School Programs

Students learn about the history of the stained glass windows at Union Church and about Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall, the artists who designed the stained glass windows. Students then carry out a guided interpretation of the windows, geared to their age and ability, followed by an art workshop where they create their own stained glass designs.

Admission: $6
Program length: 1 1/4 hours
Group limit: 30 
Grades: 3-8

Who was Washington Irving? Why was he a national and international cultural hero in the early 1800s? What was it like to live in a “modern” house of the 1850s? Students will discover age-appropriate answers to these questions by visiting Washington Irving’s Sunnyside. Irving, best known today for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, was even more significant in the mid-19th century. At Sunnyside, he created a warm and comfortable home for his extended family and large circle of friends. With costumed interpreters as their museum teachers, students view period objects, examine primary documents, and handle reproduction objects, gaining new perspectives and drawing conclusions about an important writer and social commentator from this period in America’s development.

Admission: $6
Program length: 1 1/2 hours
Group limit: 55 
Grades: 3-12

Celebrate American author, Washington Irving, and his tales of ghosts, pumpkins,talking skulls, and things that go bump in the night. On a guided tour of his house,students sharpen their observational skills by following plot, character, and setting clues that tell the story of an event that may have taken place in Irving’s life. At the completion of the house tour, students participate in a group writing experience, summarizing their observations into a story. Next, students take a woodland walk to experience Irving’s folk tale, The Devil and Tom Walker. Students then watch a shadow puppet version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. During the program conclusion, students share their group stories based on their tour of the house.

Oct to Mid-Nov & Mid-April to June

Admission: $7
Program length: 2 hours 
Group limit: 30 
Grades: 3 - 6

A story, a letter, a house, a painting, all serve as primary documents for students to analyze and interpret in learning about childhood in the mid- 19th century. During this three-part program, students tour Irving’s cottage, participate in a discussion of 19th-century fashion and activities, and discover how their peers communicated without the benefit of IMing or cell phones. On the tour, students look for objects that reveal clues to 19th-century games, toys, and children’s literature. During a lively conversation, students also observe paintings to discover 19th-century children’s fashion and answer questions about how gender influenced dress. There will be an opportunity to handle and try on period accessories. To practice reading and writing skills students, decipher a thank you note written by Washington Irving then compose their own formal correspondence.

Admission: $8
Program length: 2 and 1/2hours 
Group limit: 120 
Grades: 6 - 8

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 half-hour lunch break.

Dates: June 6-8 & 11-13, 2012
Admission: $12
Program length: 3 3/4 hours 
Group limit: 300 
Grades: 2-5

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: 100
Grades: 4-11

Runaway slave advertisements are one of the richest sources of information about the enslaved population in the colonial North. Prior to visiting Philipsburg Manor, students read and discuss an essay about runaway advertisements found in colonial newspapers. At Philipsburg Manor, students examine and discuss a variety of runaway advertisements from the colonial period, look at artworks based on the ads, and create an artwork or creative writing piece based on the ads. Included in the program is a brief tour of the historic site.

February Only 
Admission: $6
Program length: 2 hours 
Group limit: 30 
Grades: 8-12

Students explore the lives of the enslaved Africans who lived and worked at Philipsburg Manor as they tour the mill, wharf, farm, activity center, and manor house. Through examining source materials, students understand the contributions of African culture and how it was transmitted, sustained, and changed in the North.

Admission: $6
Program length: 1 3/4 hours 
Group limit: 60 
Grades: 6-8

Come to Pinkster Day, a celebration of spring that was brought to the Hudson River Valley by Dutch settlers and adapted by Africans in the New World. Pinkster provided enslaved and free Africans a rare opportunity to celebrate community and preserve and enjoy their African traditions. Classes hear African folk tales and participate in African colonial dancing and African drumming workshops.

Dates: May 14-16, 2012
Admission: $7
Program length: 2 hours 
Group limit: 100 
Grades: 4-12