BOOK VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON SCHOOL TOUR
Hill-Stead sees hundreds of school groups each year. Art experiences are essential to student success and growth. Through field trips, art activities, virtual tours, and professional development opportunities, Hill-Stead opens its doors to kindergarten through college-age students, teachers, and professors. A virtual or in-person field trip to Hill-Stead Museum can make lessons on art, history, language arts, women’s history, agriculture, and farming come alive!
Our student tours are designed to make meaningful connections to the Connecticut Curriculum Content Standards through inquiry-based, active learning. Trained professional museum guides engage students in observation and discussion, helping to develop analytical and critical-thinking skills in students of all ages, from preschool to college and beyond. Book today, and receive pre- and post-visit materials!
Our virtual programs include activities and can be customized to meet each teacher’s specific curriculum goals. See Scheduling, Pricing & Logistics for Educators. For more information. contact the Education Department (860-677-4787 ext. 136 or education@hillstead.org).
Themed student tour options
Hill-Stead can be viewed through lenses of art, architecture, and family history. Our tours are created to focus on those different facets of Hill-Stead. If you have a particular focus you would like to include, we can work with you to customize your tour.- Hill-Stead Highlights
- At Home with the Impressionists
- Bienvenue au Musée Hill-Stead
- Tour Add-on Options
- Customized Tours
- Virtual Tours & Programs
Please note
- School tours at Hill-Stead run an average of 60 minutes.
- We advise arriving 15 minutes before your tour is scheduled to begin.
- No bags, backpacks, food, or drink are allowed into the museum. Personal items can either be stored on the bus or in Hill-Stead’s security office.
HILL-STEAD HIGHLIGHTS
- One-hour tour recommended for Pre-K through Grade 12 and beyond
- Hill-Stead Highlights will transport you and your students to an era of horses and carriages, gas lamps, and the Impressionists.
AT HOME WITH THE IMPRESSIONISTS
- One-hour tour recommended for Pre-K through Grade 12 and beyond
- Meet Monet and friends at Hill-Stead.
BIENVENUE AU MUSÉE HILL-STEAD
- 1-hour tour recommended for Grades 6 through Grade 12 and beyond
- Les Peintures! Les Sculptures! Les Estampes! Students will find France in Farmington!
- Give your students even more of France with a 15-minute trip to Hill-Stead’s archive to view rarely seen artifacts from our archival collection.
TOUR ADD-ON OPTIONS
Create a Masterpiece en Plein Air
Students can create plein air sketches like the Impressionist painters.
Visit the Archives: Primary Resources
A custom-designed visit to the archives will introduce students to primary sources such as photographs, limited edition prints, mementos, and postcards not normally on display in the house.
Art & Poetry (French or English)
Students will explore artistic creation in both the visual arts, by creating group collage projects, and the language arts, by composing Cinquain-styled poetry.
Outreach Project
Students work collaboratively to create art and/or poetry projects connected to painting and poems in the Hill-Stead collection.
Customized Tours
In addition to themed tours, our educators enjoy working with teachers to develop tours based on specific interests, or that connect to individual classroom curriculum or align with specific grade levels. To discuss these customized tours, please contact the Education Department 860-677-4787 ext. 136 or education@hillstead.org.
Virtual Tours and Programs
Hill-Stead has developed safe learning alternatives by bringing classrooms online and outdoors, taking advance of our gorgeous 152-acre campus. Hill-Stead offers brand-new virtual programs for all student levels–kindergarten through college, both pre-recorded slides and live via each school’s preferred platform. Programs include activities and can be customized to meet each teacher’s specific curriculum goals.
In 2020, the education team created new high-quality learning programs such as our virtual Grand Tour series, in-person nature & art initiatives, and zoom workshops for senior centers and schools. Our initiatives have resulted in increased academic achievement, including heightened problem-solving skills and creativity.
While our nimble team’s transition has been challenging, the good work continues, and we are all learning! We are immensely grateful to the teachers, parents, and other caregivers who help us better understand our students’ needs during the pandemic.
Please note
- Virtual Tours & Programs require at least two advance weeks’ notice and should be scheduled Tuesday through Friday between 10 and 4.
- Tours & Programs run from 20-60 minutes, depending on learning goals and time allotted for questions.
Sample options: an in-depth study of one artwork with a museum educator (approximately 20 minutes) or a tour of the Impressionist paintings with a museum educator (30-45 minutes) - Synchronous/Live tours with museum staff are offered to all K-12 schools and homeschoolers. Please inquire for details and pricing.
- Pre-recorded PowerPoint slides are available by request.
- Pricing for Virtual Programs, such as workshop series, special lectures, and other customized programs, varies according to time and resources required.
- To participate in a Virtual Tour, a broadband internet connection, webcam, microphone, and external speakers are required. A digital projector and whiteboard will enhance the experience, by projecting the images on the big screen.
Questions? Please contact the Education Department(860-677-4787 ext. 136 or education@hillstead.org). Our goal is to supplement and enhance your learning goals!