At Van Cortlandt Manor, students are introduced to the people of the new nation and the forces that shaped their lives. From the manor house where Philip Van Cortlandt entertained important political figures, to the ferry house tavern where farmers heard news delivered by travelers on the Albany Post Road, Van Cortlandt Manor reflects the changes in post-Revolutionary New York.

Option I
1 workshop per student
Admission: $7
Program length: 1½ hours
Group limit: 80
Grades: 3-11



Pre-Visit Materials

Reflections of Everyday Lifes

Discover how citizens in early America met their fundamental needs. Students explore the physical and cultural aspects of daily life through a site tour and hands-on workshop(s). Workshops may include open-hearth cooking, medicine, and textiles.

Option II
2 workshops per student
Admission: $8
Program length: 2 hours
Group limit: 80
Grades: 3-11

Admission: $18
Program length: 4½ hours
Group limit: 80
Grades: 3-8



Pre-Visit Materials

Crafts & Tasks

Students visit several stations throughout the historic property to participate in and observe 18th-century household chores, crafts, or leisure activities. This intensive, in-depth experience may include workshops in open-hearth cooking, medicine, textiles, games, and dancing. The program is customized to meet your curriculum needs.

Admission: $6
Program length: 1 ½ hours
Group limit: 100
Grades: 4-11



Pre-Visit Materials

Life in the New Nation

This program highlights the many changes that occurred in the new republic as Americans evolved from colonists to citizens of an independent nation. Discussion focuses on a “before and after the revolution” look at the lives of the Van Cortlandt family. Students tour the manor house and ferry house as well as witness a demonstration of an 18th-century craft.

Admission: $6
Program length: 1 ½ hours
Group limit: 60
Grades: 5-12



Pre-Visit Materials

African Americans in Search of Freedom

Your students journey to the years when slavery existed in New York. Museum educators lead students through an exploration of the lives and roles of the African Americans owned by the Van Cortlandts. As part of the program, students engage in a hands-on activity recreating the work of the enslaved.

Admission: $12
Program length: 3 3/4 hours
Group limit: 300
Grades: 2-5

June 1 - 3, 2009
Hard Work and Hand Work

Blacksmithing, broom making, wool dyeing, candle making, and open-hearth cooking are only a few of the more than engaging, hands-on activities your students experience when they participate in this new program. This is a full, rich day filled with things to do and learn.

In small groups led by museum educators, students navigate the busy landscape and gain an understanding of the skills, trades, and chores that were part of daily life on the Manor during the New Nation Era. A child-focused tour of the Manor’s historic buildings completes the educational visit. This program begins at 10:00 am and concludes at 1:45 pm, with a halfhour lunch break.

Admission: $7
Program length: 1½ hours
Group limit: 30
Grades: K-2



Pre-Visit Materials

Through Young Eyes: 18th-Century Community

The young child is inspired to compare his or her life with that of children from the past. Students explore the different roles of the people who lived on the manor: the Van Cortlandts, the enslaved Africans, tenant farmers, and craftsmen. A hands-on tour offers the student a chance to churn butter, dress an 18th-century paper figure, and try on clothing of the period.