Please check back in the Spring for information on upcoming programming. No information is being collected at this time.

  • My Morning at Norlands is a 2-hour learning experience (generally 10am-Noon)
  • $20 per participant cost (including chaperones/adults)
  • Activities are age appropriate for ages 7-13 (a parallel track “My Morning” is available for groups including children ages 2-6)
  • Groups must have a minimum of 10 participants (including chaperones/adults).
  • We can only accommodate groups up to 40 total participants
Journey into History at the Norlands Living History Center.   We offer a variety of interactive activities to enable our guests to experience life as it truly was in 19th-century Maine.  The Norlands is the home of the Washburn family estate. It is a place that bears witness to the humble beginnings of this remarkable Livermore family who became one of America’s great political dynasties.  Today, the Norlands is a living museum and working farmstead operating as it did in the 1800s. Our educational school-age program is designed for history lovers of all ages.   The Norlands offers a 2-hour educational learning experience for elementary through Jr. High School students, homeschoolers, boys and girls scouts, and other youth groups.  Our educational program takes place throughout the estate and in the historic buildings connected to the learning experiences of your program.
PictureMy Morning at Norlands program gives groups hands on experience with some of the activities children from the 1870s would have had in rural Maine.  Through those activities students learn how people of the past lived from day to day, as well as the values learned through those activities. Costumed interpretive staff use hands-on activities, primary source documents, and authentic objects in our programs. 

Each My Morning at Norlands experience is unique.  Norlands’ staff let weather and traditional seasonal activites guide our daily planning.  During your Morning at Norlands your group may:

  • go to School & learn the way “scholars” did in 1870, through recitation and with chalk & ink pens, & play recess games of the time period; 
  • help out in the Mansion’s Kitchen to do the washing, bring in firewood for the cook-stove, carry water from the outside pump, & investigate some of the “tools of the trade” used for making and preserving food;
  • work on the Farm – gather eggs, tend to Norlands’ livestock, or plant, weed, hoe, gather, mulch & generally tend the garden, (older children may get to participate in tasks such as barn maintenance, fence mending, & firewood cutting);
  • hear the story of how Norlands was built by the remarkable Washburn family by touring their beautiful mansion.  

PictureOur staff has been trained in group management and takes the safety of all guests as our first priority.

 

Logistics:

  • Program start and end times can vary slightly with the needs of your group.  Plan for adequate travel times when you request your date with us.  Educational Programs are typically scheduled between 10am-Noon. **If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your allotted program time, that time will be deducted from your 2-hour experience.  Therefore, please be prompt. 
  • Outside learning experiences are common at Norlands, please have children dressed weather appropriately & with sturdy foot gear.
  • Your group may then stay to eat a self-provided lunch at Norlands or use the time for return travel.  Students can either eat outside on picnic tables or ask Norlands for some quilts to spread on the lawn.  Due to space limitations, if the weather is inclement, we cannot provide adequate indoor space for groups to eat indoors. Again, please anticipate your plan of action on the day of the field trip.

Program Assistance:   Are you looking for a great way to inspire your students about Maine History, but can’t find the funds you need to make it happen?  Do you want to include a field trip to the Norlands in your curriculum but are having difficulty paying for the bus?  Program scholarships may be available, thanks to the generosity of the Helen and George Ladd Charitable Corporation. A scholarship for up to one-third to one-half the total cost of your program may be awarded to schools in need.

To apply for Ladd Grant funding: 
  1. When you return the Program Reservation Packet Norlands sends to you after initial contact, you should include a letter of funding support request on your school, group, or co-op’s letterhead. 
  2. Tell us why you feel a Norlands visit is:
  • an important part of your curriculum and/or;
  • how it fits into your curriculum, and/or;
  • why you are bringing your group to us. 
  • Please include how the Ladd Grant funds would contribute to your ability to bring your group to Norlands (e.g., restrictions on budgets for field trips; homeschool co-op off-set for transportation costs; trying to limit student fee; etc.).
Funding is determined on:
  • First-come-first served basis – so get your reservation forms in as soon as possible – as funding is limited.
  • Level of need.  We evaluate all groups equally, regardless of group size, or sending organization designation (public, private, community group).S