Museum Field Trips

Tour information and resources

 We encourage teachers wishing to schedule a visit to the museum or schoolhouse to review the following information:

Please schedule at least two (2) weeks in advance to reserve a time slot to avoid conflicting visits. We are able to accommodate two classes in one day. If your school has more than two classes per grade we can schedule additional days. Contact us by email or call 989-774-2380.

Suggested donations
Tours: $0.50 per student and $1 per adult

Thanks to a generous donation from the John R. & Constance M. Harkins Community Fund of the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation and the Gary and Barbara Russell Free Busing Endowment, we can reimburse transportation costs!

Current programs

Students will be given time to explore the main galleries before or after the programs listed below.

    Choose two lessons from the options below. Programs consist of two 45 minute lessons, with time allotted for students to explore the galleries further on their own, and a primary/secondary source activity.

    Fur Trade: Learn how the fur trade was Michigan's first major industry; interact with some of the objects that would have been used and traded; play an interactive fur trade simulation game.

    Lumbering: Understand the process of lumbering in Michigan and its historical significance; interact with objects from the industry; learn what life was like in a lumber camp; create unique log stamps.

    Michigan Through the Ages registration form

    Our reconstructed, historic one-room schoolhouse, located on CMU's campus, is a great opportunity for students to experience a schoolhouse in the early 1900s, including completing lessons from the time period, playing vintage games, and learning about animals they would have seen walking to school.

    Please note: Schoolhouse can accommodate up to 30 students at a time. Great for all ages!

    One-Room School Program registration form

    Learn about the birds of Michigan and the adaptations that help them to survive in a variety of environments through hands-on activities including touching various bones and feathers, learning to identify birds during a birding activity, and more.

    Backyard Birding registration form

    Learn about the four components of habitat and see various Michigan animals up close (taxidermy specimens, some of which can be touched by students). Identify animals and the adaptations that help them survive. Students will test their knowledge in our habitat-matching challenge, compete for resources in a game of survival, and create an insect of their own.

    Habitats registration form

    In the "Feel the Music" hands-on gallery, students will learn about the musical concepts of pitch, quality, and strength through fun, interactive games that explore tone. They will also create their own unique instrument to take home.

    Music in Motion registration form