Education Programs at the Morris-Butler House

 

History comes alive with education programs at the Morris-Butler House. A visit to the 1865 house brings students face-to-face with the nineteenth century. Through walking tours, hands-on demonstrations, activities, and critical discussions, students practice essential skills for learning.

 

Program offerings fulfill many Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards and a number of badge requirements for Girl Scouts (check a list of standards and requirements satisfied by each program). For information on other education programs available from Indiana Landmarks, visit our For the Classroom page.

 

Morris-Butler House programs change seasonally and special programs are often available during exhibits. Call to make reservations for our Student & Scout programs or our Adult Education tours and programs.

 

 

Tours and programs for students, scouts and homeschool groups

 

Tours of the Morris-Butler House Museum

Private guided tours are available for school and scout groups and can be tailored to align with your curriculum, with a focus on social history, decorative arts, architecture, or historic preservation.  

  

Victorian Cooking

Students explore seasonal produce and food preparation techniques as they prepare foods from nineteenth-century recipes. Participants compare and contrast the availability of foods in different seasons, and study the role of technology in cooking in the nineteenth century and today. Choose from three different Victorian Cooking concentrations (available seasonally), each teaching a different cooking concept:

 

• Ice Cream Participants proper measurements of liquids and solids, scalding, separating and tempering eggs, and freezing ice cream. Students make and taste homemade ice cream.  (Available late April-late August.)
• Pickling Participants learn proper measurements of liquids and solids, safe use of cutlery, peeling, slicing, and chopping, stewing, brining, safe canning techniques, and acid-based preservation. Students make and taste basic cucumber pickles and compare them to commercially-available pickles. (Available August-early November.)
• Baking Participants learn proper measurements of liquids and solids, dry vs. wet ingredients, sifting, cutting in, and safe use of an oven. Students make and taste homemade biscuits or cookies. (Available July-early November.)

Victorian Girls’ Life

Students learn about a young girl’s life during the end of the nineteenth century through a guided tour, historic crafts, traditional games, and stories. A favorite among Girl Scout groups!

 

Victorian Etiquette 

Miss Manners would be proud! Students discover the history behind a formal nineteenth-century table-setting while practicing Victorian etiquette—the basis of modern-day manners. This interactive program teaches lessons about diet, social customs, and status through the examination of a Victorian seven-course meal.

 

Nineteenth-century Toys and Games 

Students learn about the toys and games that amused children in the days before video games, computers, and batteries. Children will also have a chance to play old-fashioned games including Hare and Hounds, Graces, Deerstalker, and Tiddlywinks. Participants play with reproduction toys and see original nineteenth-century toys from the Morris-Butler collection.

 
Victorian Holiday Traditions

Elaborate decorations and historic traditions add to the interdisciplinary learning in this festive program. Students examine nineteenth-century ornaments and decorations before copying them in hands-on activities, tour the museum to see how the Victorians celebrated the holidays, and learn the nineteenth-century roots of many of our current holiday traditions. (Available mid-November through mid-December only.)

 

Program details

• Education programs last approximately 2 hours and include an abbreviated tour of relevant rooms in the Morris-Butler House.
• Programs are available throughout the year unless otherwise noted. All programs include a tour of relevant rooms in the Morris-Butler House.
• A minimum of 8 students is necessary for programs. Laundry Day and Victorian Cooking programs require a minimum of 15 students.

Costs

$3/student, $3/adult, 1 leader/teacher complimentary. 

  

Scheduling for Homeschool Groups and Summer Camps

The Morris-Butler house also offers education tours and programs to homeschool co-ops, summer camps, and private groups of 8 or more. For independent home-school families and other private groups of 7 or less, some  programs are offered at Homeschool Days.

 

Adult education programs

 

Workshops and Tours

Private workshops and guided tours are available for adult groups and can be tailored for college classes, special interest groups and clubs with a focus on social history, decorative arts, architecture, historic preservation, or museum studies. Workshops and presentations can also be arranged for your group at your location for an additional fee.

 

Cost: Tours are $3/person for college classes and groups of 20 or more. Regular tour rates apply for smaller groups. Workshop rates vary; please call the Morris-Butler House for more information.

 

Adult Etiquette for Today 

We all know to “dress for success,” but proper etiquette at power lunches and business dinners remains a mystery for many. Victorian etiquette is the basis for modern day manners and many of the rules still apply. Learn how to impress clients, supervisors, and friends with impeccable manners at entertaining and educational classes for adults, perfect for staff groups and other organizations. Practice meeting and greeting, table manners, interpersonal conduct, appropriate conversation topics, how to send appropriate thank-you notes in the age of email, and more. Your group can gather at the Morris-Butler House, or our trained staff and docents can come to your location for an additional fee.

 

Cost: $9 per person for the two-hour class, with a minimum of 20 people.

 

 

Meeting space for groups

 

Need a place to meet? The Morris-Butler House offers attractive space for meetings (see our Rentals page for details). Pair your meeting with a program or tour, or arrange one of our signature Victorian Teas.

Educational program offerings and availability are subject to change. Contact the Morris-Butler House staff at 317-636-5409 or morris-butler@indianalandmarks.org for more information on program offerings.

 

For more information or to set up a tour contact:
Morris-Butler House
1204 North Park Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-636-5409
Fax: 317-636-2630
email: morris-butler@indianalandmarks.org