a textured learning environment that supports the Next Generation Learning Standards, each program provides an in-depth and engaging educational experience. With an emphasis on hands-on, discovery-based learning, HRT’s programs offer a wide range of activities within a mosaic of disciplines designed to educate, inform, and delight.

2024-2025 Offerings

Life on the Farm

Available in October
Decker Farm Field Trip

Visit NYC’s oldest continually-operating farm to explore American farm life in the 19th century. Students will enjoy a hay ride, help with farm chores, pick a pumpkin to take home, and explore the daily lives of Staten Islanders 200 years ago. 

Guided Village Tour

Available November through April

Enjoy a walking tour through time on the 100 acre Historic Richmond Town campus. Students will explore historic buildings original to Staten Island, guided by a period-dressed historical interpreter. Recreated period interiors and historical artifacts and documents bring the past to life for an immersive journey through the living history village.

Lighting the Way Workshop

Available November through April

Visit Historic Richmond Town to explore the history of lighting through an interactive workshop experience. Students will participate on a hands-on guided tour and demonstration of early lighting devices in original 19th century homes and businesses, and make their own candles to bring home.

Program support generously provided by Con Edison.

Cooking Up the Past Workshop

Available November through April

Cooking Up the Past allows students to immerse themselves in local history while completing tasks based in science, economics, social studies, and mathematics. Students learn about farm life in early America with a focus on food origin, preparation and preservation. Each participant will experience the fun and the work of preparing traditional cornmeal pancakes in the 1820s kitchen addition to the 1740 Guyon-Lake-Tysen House. Participants use reading and math skills to decipher original recipes. Students also explore a fully restored colonial era farmhouse and discover how food was preserved before the invention of electric refrigeration.

Open Village Field Trip

Experience the unique sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of New York City’s rural and urban past. Classes enjoy a self-guided tour of restored historic buildings, functioning farms, working shops and recreated period interiors. Meet with costumed living historians and engage in age-appropriate hands-on activities that deepen the contextual understanding of classroom curriculum modules. Please be advised that this experience is self-guided.

How to Book a School Program - Field Trip Guidelines & Policies

Please review these guidelines and instructions in order to REQUEST a field trip BOOKING.

The Booking Process

  1. All school group bookings are managed through Explorable Places.

  2. After submitting your online request you will receive an automated response that indicates that your request went through.

  3. We will review your request and confirm your booking within 5 business days.

  4. Your visit is not confirmed until you receive an official confirmation and invoice by email.

Number of Groups

Historic Richmond Town can host between 4– 8 school groups per day at the Main Village/Decker Farm, depending on availability of space and exhibitions. If you wish to bring more groups than we can accommodate, we will need to stagger your start times or make reservations on multiple days. For example: If you wish to bring 6 classes:  3 classes may start their tour at 10am and 3 classes may start at 11:30am.

Group Size

Our historic structures are limited in terms of physical spaces. Each group/class may not exceed 35 people (students, chaperones, teachers, and paraprofessionals combined). If you have special circumstances in which you must bring school nurses or para professionals to exceed this total amount please contact us at education[@]historicrichmondtown.org in advance to make special accommodations.

Questions?

Please email education[@]historicrichmondtown.org or call 718-351-1611, EXT. 280.