Make Your School Tour Reservation Today
What Teachers have to say about our tours:
“This was a wonderful trip, worth the two hour bus ride!”
– Brock Bridge Elementary School, 4th grade teacher
“We’ve been coming for years! Love it!”
– Mt. Harmony Elementary School, 4th grade teacher
“They are great at engaging the kids and making history so interesting.”
– Bells Mill Elementary School, 4th grade teacher
Tour Reservations
Historic St. Mary’s City is open for scheduled group tours from mid-March through the last week in November. Guided tours must be reserved in advance; available on a first-come, first served basis. Reservations can be made up to a year in advance.
You may reserve online or our staff is available to take your reservation Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Contact us at 240-895-4980 or email Groups@HSMCdigsHistory.org for available tour dates and times.
Please have the following information ready when scheduling a tour:
- Desired date and time of visit
- Number and grade level of classes
- Number of students participating
- Number of teachers and chaperones
- Name of school, address, and telephone and fax numbers
- Any special accommodations that your group needs
Historic St. Mary’s City accepts cash, check, and credit card (Discover, MasterCard, or Visa) for payment of tours. Checks should be made payable to “Historic St. Mary’s City.” An accurate count of participants is required upon check-in.
Guided Tour Information
Guided tours last four hours, which includes a 30-minute lunch break. Please allow extra time for check-in, travel to and from sites and restroom stops. One guide is assigned to each class. There must be a minimum of 15 people to schedule a tour.
Please see our Tour Options to choose the tour that fits your needs. Tours complement the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program.
There is a per student guided tour fee for school groups. One adult per 10 students visit free; all others pay the regular admission. Bus drivers receive complimentary admission. Please print and turn in completed Arrival Form for Guided School Tours upon check-in.
We welcome groups to take advantage of our incentive booking months! Bring your school or youth group in the Fall or March and receive a discounted student rate. Please print and turn in completed Arrival Form for Reduced Rate Guided School Tours upon check-in.
Self-Guided Tours
We recommend that you register for a guided program in order to get the most out of your visit; however, if you prefer, you may elect to participate on a self-guided basis. Classroom teachers are responsible for leading the self-guided tour.
There is a per student self-guided tour fee for school groups.. One adult per 10 students visit free; all others pay regular admission. A minimum of 15 paid students is required to receive the self-guided rate. Bus drivers receive complimentary admission. Please print and turn in completed Arrival Form for Self-Guided School Tours upon check-in.
Home-School Groups
Home school groups are encouraged to visit Historic St. Mary’s City. The rates listed above for guided and self-guided tours are the same for home-school groups. Home-school groups may wish to consider visiting on the weekends when fewer groups are present. Go to our Calendar for information on Homeschool Days!
Resources
We have designed several learning activities to help you get the most out of your visit and online activities for your students.
In our Teacher Resources you will find information that will help you prepare for your visit: information on school tours, lesson plans to use in the classroom,a brochure about school tours,directions to the museum, and more.
Weather
Tours proceed rain or shine and much of the tour takes place outdoors. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Please be aware that extreme weather conditions may necessitate the closing of the Maryland Dove.
Cancellations
If you must cancel, please call the Group Tours Office as soon as possible. We will make every effort to schedule a new date for your visit.
The Shop at Farthing’s Ordinary
Groups may make arrangements to visit the museum’s Shop at Farthing’s Ordinary. Teachers are encouraged to pre-order goody bags for their students.
Accessibility
Historic St. Mary’s City seeks to provide programs for individuals of all abilities. With prior knowledge, we will work with you to accommodate those with special needs. Special assistants to the disabled are admitted free.
Teacher Planning Visit
Have you heard about us but never visited? To assist you in planning your field trip, Historic St. Mary’s City would like to offer you and one guest complimentary passes to visit the museum. A pre-tour visit will allow you to:
- Verify the travel time to and from your school.
- Become familiar with the Living History Sites and the amount of terrain covered during the guided tour.
- Browse through our museum shop and decide whether to pre-order Goody Bags for your group.
Please call 240-895-4980 or or e-mail Groups@HSMCdigsHistory.org to make arrangements.
Lunch
A 30-minute lunch period is built into your tour. Picnic tables are located throughout the grounds; a limited number are sheltered. Location of lunch is dependent on individual group’s tour schedule. In inclement weather, groups may need to eat lunch on their buses.
Groups may bring bag lunches and take advantage of our picnic areas.
If you have any questions please email Groups@HSMCdigsHistory.org or call 240-895-4980.