Grades: 3-6

Audience Size: up to 50

Length of Performance: 1.5 to 2 hours 

Description: Learn how children in the Gilded Age (1870-1900) had fun in the age before electricity. Students will have the chance to interact with both authentic and reproduction toys and games while learning more about childhood in the late 19th century. In the process, students will compare kids' experiences of the past with their own lives today, explore how technology has changed recreation, and engage in hands-on activities that encourage critical thinking, observation, and historical inquiry. 

This venue supports the following NYS Learning Standards:

Social Studies Practices 

• Gathering, Interpreting, and Using Evidence: Students analyze historical objects and toys as primary sources to learn about children's lives in the past. 

• Chronological Reasoning and Causation: Students examine how childhood and recreation changed over time as technology advanced. 

• Comparison and Contextualization: Students compare the experiences of children during the Gilded Age with their own experiences today. 

• Geographic Reasoning: Students connect local Binghamton history to broader developments during the Age of Industrialization. 

NYS Social Studies Framework 

• Grade 3: Communities around the world and how daily life reflects culture and traditions. 

• Grade 4: Local and New York State history, including how people lived and worked in the past. 

• Grade 5: The development of the United States during the Industrial Age and the impact of technological innovation. 

• Grade 6: Examination of societies, culture, and daily life through artifacts and material culture. 

English Language Arts (ELA) 

• Ask and answer questions about historical artifacts and presentations. 

• Engage effectively in collaborative discussions. 

• Use evidence from observations to support conclusions and comparisons. 

Visual Arts 

• Respond to and interpret historical objects as forms of material culture. 

• Recognize how design, craftsmanship, and function reflect the values of a particular time period. 

Categories: History; Museums / Exhibits; Tourism

Cost: 

• • • $8 per student 

Grades: 3–8 (can be adapted for other grade levels) 

Audience Size: up to 50

Length of Performance: 1.5 – 2 hours

Description: 

In the Gilded Age, Americans still used traditional arts and crafts techniques while also incorporating new technologies of the industrial age. In this tour, students will learn more about historical arts and crafts in two ways. First, by exploring woodwork and tools left to us by a craftsman who worked on the Phelps Mansion. Second, through the textile arts left by the Monday Afternoon Club, a women's club that purchased the mansion in 1905. Students will learn more about how woodworking and textiles were shaped by 19th century innovations and have the opportunity to do some hands-on crafts. 

This venue supports the following NYS Learning Standards:

New York State Arts Learning Standards 

• Creating: Generate and develop artistic ideas inspired by historical craftsmanship and design. 

• Presenting: Analyze how materials and artistic choices contribute to function and beauty. 

• Responding: Interpret works of decorative art within their historical and cultural context. 

• Connecting: Relate artistic practices to community history, industry, and innovation. 

New York State Social Studies Framework 

• Examine how industrialization transformed communities and daily life in New York. 

• Analyze primary sources and historical artifacts to understand the Gilded Age. 

• Explore the economic and cultural impact of local industries and skilled trades. 

New York State P–12 Science Learning Standards (NGSS) 

• Investigate the properties of natural materials used in construction and textiles. 

• Explore how the structure and properties of materials influence their intended function. 

• Apply engineering design principles by evaluating how decorative and structural elements solve practical problems. 

New York State Computer Science & Digital Fluency Standards 

• Recognize how technological innovation has changed manufacturing and design processes over time. 

• Compare historical craftsmanship with modern tools and production technologies. 

Mathematics Connections 

• Identify geometric shapes, symmetry, proportion, and repeating patterns in architectural details and textile designs. 

• Use measurement and spatial reasoning to understand scale, construction, and decorative design. 

Categories: History; Museums / Exhibits; Tourism

Cost: 

• • • $8 per student 

Grades: 4–12 (adaptable by grade level) 

Audience Size: up to 50

Length of Performance: 1.5 – 2 hours

Description: 

How do you build a city? Beyond bricks and buildings, Binghamton was built by people! This tour goes beyond the traditional stories of our city's development to focus on how immigrants, workers, women, and Black Americans each played a central role in shaping downtown Binghamton in the 19th century. Students will examine how waves of immigration brought new cultures, traditions, skills, and businesses to the region while exploring the contributions of women in education, philanthropy, civic leadership, and social reform. Students will also learn about the experiences and achievements of Black Americans. In the process, students will consider both the opportunities and challenges these groups encountered. Using primary sources, students will learn how to think like historians as they uncover the many individuals who made Binghamton what it is today. 

This venue supports the following NYS Learning Standards:

New York State Social Studies Framework — this program supports students in: 

• Investigating how geography, economics, and natural resources influence where and how communities develop. 

• Examining immigration and migration as major forces shaping New York State communities and their cultural diversity. 

• Analyzing local history through historical inquiry, primary sources, and civic participation. 

• Examining the roles of women, African Americans, immigrants, and other historically underrepresented groups in shaping local, state, and national history. 

• Understanding how industrialization, entrepreneurship, transportation, and economic opportunity transformed New York communities. 

New York State English Language Arts Next Generation Standards — students will: 

• Cite evidence from informational texts, artifacts, and primary sources. 

• Ask and answer questions based on historical evidence. 

• Participate in collaborative discussions and communicate historical conclusions using appropriate evidence. 

New York State Arts Learning Standards — students will: 

• Analyze architecture, decorative arts, and material culture as historical evidence. 

• Interpret how artistic expression reflects cultural identity, community values, and historical events. 

• Connect works of art and design to historical and civic contexts. 

New York State Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) — students will: 

• Explore careers connected to manufacturing, skilled trades, preservation, education, public history, and civic leadership. 

• Understand how collaboration and community engagement contribute to economic development. 

Categories: History; Museums / Exhibits; Tourism

Cost: 

• • • $8 per student 

Grades: 5–12 (adaptable for upper elementary through high school) 

Audience Size: up to 50

Length of Performance: 1.5 – 2 hours

Description: 

Ever wonder who lived in Binghamton over 100 years ago? Students become real historians using HistoryForge, an interactive digital map that is built on census transcriptions done by volunteers in our community. Students will explore the map to discover where people lived, worked, and went to school in order to learn how Binghamton's neighborhoods have changed over time. They'll also get hands-on with real historical documents, learning to read cursive handwriting, explore Sanborn maps, and try their own mini transcription activity. 

This venue supports the following NYS Learning Standards:

New York State Social Studies Framework — this workshop supports students in: 

• Applying historical thinking skills by analyzing primary and secondary sources. 

• Conducting historical inquiry through questioning, evidence gathering, interpretation, and communication. 

• Examining how geography influences settlement patterns, economic development, and community growth. 

• Investigating immigration, industrialization, and demographic change in New York State communities. 

• Understanding civic engagement through community-based historical preservation projects. 

New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards — students will: 

• Explore how digital technologies organize, preserve, and communicate historical information. 

• Interpret data using interactive digital maps and databases. 

• Understand how digital tools support research, collaboration, and public access to information. 

New York State English Language Arts Next Generation Standards — students will: 

• Analyze informational texts and primary source documents. 

• Cite evidence to support historical conclusions. 

• Engage in collaborative discussions using historical evidence. 

• Write explanatory responses based on research and document analysis. 

New York State Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks — students will: 

• Develop empathy by examining the lives of diverse historical communities. 

• Appreciate multiple perspectives through the stories of immigrants, workers, families, and neighborhood residents. 

• Recognize the value of civic participation in preserving community history. 

Categories: History; Museums / Exhibits; Tourism

Cost: 

• • • $8 per student 

Grades: 4–12 (adaptable for elementary, middle, and high school) 

Audience Size: up to 25

Length of Performance: 1.5 – 2 hours

Description: 

Historic cemeteries are unique outdoor museums that preserve the history of our community and also reveal what previous generations believed and valued. On this guided tour of Spring Forest Cemetery, students will explore monuments, architecture, and landscapes as primary sources – learning to "read" them like a document. Along the way, they'll learn more about Binghamton history and the social and cultural values of those who are buried there. Students may choose from two engaging tour experiences or combine both into a comprehensive program. 

Tour Option 1: Lives That Built Our Community — Students investigate the lives of notable local residents, civic leaders, veterans, educators, business owners, artists, and everyday citizens whose contributions helped shape the community. Using gravestones, historical records, photographs, and maps, students examine how individual stories connect to larger themes such as immigration, industrialization, military service, public service, education, philanthropy, and community development. 

Tour Option 2: The Symbols of Gravestones — Many historic gravestones contain symbols that communicate beliefs, occupations, family relationships, religious traditions, and ideas about remembrance. Students learn to "read" monuments by examining common Victorian and nineteenth-century symbolism, including trees, flowers, clasped hands, lambs, anchors, ivy, urns, obelisks, doves, and other decorative motifs. 

This venue supports the following NYS Learning Standards:

New York State Social Studies Framework — this program supports students in: 

• Conducting historical inquiry using primary sources and physical artifacts. 

• Investigating local history and its connection to state and national history. 

• Examining how communities remember significant individuals and historical events. 

• Understanding continuity and change over time through material culture. 

• Exploring civic responsibility and the importance of preserving historic places. 

New York State Arts Learning Standards — students will: • Analyze sculpture, monument design, architecture, and symbolism as works of visual art. 

• Interpret how artistic choices communicate meaning, beliefs, and cultural values. 

• Connect artistic expression with historical and community contexts. New York State English Language Arts Next Generation Standards — students will: 

• Ask questions and make observations based on informational and visual evidence. 

• Cite evidence from monuments, inscriptions, and historical records. 

• Engage in collaborative discussions and present evidence-based interpretations. 

• Develop explanatory writing based on historical investigation. 

New York State Science Learning Standards — students will: 

• Observe how natural processes such as weathering and erosion affect stone monuments over time. 

• Investigate how different materials (granite, marble, slate, limestone, bronze) change through environmental exposure. 

• Explore the relationship between environmental conditions and historic preservation. 

Categories: History; Museums / Exhibits; Tourism

Cost: 

• • • $8 per student 

Audience Size: up to 30

Length of Performance: 1 – 1.5 hours

Description: 

Can’t make it to the Phelps Mansion Museum? Let us bring the museum to you! The Phelps Mansion Museum offers a Museum to You educational program that brings the history and stories of the historic mansion directly into the classroom. Through a virtual tour and engaging, hands-on workshops, students can explore life in 19th-century Binghamton, learn about the Gilded and Progressive Eras, and discover the architecture, technology, and everyday experiences of the people who lived and worked during this time. Our Museum Educator can provide an interactive virtual experience tailored to your students’ age group and curriculum. 

Categories: History; Museums / Exhibits; Tourism

Cost: 

• • • $150 per group