Onsite Programs & Tours

These programs are offered free of charge for our educational members. Admission is $4.00 per child for non-member schools and children's groups.

Fire Alarm!
Discover how a fire station works. Witness the sounding of the alarm and how firefighters respond to the fire. Find out the history of firefighting from man and animal pulled pumpers to self-propelled fire engines. Students will be taught about the seriousness of fire and fire safety.
Location: Fire Museum
Time: 1 hour

Life on the Pennsylvania Frontier
The Golden Plough Tavern, General Gates House, Bobb Log House, Colonial Courthouse, and Industrial and Agricultural Museum combine to provide students with a complete experience of the early settlement years in York County. Students learn about daily life of the settlers, both in Yorktown and on the farm. Activities consist of 18th century crafts demonstrations and colonial games.
Location: Golden Plough Tavern, General Gates House, Bobb Log House, Colonial Courthouse, and Industrial and Agricultural Museum
Time: 2 1/2 hours

A Chilling Experience, the Making of Ice (new!)
Children will learn about the history of refrigeration and see first hand how the giant A-Frame compressor was used to make ice. Constructed by York Manufacturing Company in 1906 and restored for museum demonstrations, the compressor weighs over 70 tons, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world! During its operational days, the compressor made ice that helped to preserve food products and was at the forefront of ammonia-based refrigeration.
Location: Industrial and Agricultural Museum
Time: 1 hour

Getting Around
Students explore the history of transportation in York County. Students visit the Historical Society Museum to hear about early travelers' experiences in our new exhibit York County, Creating an American Community. A tour of the Transportation Gallery enables children to see a Conestoga wagon, numerous locally made carriages and rare early York County automobiles.
Location: Historical Society Museum
Time: 1 hour

Big Mill-Simple System?
Test your students' basic math skills during a tour of the Grist Mill. Using the fully operational water powered Bradley Grist Mill, students will explore how different mechanical systems interact to achieve the desired product: flour.
Location: Industrial and Agricultural Museum
Time: 1 hour