Arrow Rock State Historic Site offers educational programs for schoolchildren

Arrow Rock State Historic Site is hosting educational programs for schoolchildren this spring. Programs will be held Tuesdays through Fridays April 11 to May 26, starting at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., depending on the school’s preference. Each program lasts approximately two hours.

Schools are required to make advance reservations, with a cost of $5 per student and adult. One teacher per class is admitted free. Scholarships are available through the Friends of Arrow Rock, if needed. The programs are offered April 11-14, April 18-21, April 25-28, May 2-5, May 9-12, May 16-19 and May 23-26.

Program choices:

Family Life and School Days in the 1800s (first through fourth grades) – Students will visit the log schoolhouse were the school marm will teach readin’, ritin’ and ‘rithmetic, and have them practice penmanship using quill pens and slates. Proper manners and rules for living will also be emphasized. In the 1830s home of gunsmith John P. Sites and his wife Nannie, hands-on activities including chores and pastimes will help students understand daily life in the 19th century.

Natural and Cultural History of Arrow Rock (third through sixth grades) – This program begins with a guided tour of the home of Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham. Students will learn facts about the home and what it would have been like to live there when Bingham did. If time permits, a quick visit to the tavern mercantile shop to see wares and merchandise will be included. Participants will also explore the natural history and native habitats of Arrow Rock and the Boonslick region on a guided hike to the historic Missouri River Landing Trail. Historically, this route led Arrow Rock’s visitors and residents to a treasured freshwater spring and stream that sill flows into the Missouri River today. Students will learn about the area’s current and former plant and animal life, and imagine what the river bluff and forest-lined stream habitats looked like in the 1800s.

In addition to participating in these programs, students may view a 20-minute video about Arrow Rock. Additional time for this should be requested when reserving a program. To reserve a date and program, call the historic site at 660-837-3330.

These programs are presented with the cooperation and collaboration of Arrow Rock State Historic Site, Friends of Arrow Rock and the Missouri River Bird Observatory.

Arrow Rock State Historic Site is located 15 miles east of Marshall on Missouri 41.

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.