The Wytheville Museums
Calendar of Events and
School Programs
2006-2007
  

The Town of Wytheville Department of Museums is committed to helping students discover Wythe County's rich heritage. Visitors to our museums are encouraged to explore and understand the past, to reflect upon their own lives, and their place in history. It is our hope that visitors of today will want to preserve local history for future generations.
 
The Wytheville Museums offer a great variety of tours and programs. While these programs are geared mainly towards schools, they can easily be adapted for other groups (i.e. Boy and Girl Scouts). Tours and programs can be tailored to the grade and age level of the student group. Each of our programs is designed to enhance the Virginia Standards of Learning. The Standards of Learning will be outlined and included with each follow-up activity packet provided for each classroom
 

 

 

Discovery Corner
Located in the Thomas J. Boyd Museum, the Discovery Corner offers ten interactive stations where students will learn math and science, as well as area history. Children get a "feel" for the past by actually touching artifacts to learn how thy were used.
 
   Time Travelers
Encourage your students to participate in TIME TRAVELERS 2007, a unique, statewide program that combines the historical and cultural resources of Virginia's museums with visits to historical sites to provide fun learning experiences for children in grades K-12 and their families. The Virginia Time Travelers activities encourage student achievement of the Virginia Standards of Learning, parental involvement, and hands-on learning. The program is scheduled to run March-November 2007. Visiting the Wytheville Museums earns two passport stamps.
 

 
Hands-On Activities
Through the Museum's hands-on program, students get a closer look at history through activities with historical objects and reproductions. The objects help motivate students to learn about the culture that produced the artifacts.
Rates for School Groups:
All Private School Groups (including those in Wytheville and Wythe County) and all out of county public schools:
1 museum - $1.00 per student
Both museums - $1.50 per student
Note: One chaperone will be admitted free with each group.
Additional adults: $4.00 for one museum, $6.00 for both museums
Outreach Fees for Heritage Education Programs
Local Private Schools & Home Study Groups (Wythe County)
$1.00 per student
Out of County School Groups $1.50 per Student
 
 
Tours
 

 

The Haller-Gibboney Rock House Museum
Schedule a class tour of the Rock House Museum, home of Dr. John Haller, Wytheville's first resident physician. The museum depicts the life of the Haller-Gibboney families for more than 140 years with many original items belonging to these families on display.

 

Christmas At The Rock House
Bring your students to the Rcok House for a special Christmas visit. The tour will be appropriately designed for each grade level. Enjoy decorations of long ago and learning about Christmas traditions of the past. Pre-school through second-grade may request a Christmas story time.

 
 

 

The Thomas J. Boyd Museum - Encourage your students to experience Wythe County's past in our newly renovated exhibit area. Named for the "Father of Wytheville", the Boyd Museum offers a fresh look at local history. Selected topics include the early settlement of Wythe County, Fort Chiswell, the Civil War, Edith Bolling Wilson, the 1950 Polio Epidemic and Wythe County as a tourism destination.
 
Garden Tour
As a spring activity, join us in the historical Rock House gardens and learn the language of flowers and herbs.
 
Curriculum Guides
For individual or classroom use, we have Curriculum Guides available on area history. Call the Heritage Preservation Center at 223-3406 for more information about these resources.
Titles include:
1. Wythe County, The First 100 Years
2. A Look at Toys
3. Early Schools in Wythe County
4. Wythe County's Charcoal Iron Furnaces
5. Battle of Wytheville
6. Wyrick Springs
7. The Fruits of Their Labor
8. Crockett's Cove Presbyterian Church
9. Trade, Barter or Sell
10. Through The Years
Discovery Boxes Available:
1. Electrical connection with 12 hand-operated generators
2. Learn about Weaving
3. Seeds, Seeds, and More Seeds
4. Name That Mineral
 
CALENDAR OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Bring the museums to the classroom through our seasonal outreach programs. A Museum educator will bring artifacts and related activities to the classroom to provide a hands-on learning experience for students. Call the Heritage Preservation Center for reservations.
 
 

September-October

Apples Long Ago - This outreach program remains a fall favorite during the months of September and October. Students learn about drying apples as people did in years past. Available September and October.

 
September 1 - October 31
 
Corn Maze - The Wytheville Museums will be partnering with the Elton Walters family to provide this exciting, educational experience to students this year. The corn maze will be available for classroom tours during the week. Students will learn geography, math, science, and social studies, as well as have a great time finding their way out of the maze. The maze is open through October 31. There is a small fee for this tour. It's amaizing what you can learn from corn! The maze is open to the public on weekends October 31 from 1-6 p.m.
 
October
 
Corn Shuck Folks - Students will come to the Willowbrook Jackson/Umberger Homestead Museum to learn about corn and how corn shucks were used long ago to make playthings. Children will make corn shuck folks that can be used as a bookmark. There is a fee for this program.
 
Picnic On The Rock House Lawn - If you would like to have lunch before or after your tour, please let us know. We can schedule a shelter for you in case of inclement weather.
 

 

November

Native Americans - The Museum educator will bring artifacts to your classroom for your students to explore the culture of the people who lived here before the Europeans came to Wythe County.

 
 December
 
Christmas at the Rock House - Bring your students to the Rock House for a special Christmas visit. The tour will be appropriately designed for each grade level. Enjoy decorations of long ago and learning about Christmas traditions of the past. Pre-school through second-grade may request a Christmas story time.
 January
 
Churns and Making Butter - Students will learn the importance of the milk cow to families of long ago. Children will be able to look at artifacts used to make butter and will taste butter that they will make in class.
 
 February
Victorian Valentines - Children will use paper, flowers and lace to make a valentine to give to someone special.
 
 March
Dyeing Eggs With Natural Dyes - Learn about making and using natural dyes. Enjoy a hands-on experience of dying eggs in your classroom.
 
Easter Egg Hunt - Bring your class to the grounds of the Rock House for your Easter Egg hunt. Call for more information and reservations. 
 April
Sheep to Cloth - Students will see how a spinning wheel and loom are used to make 
thread and cloth from wool.
 
 May
Rock House Garden Tour - As a spring activity, join us in the historical Rock House gardens and learn the language of flowers and herbs.
 
 May
Rock House Boat Races - Let your class watch their boats race down the Rock House canal. You can make your own boats or we will provide them for your class. Call for reservations.
Museum Tours available to school groups Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.. Outreach Programs available Monday-Friday by appointment.
 
On site and outreach programs, pre-K through grade 12 serve school systems throughout our area. For more information, call (276) 223-3406, or email heritage@wytheville.org.
 
Funding for The Department of Museums Heritage Education programs is provided by the following:
The Town of Wytheville
Wythe County Historical Society
Wythe County Board of Supervisors
Mountain CAP Headstart
and donations from local businesses and individuals. Call (276) 223-3406 for more information.