Oakville Museum School and Community Programs

Private guided tours are available year-round for groups of 10 people or more. Tours can be held after hours and fees vary based on group size and time of day. We welcome groups of all ages including Sparks, Guides, Scouts, ESL adult groups, seniors and special interest groups.

For information and bookings please contact Susan Crane at 905-845-6601, ext. 5019 or scrane@oakville.ca.

School programs

The Oakville Museum offers both on-site and in-class education programs with specific curriculum links to a wide variety of subjects and grade levels. All of our programs are informative, fun and interactive and include resources to use in the classroom. See below for available programs.

Oakville and the Underground Railroad

Oakville and the Underground Railroad program flyer (pdf, 353 kB)

Students will explore Oakville's relationship with the United States in the context of the Underground Railroad. Oakville Harbour played a significant role in the journey to Canada for many freedom seekers. Key figures in the Oakville Underground Railroad story are introduced through the exhibition Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History, and the multimedia presentation The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom.

Program details:

Suitable for grades 5 to 8
Curriculum links: language, social studies, history, media literacy
Duration: 2.5 hours, depending on group size
Fee: $5 per student
Maximum group size: 50 students per session
Available: year round

Early Settler Life in Oakville

Presented by the Oakville Museum and the Oakville Historical Society

Early Settler Life program flyer (pdf, 1.4 MB)

While visiting Oakville's heritage district, students will learn about the early development of their community. At the Thomas House pioneer home, Oakville’s First Post Office and the Oakville Museum students will investigate early settler life in Oakville. Students will:

Investigate and describe the communities of early settlers
Use a variety of tools to gather, process and communicate information about early settler life
Compare aspects of life in early settler communities and present day communities
Compare and contrast aspects of daily life, buildings/dwellings, tools and technologies, components of a settlement and daily roles of male and female settlers
Investigate pioneer artifacts and documents using discovery questions
Write a letter with a quill pen at the Old Post Office
Reproduce a pioneer toy
Discuss early communication, transportation and the significance of Oakville Harbour
Visit a pioneer farm home and examine the life of a pioneer family in Oakville.

Program details:

Suitable for grade 3 students
Curriculum links: Early Settlements in Upper Canada
Duration: 3 hours
Fee: $10.00 per student
Maximum group size: 60 students per session
Available: Spring 2013
Part of this program will take place outdoors, rain or shine. Bring a bag lunch; seating available

Early Settler in-class program

Early Settler in-class program flyer (pdf, 2.2 MB)

This in-class program is designed to help students learn about the early settler period from a local perspective. Students will examine local historical resources such as maps, photographs, letters and artifacts. Activities include working with pioneer artifacts, using a school slate, writing with a quill pen, making a toy and examining examples of early toys. Your booking package will include additional museum resources, suggested activities and a pre-visit activity to compliment your class study.

Program details:

Suitable for grade 3
Duration: 2 hours
Fee: $6 per student*
Maximum group size: 30 students per session (2 sessions available per day)
Available: year round

*For schools outside of Oakville, an additional $30 fee will be applied to your booking to cover travel expenses.

Celebration of Winter Past and Present

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, winter celebrations and pastimes were a familiar tradition at the Erchless Estate, the Chisholm family home. Today, families in Oakville celebrate diverse winter traditions that reflect values and beliefs from around the world. Students will gain an understanding of today’s diverse cultural winter celebrations including the special food, clothing, music, symbols and events associated with these festivities. Students will also discover holiday celebrations of the past at the Erchless Estate and historical winter traditions and pastimes in Oakville. Activities include examining and discussing symbolic objects significant to diverse cultural winter celebrations, touring through the Chisholm family home and participating in hands-on activities.

Program details:

Suitable for grade 2
Curriculum links: social studies, traditions and celebrations, heritage and citizen studies
Duration: 2 hours
Fee: $4.50 per student
Maximum group size: 30 students
Available: Starting November 26, 2013

Christmas Discovery program

Canadian Christmas traditions of the early 20th century will be the focus of your students' exploration into the differences between past and present. The Chisholm family home will be decorated for the holiday season for your students to explore. Prior to your museum visit a museum staff person will visit your class and engage students in a comparison activity of past and present using toys from the museum collection and those familiar to children today. At the museum, students will tour through the restored Chisholm family home, explore traditional Christmas gifts and decorations, make a Christmas decoration, watch a magic lantern show and discover the simplicity of Christmas stockings long ago.

Program details:

Suitable for pre-school, JK, K, grade 1
Curriculum links: language and oral communication, reading, writing and media literacy, the arts
Duration: one-hour in-class pre-visit plus 1.5 hrs museum program
Fee: $4 per student*
Maximum group size: 30 students
Available: Starting November 26, 2013

* For schools outside of Oakville, an additional $30 fee will be applied to your booking to cover travel expenses.