Education Programs
Click on any of the links below to find out more.
Discovery Boxes | Scouts | School Visits | Adult Education | Living History Encampment
Home School Classes | Pioneer Kids Day | Special Tours | Internships | Resources | Contact
Let the museum come to you! Discovery Boxes are interactive in-class presentations that have touchable artifacts, historical photographs, and modern images. Learn more by downloading a Discovery Box Pack.
Washington County Historical Society, Inc. receives partial financial support from the County Board. Their generosity allows the Society to provide FREE Discovery Box presentations for in-county schools and organizations. The fee for out-of-county organizations is $40.00 per presentation up to 30 miles (60 miles roundtrip) from West Bend. Distance over 30 miles is 55.5¢ per mile.
Gifts of the Glaciers
NEW! French Fur Trade
Tools of the Native Americans
Pioneer Life in Wisconsin
A Wisconsin Soldier in the Civil War
Wisconsin State Signs & Symbols
Your Township Then & Now
Wisconsin Women Fight for Suffrage
Wisconsin During World War II
Food & Fun in Winter
Museum Visits: Boy and Girl Scouts in 1st through 4th grades get an up close look at the life of the county sheriff and his family in the mid-20th century during this 60 minute tour of the Old Jailhouse Museum. A visit may fulfill the Tiger Cub “Go See It Making My Family Special” Achievement (1G), the Wolf Cub “Know Your Home and Community” Achievement (4F), and the Brownie Citizen-Celebrating Community Badge. Learn more, download a Scout Visit Pack.
Junior Girl Scout Program “Mystery in the Museum”: The Junior Girl Scouts are called to the scene of a robbery at the Old Courthouse Museum. As a team, they will complete activities and put clues together to discover who the culprit is!
2013 DATE: Saturday, March 2 Registration and fee required by February 27, 2013. Download more information and a registration sheet.
A visit to the Old Courthouse and Old Jailhouse Museum will inspire students to discover what makes Washington County unique. To find out more, download a School Visit Pack for the Old Courthouse & Old Jailhouse Museums.
At the West Bend Co./Regal Ware Museum, students will trace the history of aluminum and the cookware industry that made the metal a household name. To find out more, download a School Visit Pack for the West Bend Co./Regal Ware Museum.
Group Visit: Taking a personalized group tour through the Old Courthouse & Old Jailhouse Museums or the West Bend Co./Regal Ware Museum is a great experience for families and organizational members. Group rate available for scheduled groups of 10 or more people. Find out more, download a Group Visit Pack for either Old Courthouse & Old Jailhouse Museums or West Bend Co./Regal Ware Museum.
Travelling Programs: Washington County Historical Society, Inc. receives partial financial support from the County Board. Their generosity allows the Society to provide FREE Adult Education Programs for in-county schools and organizations. The fee for out-of-county organizations is $40.00 per presentation up to 30 miles (60 miles roundtrip) from West Bend. Distance over 30 miles is 55.5¢ per mile. Find out more, download an Adult Education Programs Pack.
Highlights & History of Washington County
Washington County’s Aluminum Cookware Industry
Washington County and Its Historical Society
Public & Private Schools: On Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3, 2013 scheduled school groups get to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of early Wisconsin. Recommended for 4th and 5th grades. Learn more, download a Living History Encampment Pack and a Living History Encampment Reservation Sheet.
Home School: Home School families are invited to attend Living History Encampment from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013. Download the Living History Encampment Pack above and send in a Living History Encampment Home School Reservation Sheet.
Family Day: On Saturday, May 4, 2013, Living History Encampment is open to the public. Children and adults get a hands-on and up-close look at early in Wisconsin. Visit with a musician, a blacksmith, a fur trapper, frontier women, and more!
Learn about history using the real thing! Classes feature touchable artifacts, a tour of related museum exhibits, crafts and projects, special presenters, at-home activities, off-site trips, and more. Recommended for ages 8-11. Registration required.
2014 CLASSES: To be announced September 2013
Living History Encampment: Home School families are invited to attend Living History Encampment from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013. Learn more, download a Living History Encampment Pack and send in a Living History Encampment Home School Reservation Sheet.
Children entering 1st through 5th grades in fall get to experience food, crafts, and fun from Wisconsin’s past at this annual themed event. To register, download a Pioneer Kids Day Registration and Waiver Sheet.
2013 DATE: “Woodland Indians” Thursday, August 8 from 8:45am to 12:00pm at the Old Courthouse Museum.
Imprisoned Spirits: Paranormal Museums Tour: Are the Old Washington County Courthouse and Jail haunted? Join us for a special 90-minute guided Paranormal Museums Tour and decide for yourself. Visit areas in both Museums where bizarre and unsettling phenomena have been experienced. $10/person, $8/WCHS Member. Registration required. Call Jessica (262) 335-4678 or email to secure your spot.
2013 DATES: 7:00pm July 11 and 7:00pm September 26
Big Read “Murder in the Rue Morgue:” As part of Washington County’s Big Read, this special tour of the Old Jailhouse Museum tells Edgar Allen Poe’s tale of a double bizarre murder. Tour participants will work with actors to hear witness testimonies, collect and put clues together, and reveal the murderer and how it was all done. If you know the ending, please don’t spoil it! Free, donations accepted. Registration required. Call Jessica (262) 335-4678 or email to secure your spot.
2013 DATES: 7:00pm & 8:30pm October 9, 10, & 11
Summer Education Internship: Open to college ungraduate and graduate students, this internship gives budding museum professionals a taste of giving tours and developing youth and adult programs, as well as learning how museums work behind the scenes. This intern will receive a stipend from the Kreillkamp Internship Fund. For more information, please read the the Summer Internship Description. Ready to apply? Fill out the Education Internship Application.
Old Circuit Courtroom: Reserve the restored courtroom for a unique, historical, and beautiful setting for your class event. Visit the Your Event page for more information.
Events & Programs: Public programs and workshops on a variety of topics are held throughout the year. See what’s coming up by visiting the Events.
Research Center: The Society’s extensive library, and photograph and record collections are an excellent resource for local history information.
For more information, please contact Jessica Sawinski Couch, Curator of Education: (262) 335-4678 or email.
