Fort Hunter Field Study Trips

Available Tues.-Fri, April-June, and September - mid-November from 10am-2pm

Picnic pavilions are usually available.

Students and homeschoolers in grades 2 - 5 explore how Indians once lived in the Fort Hunter/Harrisburg area. Students will furnish a wigwam, handle objects of everyday life, and play games. . Guided tours of Fort Hunter Mansion invite students to learn about Mansion life in the 1800s, comparing the owner's life to the lives of the Native Americans. Pre-registration is required. Call Kelly VanDerpoel at (717)599-5751 or email at kvanderpoel@dauphinc.org to schedule a workshop.

Program Includes:

A. Hands-on Native American workshop
B. Tour of Fort Hunter Mansion
C. Visit the museum shop

Note: Schools can schedule a tour of the Mansion without the workshop.

A. Hands-on Workshop: Native Americans along the Susquehanna
Native peoples in this region during the 1200-the 1400s were farmers, gatherers, and hunters.  Students will explore these questions: How did Indians use natural resources for food, shelter, clothing & equipment? How did they work cooperatively? In what way did landscape features shape Indian life? Hands-on activities include furnishing a wigwam, handling objects of everyday life, and playing games. 

B. Tour of Fort Hunter Mansion
Children will enter the world of the 1800s on this guided tour. They will learn about how the occupants solved the same issues facing the Native Americans centuries earlier - finding shelter, food, clothing, and equipment. They'll see everything from a music box to a chamber pot.

C. Visit the Museum Shop
At the conclusion of the Mansion tour, children will visit the educationally oriented shop. Many of the items are historical reproductions; children enjoy finding a memory-making treasure, many of which are priced under $10. Proceeds fund educational programs at Fort Hunter.