Field Trips

Request Your Field Trip HERE!

 

Field trips to Old New-Gate Prison & Copper Mine are a great way to engage with authentic history and natural history, in a one of a kind location. Students will join a museum guide to explore the historic prison ruins (1773) and abandoned copper mine (1707), using critical thinking and varying perspectives to dig deeper into history.

 

Logistics

The Museum will be open for visits starting in May. 

Request your visit here and a member of our team will get back with you to discuss details and confirm.

 

Thursdays are reserved for group visits and are therefore the easiest day to book large groups. We can also consider groups Fridays - Mondays. Visits ideally begin at 10:00am or 12:30.

 

Cost: $7 per student, chaperone, and homeschool adult. Paid teachers and school staff are free. Siblings under 3 are free.

 

Visits are 1.5 hours for groups of 60 students or less, 3 hours for groups of 65 students or more, and 1 hour for high school groups and older. Groups are welcome to stay and self-guide or have lunch before or after their guided visit.

 

There is plenty of parking for buses and chaperones. Groups can have a picnic lunch outside in our designated picnic area outside of the museum walls. We cannot accommodate indoor lunch, and groups must talk with staff prior to their visit if they need a place to store their lunch.

 

Please submit a request form to kick start the conversation. From there we are happy to work with your specific group if details need to be changed, i.e. varying group sizes, different timing, or adjusted programming. Thank you for considering Old New-Gate for your field trip.

 

Programs

 

The content of our education programs most closely aligns with the Connecticut Social Studies Standards for grades 5th and 8th. However, we will happily host student groups from any grade, location, or type of schooling. All of our programs offer an inquiry based approach and highlight specifics from New-Gate's history while encouraging critical thought. 

 

Traditional field trips consist of a Mine Tour, Prison Yard Tour, and Activity. We are currently offering a standard Mine Tour and Yard Tour for all ages. Our Activities can be selected to emphasize different areas of focus. 

 

Sensing History | Mine Tour | 1st - High School | 30 min

This guided tour of the copper mine focuses on the experiences the early miners, as well as those who were incarcerated at New-Gate. Through guided questions students will engage with their own five senses to gain a better understanding of the past.  

 

Shifting Perspectives | Yard Tour | 1st - High School | 30 min

This guided tour of the above ground prison yard focuses on the varying perspectives of the guards, tourists, and incarcerated individuals at New-Gate. Through source evaluation and critical thought, students will explore how different perspectives can shape history. 

 

Design a Prison | Activity | 1st - 8th | 30 min

This activity focuses on the structure and purpose of prisons. Students will be asked to use cut out images to critically design a prison, and problem solve through infrastructure, programming, and staffing to accomplish their goal.

 

Deprivations of Liberty | Activity | 5th - 8th | 30 min

This activity focuses on the comparison of slavery and incarceration in early America. Students will be asked to analyze both Freedom Seeker Ads and New-Gate Escapee Ads of the same period, ultimately encouraging critical analysis and a deeper understanding of American freedom.

 

Counting on History | Activity | 5th - 8th | 30 min

This activity focuses on the physical landscape and historic context of the site. Through this interactive scavenger hunt, students will be asked to explore their surroundings, utilizing observation and critical analysis to “win” the game.

 

Private Tours | High School + | 30 min to 1 hour

If you are interested in bringing your older students to visit Old New-Gate, we are happy to accommodate your group with a specialized private tour. This tour will take students below ground into the copper mine, as well as above into the prison yard. Our trained museum team will be happy to consider requests for specialized topics of interest. We can also offer a 30-minute guided tour of the mine, and allow time above ground to be self-guided.