General Information

The Lane County Historical Museum offers school tours Tuesday-Friday. School tours are approximately 75 min. in length. Because of space limitations, groups of more than 30 children are not recommended. There is no charge for school children, their teachers, or their chaperones. Tours are designed for grades 3-5 and not children younger or older. Home school groups with wide grade level variation are invited to do an unguided museum tour with a museum-provided History Detective scavenger hunt where the older children may help the younger ones.

Teachers are encouraged to visit the museum – at no charge – before a class tour is scheduled.

To request a school tour, please fill out the School Tour Request Form here. When the museum receives your request, an Assistance League Eugene tour coordinator will contact you to confirm your date and time.

Reservation confirmation is complete when your request appears on the museum calendar.

This circa 1927 photograph looking north on Wiliamette Street from 8th Avenue in Eugene reveals some familiar landmarks and some lost architectural gems. McMorran & Washburne building is at right. - Catalog Number: CS435

Elementary School Tours
The Assistance League^® Eugene Oregon Heritage Program provides trained guides for grades 3 through 5. The focus is on pioneer life on the Oregon Trail and settlement at journey’s end. Children will explore A Day in the Life of a Pioneer Child and help with “chores”, utilizing real period artifacts such as a butter churn, wool carders, slates and slate pencils. The tour may end with a pioneer story or a song.

Tour content for 3rd grade (Settlement of Lane County) and 4th grade (Life on the Oregon Trail) corresponds to grade level curriculum guidelines.

Oregon Heritage guides are only responsible for the historical interpretive content. Teachers and chaperones remain responsible for appropriate group and individual behavior.

Middle and High School Visits
The museum is not staffed to provide guides for more advanced students. However, teachers may request a tour subject to availability of the museum director. At least one week advance notice is required.

Self-guided tours are an option (see information under “Visits”). Teachers may also request one of the museum’s “Traveling Trunks” for use in one of the museum’s group assembly areas. See Educational Services> Traveling Trunks for more information. Teachers need to allow time to repack the trunk before leaving the museum. “Be a History Detective” worksheets are available on request.

Sight-challenged Groups
With prior arrangement, a sight-challenged group can be provided with gloves and taken on a sensory tour of the museum.

Other Groups

Self-guided visits are encouraged for adult groups (see “Visits”).

Self-guided tours are an option (see information under “Visits”). Teachers may also request one of the museum’s “Traveling Trunks” for use in one of the museum’s group assembly areas. See Educational Services> Traveling Trunks for more information. Teachers need to allow time to repack the trunk before leaving the museum. “Be a History Detective” worksheets are available on request.

School Tour Guidelines

To the teacher: Before arriving at the museum for your scheduled tour, we ask that you do the following:

1. Please provide name tags for all students and chaperones.
2. Divide your class into three groups with assigned chaperones.
3. Review these behavior expectations with your students and chaperones:
• Use inside voices.
• Stay with the group and always walk.
• Only handle museum artifacts with permission.
• Respect “Do not touch” signs.
• Be considerate of other museum visitors.

Chaperone responsibilities:

1. Supervise students at all times.
2. Know where the bathrooms are and guide students if needed.
3. Remind students of behavior expectations if necessary.
4. Manage any misbehavior problems.
5. Turn cell phones off.
6. Save conversation and gift shopping until after the tour.