Educational Programs & Field Tripsthat work for you.

Take your next field trip to the Benicia Historical Museum! The history of California is a long and complex story, full of growth, development, adventure, and constant change, marked by grit and uncertainty. During the guided gallery tour, students and educators will be introduced to the history of California and the role Benicia played in the state’s development.

The BENICIA HISTORICAL MUSEUM offers education programs that bring history to life, providing you and your students with the best hands-on opportunities possible. Become an archeologist and dig up artifacts, learn about early California Amerindians, material culture, and so much more.

Start planning your Benicia field trip today! Our wide variety of educational programs are offered for K-12 groups and include Guided Tours of our exhibits and grounds, Hands-on History where students get to participate in a selection of activities, Traveling Trunks where students in the classroom can explore a different time period through a collection of lesson plans based on objects in the trunk, and custom made programs for your class focusing on educational standards and desired unit themes.

To book a program, educators will need to choose from one of the Core Programs listed below and then choose one of the corresponding thematic Hands-on History Activities, or choose one of the Non-Traditional Programs as the focus of the visit. Options for independent, self guided gallery exploration can be built in to your specific schedule to further enrich the experience.

Education programs are tailored to grade levels and the Benicia Historical Museum recommends that educators and coordinators choose topics relevant to students’ curriculum. The Museum offers programs designed for specific experiences.

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Core Programs

Field Trip Programs include:

California in the Civil War
CA Gold Rush
Early California
Available ‘Virtual’ or ‘In Person’

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Non-Traditional

Field Trip Programs include:

My Museum
Be A Curator
Archaeology Field School
Available ‘In-Person’ Only

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Virtual Field Trips | Specialized

Inquire about our:

Virtual Programs
Home School Programs
Mixed Grade Programs
Custom Programs

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Traveling Trunks

Bring the Museum to your classroom!

Native American Trunk
Early California Trunk
CA Gold Rush Trunk
CA in the Civil War Trunk

Core Programs

Core Field Trip Programsfor School Groups Hands On History

We welcome your school group of 10 students or more to the Benicia Historical Museum! Docent-led tours of the Museum and the Hands-On Outdoor Activities take approximately 2 to 2 ½ hours. Activities are based on life in California circa 1837-1870, and students will learn about many items used during this time period. Students are broken into groups and rotate through varying stations depending upon your time schedule and the number of adults in your group. We also have indoor activities for rainy days. Select a program for more details and to start a reservation.

Core Programs Include:

California in the Civil War | CA Gold Rush | Early California

Non-Traditional Field Trips

Non-Traditional Field Trip Programsfor School Groups Hands On History

The Benicia Historical Museum also offers several excellent “Non-Traditional” Education programs for groups of 10 or more students. Each of these programs run approximately 1-2 hours and are predominantly hands-on. NOTE: Our Non-Traditional programs are not available virtually, and cannot be combined with Core Programs. Select a program for more details and to start a reservation. We will help you to make your Benicia field trip unforgettable!

Non-Traditional Programs Include:

My Museum | Be a Curator | Archaeology Field School

Archaeology Field School

Details & Deposits

Be A Curator

Details & Deposits

My Museum

Details & Deposits

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Programsfor School Groups Hands On History

Our Core Programs and corresponding Hands-on History Activities listed on this page can be experienced virtually with a little bit of coordination. We primarily use Zoom to host virtual programming. Should your school require a different platform, please call the Museum to discuss and arrange options prior to booking. We are happy to customize for your specific needs.

Please call 707-745-5435 to inquire or email us using the contact form at the bottom of this page.

We look forward to creating an engaging virtual program for your class or group.

Available Special Programs Include:

Virtual Programs / Home School /Mixed Grades

Register Here

Traveling Trunks

Traveling TrunksBring the museum to your classroom!

Trunk Reservation Form

Our popular “Museum in a suitcase” rental program. Looking for a unique classroom activity that will inspire your students’ senses and boost their knowledge of history? The Traveling Trunks program for K-6 classrooms is just what you need. Leave the heavy lifting to us by renting a museum in a suitcase. All trunks include a teacher’s manual, lesson plans, artifacts, and activities. What happens inside your classroom is up to you!

Price: $50.00 + $25.00 Refundable Damage Deposit

Overview: The Benicia Historical Museum maintains 4 Travelling Trunks, with thoughtfully selected items depicting California Native Americans, Early California life, the California Gold Rush, and California in the Civil War. Each trunk contains replicas of personal effects, cultural items, or other material culture items pertaining to the time and experiences represented in the trunks. All corresponding curriculum-related material is provided with the rental. Teachers must arrange to pick up and drop off all material through the Museum office.

Make a Reservation Today:

Traveling Trunks are reserved online by filling out this form and placing a refundable $25 security deposit. You can also inquire about reserving a traveling trunk by calling the Museum office at: 707-745-5435

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