Homeschool Days
Registration for the 2026-2027 School Year now open!
Homeschool Days
Homeschool Days at Stuhr Museum are specially designed learning experiences created exclusively for homeschooling families and co-ops. Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, these dedicated program days provide homeschool students with engaging, hands-on history classes in a setting tailored specifically to their learning community. Students will step into history by washing laundry on a washboard, putting up a tipi, pulling a handcart across the prairie, and more, while learning through immersive, interactive activities.
How Homeschool Days Work
Homeschool Days are offered seasonally as part of our Structured Field Trip program. While many of the class topics remain the same as in previous years, classes are now organized by age range rather than grade level and are offered on preselected dates and times. When you register for a class, you’ll know exactly when it will take place.
These sessions are reserved exclusively for homeschooled students.
Registration
Registration is completed online through our website. Each class is a ticketed event, and advance registration is required.
- Select the classes you’d like your child to attend.
- Purchase tickets online before the class date.
- Each ticket is valid only for the child named on the registration.
- Registration changes or substitutions must be approved through the Education Office.
Day-of registration and payment at the Gatehouse are no longer available.
If your plans change, a tiered refund policy is available. Please review our refund policy before registering.
REGISTER For homeschool days!
Cancellations & Refunds
If your child is unable to attend a class, please notify the Education Department as soon as possible. Providing advance notice allows us to offer the available spot to another homeschool student.
All cancellations and refund requests must be made by contacting the Education Department. Refunds are issued according to the following schedule:
- 1 month or more before the class: Refund of the class fee minus a 10% processing fee.
- 3 weeks before the class: Refund of 50% of the class fee.
- 2 weeks or less before the class: No refund.
Parent & Guardian Information
To maximize the number of homeschool students we can serve, Homeschool Days are designed as student-only learning experiences. Because our classrooms and learning spaces have limited capacity based on fire code and occupancy requirements, parents and guardians may drop off students for their scheduled class but may not remain with the class during the program. Homeschool co-ops signing up for Homeschool Days may send one designated chaperone per class session to accompany their group if desired. If your student has special needs or requires accommodations, please e-mail Emily or call (308) 385-5316 before the class so we can discuss your student’s needs and make appropriate arrangements.
Important Information for Homeschool Families & Co-ops
Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, homeschool families and co-ops may participate in Structured Field Trip classes only through scheduled Homeschool Days. Private Structured Field Trips outside of these designated dates and times will no longer be available for homeschool groups.
Browse the program descriptions below for available dates, fees, and registration information.
REGISTER For homeschool days!
JUMP TO CLASS Descriptions BY AGE AND DATE
AGES 5-6 | MAY 17
AGES 6-9 | SEPTEMBER 3 • MAY 18
AGES 7-8 | DECEMBER 22
AGES 9-14 | SEPTEMBER 1 • SEPTEMBER 2 • JANUARY 26 • JANUARY 27 • MAY 19
September 1
Overland Trails
September 1 • 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Ages 9-14 • $15.00 per Person (Lunch included)
Start your school year with an unforgettable hands-on learning experience! In this program, your class will explore the Overland Trails and the motivations behind westward migration. Students will pack their own hand carts and work together to “journey west,” facing trail challenges that require teamwork and communication. Through journal readings and interactive activities, students will gain insight into the hardships pioneers endured. Midday, your group will help prepare and enjoy a meal cooked over an open fire—providing a moment to rest and reflect before continuing on the trail.
Please note: Weather-appropriate, layered clothing and closed-toed shoes are required. Long pants are strongly recommended. Please note any food allergies or special accommodations when registering to help us prepare to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone!
September 2
Great Plains Pawnee
September 2 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 9-14 • $8.00 per Person
This area of Nebraska was originally inhabited by the people of the Pawnee Nation. During your class, you will learn about the daily life of Pawnee tribespeople, including their housing arrangements, food sources, culture, and deep ties to the Nebraska prairie. Your class will visit the Tipi and Earth Lodge, interacting with artifacts along the way. Students will also have the opportunity to play a buffalo uses matching game, compete in weepee races, and create a Pawnee-inspired picture board.
Log Cabin Life
September 2 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 9-14 • $8.00 per Person
Step back in time and experience what daily life was like for those living on the Nebraska prairie in a log cabin. Students will learn how these cabins were built and hear real stories about the people who once lived in the very cabin they’ll explore. Hands-on activities include making and tasting homemade biscuits and hand-churned butter, washing dishes the old-fashioned way, and twisting and making their own rope to take home. This immersive experience gives students a taste—literally and figuratively—of pioneer life on the plains.
September 3
Fall ON THE FARM
September 3 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 6-9 • $8.00 per Person
Come to the farm and learn about the daily chores that a farm family on the Nebraska plains in the 19th century would have pitched in to do! Stops include the barn, windmill, chicken coop, granary, and garden, with hands-on activities at each site. A few examples include shelling, grinding, and sifting corn—important steps in preparing ingredients for baking and other uses!
Community Building
September 3 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 6-9 • $8.00 per Person
What makes a productive and successful community? Go back in time and examine the diverse communities of Native Americans, early plains settlers, and booming railroad towns. Students will learn how local government and laws within these communities impact the lives of citizens, and will explore financial considerations such as bartering, trading, marketing of goods, and taxation. Community patterns such as land use, roads, etc., will be studied. Hands-on activities will include mapping towns and communities, role-playing community members, and decision-making as a community. This class encourages critical thinking and collaboration while offering a deeper understanding of how communities form, function, and flourish.
December 22
Winter on the Plains
December 22 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 7-8 • $8.00 per Person
Step back in time to experience what winter was like for families living on Nebraska’s plains in the 19th century. Students will visit historic homes and take part in seasonal chores that would have kept families busy during the colder months. Along the way, they’ll also explore the holiday traditions and gifts of the era, gaining insight into how people celebrated in different time periods. Class sites include the 1850s Vieregg Cabin, 1880s Hired Man’s House, 1890s Peter Stuhr House, and 1900s Cleary Farmhouse, with each location offering a unique peek into life during a different decade. Teachers may request a specific site when registering; however, please note that this is one of our most popular classes and spots fill up fast!
January 26
Pioneer Living
January 26, 2027 • 9:30 am – 2:00 PM
Ages 9-14 • $15.00 per Person (Lunch included)
Step back in time and experience the daily life of the pioneers who settled on the Nebraska plains. In this hands-on class, students will explore the challenges and routines that shaped pioneer families and their communities. Through cooking, chores, and storytelling, your class will gain a deeper understanding of how families worked together to survive and thrive in a changing landscape. The day begins with a brief tour of the “out-houses” and their various uses before heading inside to start meal preparations. Together, students will cook stew, corn gems, churn butter, and make corn cob jelly using tools and methods from the past. After sharing a hearty noon meal prepared over a wood cookstove, students will dive into the essential chores that kept pioneer homes running smoothly. They’ll learn about each family member’s responsibilities and how these tasks connected to the larger community. This reflection encourages students to consider the differences and similarities between pioneer life and their own today.
January 27
Rural School Day
January 27, 2027 • 9:30 am – 2:00 PM
Ages 9-14 • $12.00 per Person
This class takes place at the Rural School and expands considerably on the two-hour Rural School class. During this longer class, students will get a more in-depth experience with each subject taught during a typical 1888 school day. Just like students of the past, the day begins by raising the flag outside the one-room schoolhouse. They’ll then step into the cloakroom to learn about daily routines and examine authentic period items. Once seated at their desks, students will not only hear stories about the lives of teachers and students, but will also experience lessons such as reading and arithmetic using reproduction textbooks and chalk slates, penmanship with nib pens and ink, geography with a reproduction 1888 map, history through period paintings and visuals, and a spelling bee! Students are encouraged to bring a period-appropriate lunch for noon. The day includes two recess periods where students will play popular games of the time period. Class ends with the final bell, signaling a resumption of modern life, with just enough time for questions and answers.
+ Period School Lunch Information
+ Downloadable Handwriting Practice Sheet
May 17
SPRING ON THE FARM
May 17, 2027 • 9 – 10 AM | 10:30 – 11:30 AM | 12:30 – 1:30 PM | 1:45 – 2:45 PM
Ages 5-6 • $8.00 per Person
On a farm in the 1880s, everyone was expected to help with daily chores, even young children! During this 1-hour program for our youngest students, they will learn what farm life was like for children. Students will visit the barn, where they’ll meet some four-legged friends, as well as some feathered friends at the coop, as they learn about the roles of common farm animals. Other hands-on activities include pumping water and learning why the farm bell was so important.
May 18
Pawnee Children
May 18, 2027 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 6-9 • $8.00 per Person
This area of Nebraska was originally inhabited by the people of the Pawnee Nation. During your class, you will learn about the daily life of Pawnee Children, including what their houses looked like, what they ate, where they got their food, and how they had fun. Your class will visit the Tipi and Earth Lodge, interacting with artifacts along the way. Students will also have the opportunity to play a buffalo uses matching game, construct a weepee, play Pawnee games, and create a faux squash mat weaving.
Transportation
May 18, 2027 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 6-9 • $8.00 per Person
The history of Nebraska’s communities is closely connected to the history of transportation, particularly the movement of people, goods, and ideas, and how these methods have evolved over time. In this class, students will explore the evolution of transportation and its impact on communities as they try out a Pawnee-style travois and learn about early Native American travel, tour a historic veterinary infirmary and discover the important role of horses, examine historic wagons and compare them to modern vehicles, and explore the caboose and learn how steam engines helped shape Nebraska’s landscape. This engaging experience combines history and science to show how transportation has connected and transformed communities across time.
May 19
Rural School
May 19, 2027 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 9-14 • $8.00 per Person
Step into the shoes of a student in 1888! Just like a school day in the past, the day begins by raising the flag outside the one-room schoolhouse. From there, students will enter the cloakroom to learn about daily routines and view a few authentic period items. Once seated at desks, students will learn about the lives of students and teachers on the Nebraska plains in the 1880s. Then it’s time to travel back in time to 1888! Students will experience lessons such as reading and arithmetic using reproduction textbooks and chalk slates, penmanship with nib pens and ink, geography with a reproduction 1888 map, history through period paintings and visuals, and a spelling bee. The session ends with the ringing of the school bell, bringing students back to the present, with time for questions and reflection on their journey to the past.
Business, trades, and town life
May 19, 2027 • 9 – 11 AM OR 12:30 – 2:30 PM
Ages 9-14 • $8.00 per Person
Learn about the businesses, trades, and town life that made up an 1890s Railroad Town. This class will explore these places by embarking on a town-wide scavenger hunt. Students will utilize prior and acquired knowledge to get from place to place while learning about 1890s life along the way. At each stop, students will read about the history of the building, tour and explore the businesses/trades/sites, and use the new clue to connect them to the next stop. At the end of the field trip, students will also play a unique matching game to test their newfound knowledge, complete with a few challenge questions for the cleverest of groups!