School Programs
About our School Programs
Educational Programming at Historic Pensacola Village
The Education Staff of West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc. believes in the importance of bringing classroom lessons to life. We draw from Florida Sunshine State Curriculum Standards and all of our programs emphasize historical awareness and critical thinking skills. Historic Pensacola Village offers teachers several school program options to choose from. Do not forget our educational programs at Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site as well, located in Santa Rosa County!
Planning and Scheduling Your Trip
- Step 1: Choose the tour plan which best suits your needs and grade level. Choose at least two possible tour dates and times. Please note that we only offer tours Tuesday through Friday. If teachers are planning to do a self-guided tour, we ask that they call and make an appointment so that the education staff may guarantee the best possible experience and answer questions.
- Step 2: To schedule tours, or for further questions, please contact Jim McMillen at (850) 595-5985 x112, or fill out the School Tours online form. Mr. McMillen is in the office Tuesday - Saturday, 8 am to 4:30 pm. Education staff will make contact with you as soon as possible to confirm availability of tours and facilities.
Fees
The fees to participate in our education programs support the continuing development of the museums.
- Guided tour programs are $3.00 per child/student. There is a 10 child/student minimum for booking private educational tours. A flat fee of $30.00 will be charged for groups of under 10 students. Teacher-guided tour options are free of charge
- We recommend 1 adult per 10 students; 1 adult per 10 students enter for free. Any additional adult chaperones are $3.00 per person.
Tour Length and Times
All guided tours are to last no longer than 1.5 hours. Tours may begin no earlier than 10:00 a.m. and no later than 2:30 p.m. For those teachers who choose a self-guided tour option, we recommend planning to spend no less than two hours on site.
Capacity
Most tours will accommodate up to 75 students. Please contact Education Staff for further details.
Complimentary Teacher Passes
To assist teachers in determining the educational benefits of our programs for their particular class, we invite them to enjoy a free visit to Historic Pensacola Village, the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, and the Discovery Gallery. Teachers will be able to tour the entire complex without charge. This courtesy is only available to those who are planning a tour and would like to learn more. To take advantage of this opportunity, please contact Jim McMillen, Museum Educator, at 850-595-5985 x112.
Home School Groups and other Educational Organizations
Other organizations are always welcome. The education staff will be pleased to assist leaders in choosing which tour plan is most appropriate for their group. Children age 4 and above will be charged the student rate of $3.00. Minimum group size is ten paying students/children. Smaller groups are welcome to enter as paying guests and visit our museum facilities at their leisure. Our ticket and information center is located at the Tivoli High House Gift Shop, 205 E. Zaragoza Street.
Go to the TopTour Options
1. The Discovery Gallery: La Frontera de Pensacola
The Discovery Gallery is designed for students in Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade and is located on the 3rd floor of the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. It is an engaging and educational hands-on exhibit representing Colonial Pensacola. Students will enjoy interacting in a recreated colonial house, trade store, Indian village, military fort, and ship. The Education Staff also encourages teachers to take this opportunity to self-guide through the rest of the museum.
2. Village Colonial Tour
Welcome to Colonial Pensacola! Appropriate for 3rd - 5th grade, students will gain an understanding of the frontier nature of Spanish Colonial Pensacola and its development.
Build Your Own Colonial Tour
Teachers may specialize their tour by choosing 3 of the following 5 selections.
1) What is it? Colonial Artifact Discovery: Students will be able to get up close and personal with several items that relate to life in the Colonial Period, drawing conclusions about life in early Pensacola and how it differs from today.
2) The 1805 Lavalle House: Students will visit one of the oldest remaining houses in Pensacola, dating back to the 2nd Spanish Colonial Period. This house will evoke the unique feel of colonial home-life.
3) Colonial Survival: Learn what it meant to settle on the west Florida frontier - food, water, and shelter are essential! Students will learn colonial construciton methods and receive a fire-starting and musket demonstration.
4) Colonial Occupation: What's a settler to do? Learn more about colonial community and the different types of people who created it. This selection also includes a focus on candle-dipping. Participants will have the opportunity to take home their own Village made candle!
5) Museum of Industry: Students will discover the natural resources that drew Europeans to the area and the industries that developed. The industries of Red Snapper fishing, lumber, and brick-making helped establish and build Pensacola.
3. Spanish Florida Tour
Recommended for 6th-12th grade, students are immersed in Pensacola's Spanish heritage as they discover the 1559 Don Tristan De Luna landing and continue through to the end of Pensacola's Spanish Colonial Period (1821). Students will learn from actual artifacts of the 1559 expedition in the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. The Second Spanish Period (1781-1821) is explored as Living History interpreters share about the Battle of Pensacola (while using math skills!) and students complete the experience by touring the 1805 Lavalle House.
4. Victorian Pensacola Tour
This guided tour is designed for Middle and High School age students. Students will be guided through the Museum of Commerce and the 1900's Lear-Rocheblave House. Tour will emphasize the social and cultural transformations during this period. Among the topics discussed are the impact of technology on daily life, the development of industry, downtown development in Pensacola, and the changing homelife.
Teacher - Guided Tour Options
Museums, Monuments, and Markers
Recommended for 3rd - 12th grade (with appropriate teacher adjustments). Revised by local Escambia County teachers for the 450th Celebrate Pensacola Anniversary, this walking tour will lead students through the Pensacola Historic District. Students will study the local historical markers, monuments, architecture, houses and sites as they discover downtown Pensacola. The tour is facilitated by a lesson plan and pre-visit material. Students are also allowed to visit the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum during their visit.
Museum in a Trunk Options
Teachers are able to check out these fabulous museum trunks and teach classroom lessons in a unique way at school. Trunks are available for $20 per week for in classroom use. Please contact the education staff for availability.
Colonial Pensacola Trunk
Recommended for 3rd - 6th grade, this trunk is filled to the brim with items representing the Colonial Period. Students will discover the history and lifeways of the Colonial Period. Topics discussed are clothing, education, food, cooking and home-life.
Civil War Trunk
Recommended for 3rd - 6th grade, this crucial period of our country's history is brought to life by exploring this trunk filled with clothing, games and toys, and home goods that represent Pensacola during the Civil War.
Archaeology and Curator Trunk
Recommended for 4th - 12th grade, this take-home discovery chest allows teachers to teach students about Archaeology and Museum work in their own classroom. Included are two lesson plans covering the science of archaeology and museology. Teachers will also receive an archaeology slide show lecture, curator box filled with accession papers and illustrations, along with brochures on the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Museum and the Colonial Archaeological Trail. Teachers are encouraged to plan a self-guided trip to the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum and the Colonial Archaeological Trail in conjunction with the trunk.
