The Missouri History Museum celebrates education and family learning with History Exploration Days!
The Missouri History Museum celebrates education and family learning with History Exploration Days! One Friday and Saturday per month from September to May, families with kids of all ages can explore a different historical topic—together!
Preschool and elementary-age children will enjoy storytelling, crafts, a time-travel room, and a table with real artifacts from the past that kids can actually touch and hold! Older kids will have lots of fun with performances, workshops, scavenger hunts through the galleries, historical reenactments, and interactive discussions. The Museum’s children’s gallery, The History Clubhouse, is open for families to enjoy. All activities are FREE and available to kids of all ages.
“Our goal,” explains Maria Russell, Manager of K-12 Education Programs, “is to create a space and an experience where students can develop their own interpretations and understandings of history and connect that understanding to their lives now and for the future.”
This school year promises so much excitement at History Exploration Days. Discover the first kindergarten classroom in the United States (it was right here in St. Louis!) in September, explore agriculture in October, learn about city government in November, and sing and dance along to holiday classics in December.
Programs in 2024 include a trolley ride to learn about transportation and fun stories about amusement parks and roller coasters. Whether kids are younger or older, whether they take a bus ride to school or go no farther than the kitchen table, History Exploration Days offers something for everyone.
“I love working with families, and I really believe in the power of a museum visit to connect the skills and critical thinking students learn in the classroom to expanded practice and tangible history,” Russell adds.
Every child who attends History Exploration Days receives a special prize – a charm showing an important place in St. Louis connected to the monthly theme. Attend every History Exploration Day throughout the school year to collect them all!
Families who attended History Exploration Days in the past had this to say:
“This day was so great; thank you for having an event like this!”
“We homeschool, and [History Exploration Days] is always a part of our learning journey. One thing we really appreciate about the Missouri History Museum is the sense of community.”
“This is our first time here, and it is great that you offer so much for families!”
History Exploration Days are held one Friday and Saturday per month from September to May, 10am-2pm, at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. No registration is required.
September 8-9 | 10 am-2 pm | School Days: Education in St. Louis
School is back in session! Learn about learning throughout St. Louis’s history and the people, practices, and places that shaped education for kids all over the city.
October 13-14 | 10 am – 2 pm | Harvest History: St. Louis Agriculture
Fall is the time to bring in the harvest! Explore historical farming practices, examine tools and equipment used in the past, and learn how harvest time serves as the basis for some favorite fall traditions.
November 10-11 | 10 am – 2 pm | Leading St. Louis: Civics and Government
Explore the ways St. Louis has governed itself over time, investigate some alternate forms of governance proposed by different groups in St. Louis, and meet some of the diverse individuals who have led St. Louis over the years.
December 8-9 | 10 am – 2 pm | Holiday Nostalgia and Family Traditions
Holidays are a time to gather with family and friends and remember the good times. Reminisce about how St. Louisans celebrated holidays through our favorite movies, songs, and stories from the past.
January 12-13| 10 am-2 pm | Activist City: Creating Community in St. Louis
As part of our MLK Community Celebration, explore the people, places, and issues that inspired activists in the past to organize their communities and advocate for change, and hear from organizers doing the same work today.
February 9-10 | 10 am-2 pm | The Doctor Is In: Health and Medicine
Throughout history, where have St. Louisans gone when they are sick or injured? You might be surprised! Learn all about the world of medicine in the past, including the different people and places who helped St. Louis be healthy (or not).
Marcy 8-9 | 10 am-2 pm | Big Biz in St. Louis: Economics
St. Louis is home to lots of businesses both big and small, but how did they start, and how did they come to call St. Louis home? Learn how businesses and economics shaped St. Louis over time.
April 12-13| 10 am-2 pm | Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Transportation
Nothing has shaped St. Louis as much as transportation. From steamboats to trains, from automobiles to airplanes, discover why transportation and movement have been so important to St. Louis’s past and future.
May 10-11 | 10 am-2 pm | Cool Summer: Recreation in St. Louis
Summer is almost here! When temperatures rise, St. Louisans look to get away and have fun. Explore weird and wacky vacation spots, amusement parks, and recreation destinations, and learn about the people who made them popular.
For more information, please visit the Museum’s website.
