1814 NW 2nd Ave, Faribault, MN 55021

rchs@rchistory.org

(507) 332-2121

Hours: Mon – Fri 10:00am to 5:00pm

School Tours and Programs

The Rice County Historical Society offers a number of school tours and youth programs throughout the year.

School Tours and Experiences:

  • Museum tour
  • One-Room School Experience
  • Log Cabin Experience
  • Alexander Faribault House tour, located at 12 1st Ave NE in Faribault

Tours are available for all age groups, at a cost of $1.00 per student for a Basic Tour and Village Experience. Extended experiences in the school and log cabin are available at a cost of $3.00 per student. Teachers and chaperones are free.

Please contact the museum at least 2 weeks in advance by phone at 507-332-2121 or by email at rchs@rchistory.org.

Please have the following information ready:

  • Contact person – name and phone number
  • Desired date and time – Museum hours are: Monday – Friday 10:00AM – 5:00 PM
  • Age of students
  • Size of group
  • Length of time desired
  • Type of tour

Basic Tour:

A basic tour of will consist of time spent in the Museum. Included are displays on fur-trading; Native Americans from the Palio (10,000 BCE) to the Historic periods;  Bishop Whipple;  Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam Wars; local industries including Fleckenstein Family and the Tilt-A-Whirl; and a Main Street diorama  which includes a general store, barbershop and jail.

Village Experience:   

The village experience includes the basic tour of the museum, as well as a tour of the log cabin, one-room school, country church, and Harvest and Heritage Hall.

  • Log Cabin —  What would it have been like living in a cabin like this one?
  • Pleasant Valley School — Who would have attended a one-room school and what would it have been like to have been a student there?
  • Holy Innocents Church — Why were there so many churches in the county and what did they look like inside?
  • Harvest and Heritage Halls — Discover how the appliances and machinery have changed over the years.

Extended One-Room Schoolhouse Experience

In this program, students will experience what it was like to be a student in a one-room schoolhouse. Activities will include school lessons over several subjects. Students may also be able to participate in historic outdoor games.

This experience can accommodate one class of around 20 children at a time. The fee is $3.00 per student / $10 cap per family (for homeschool groups), with no charge for adults.

Extended Log Cabin Experience

Students will step back in time with this historic cabin experience. By asking questions such as; where would they sleep? What would they eat? What would they wear? Students will come to a broader understanding of what life was like in early Rice County.

Activities include:

  • Shelling corn
  • Corn grinding
  • Washing clothes by hand
  • Playing old-time games
  • Wool carding

Possible additional activities include:

  • Corncob doll making
  • Finger spinning
  • Butter making
  • Candle making

Youth Programs: 

Summer History Camp: 

History Camp is RCHS’ summer program for students who have finished grades 3-5.  History camp runs run Monday – Friday from 8:30 to noon.

Each day of camp participants will do hands-on activities, play games, and have a light snack around themes in Rice County’s history: Monday & Tuesday – Fur Traders and Native Americans.  Wednesday & Thursday – Pioneer Days.  Friday – Family Day.

For more information and for this year’s camp dates, please contact the museum at 507-332-2121.

Ask about our year-round Museum apprentice program!