Museum Group Tours
Would you like to schedule a museum tour for your classroom or school? Click here for more group tour information. To schedule a tour, call the museum: (812) 278-8575 or email Rowena Cross-Najafi, President -president@lcmuseum.org
Teaching Resources
Contact museum staff for availability and information about checking out the teaching resources.
Below is a description of our collection of historical items that you can check out for your classroom instruction. These items are available to school teachers, churches, girls and boys clubs, or any groups that work with youth free of charge thanks to a grant from the Lawrence County Community Foundation. Each set of items contains enough supplies for your entire class to participate.
You can learn about the items available for check out below. Check out is simple. To reserve your item, just email the staff. There is a check out form that you will sign when you take the item and when you return it.
Victorian era fans - During the Victorian era, fans were used not only for cooling, but as a way to communicate quietly or across a room. The fans come with a list of common phrases communicated by fan and how these messages were communicated.
1860's Baseball set - Other than a change in equipment, American baseball has changed little since the 1860's. This set comes with a period bat and ball and 1860's rules.
Graces (Hoop passing game) - Called "Graces" because it was supposed to teach young girls how to move gracefully, this game requires grace and skill to pass wooden hoops through the air using wooden sticks. (Though traditionally played by girls, boys often played "graces" with girls to assist in their training.
Marbles game - Marbles to play games such as "ring-taw," "Conqueror," and others.
Classroom student slates - 19th century students used personal slates and chalk in their classes to practice their writing and arithmetic.
Bowling Hoops - Wooden hoop and sticks toy used to play "Turnpikes" a game played by pushing the upended wooden hoops through a series of "pikes" (markers) on a path.
Embroidery hoops and needles - Hoops and needles to demonstrate and practice embroidery skills.
Beanbags - Used in pioneer and settler days for many games because fabric and beans or corn were the only needed materials. Game rules included.
Civil War Battle sets - Plastic Civil War army sets to create battle scenes and display Civil War soldier life.
Dominoes game - Dominoes set to play late 1800s games such as "draw."
Handmade jump ropes -
“Join the Army” – Wooden guns to simulate Civil War mustering
Pick-up sticks - Also known as "Jackstraws." This was a popular game with American settlers. Players take turns removing sticks from the pile without moving other sticks.
Castle and Knights sets – Plastic sets to create scenes and display castle life
Wooden spinning tops
In addition, the following items may be used as teaching resources:
Vintage school books (24 D):
Bible History (Gilmour, 1935)
In School and Out (Row, Perterson & Co. 1941)
New Music Horizons, 5th (Silver Burdett, 1946)
The Odyssey of Homer (Palmer, 1891)
Two Hundred Games That Teach (Smith, 1923)
Winston Simplified Dictionary (John C. Winston Co. 1924)
Or these:
Printed materials/mixed themes 2 boxes
Native American coloring books 1 box
"Children's Activities" mag. (1950-53) 24 issues
Rocks/Indiana geology 3 lg./10 sm.
Wooden yo-yos 3
Props for "The Merger" skit and other Depression-era program materials.