Book an in-person, overnight field trip for

Fort Tejon State Historic Park

The Fort Tejon Student Living History Program invites you and your students to enroll your class or educational group in our one-of-a-kind overnight field trip! This unique opportunity allows students to travel back in time to 1850s California and discover frontier life at this mountain outpost of the U.S. Army. Students will immerse themselves in historic activities as a new recruit with the United States Dragoons at Fort Tejon.

Students assume the uniformed role of new Army “recruits” in 1856 who have just arrived at their duty station in the new state called California. They exercise leadership, self-learning, and teamwork as they engage in blacksmithing, frontier carpentry, historic meal preparation, adobe brick making, candle making, and Army laundry all in the style of 1850s Californians. The program is designed to be an immersive, overnight “living history” experience beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at approximately 11:00 a.m. the following day.

Participating students and teachers also have the option of engaging in a 30 minute “virtual” pre-visit orientation prior to your park visit. The option to set up your “virtual” pre-visit orientation is provided below as well.

***PLEASE NOTE***: There is a $60.00 fee per student and $40.00 fee per adult for each field trip. The teacher or group leader attends free of charge. Program materials (iron, coal, candles, firewood, etc.) and two meals (supper and breakfast) are included. Participants must provide their own lunch on the first day.

§ A $100.00 non-refundable deposit is required. Checks should be made payable to California State Parks.

§ There is a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 40 students per field trip.

§ There is a minimum of 7 and a recommended maximum of 15 adults per field trip. (Adults are required to be present and engaged for the entirety of the field trip.)

***PLEASE NOTE***: There is a required training that all teachers, group leaders, parents, and adult assistants must attend in advance of their visit to Fort Tejon. This two-hour (10:00am-12:00pm) training corresponds with the month of your field trip date and will be scheduled upon confirmation of your field trip.

The training session is intended to provide teachers/group leaders and parents/adult assistants with the training necessary to make the field trip run effectively and safely. It will consist of a general orientation session, which includes a questions & answers segment, followed by individual station trainings for assigned historic activities. Instructional handouts and handbooks for the program will also be provided.

Once your deposit is received by the park for your scheduled visit (SEE BELOW FOR OUR CALENDAR) our PORTS presenter at Fort Tejon State Historic Park will contact you within 5 business days to confirm your activities!

You and your students may be eligible for reimbursement of transportation costs for your in-person field trip to Fort Tejon State Historic Park. Click here to learn more!