HMOC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Heritage Museum of Orange County Educational Programs and Tours
40,000+
HMOC Visitors Annually
232+
Different Schools & Groups Hosted Annually
37+
Different School Districts Visit Annually
For information on our various educational offerings including pricing, please open the specific tabs below.
Kellogg House In-Person Field Trip:
Recommended for 1st-3rd grade
FULFILLS CA STANDARDS: 1.4; 2.1; 3.3
PRICING:
Kellogg House ($20/student)
Kellogg House + Blacksmith ($22/student)
Kellogg House + Quilt Square-making ($22/student)
Kellogg House + Blacksmith AND Quilt Square-making ($24/student)
Minimum 20 Students per HMOC’s Kellogg House in-person Field Trip
Available Add-ons:
Quilt square-making activity
Blacksmith demonstration: Students will visit the HMOC Blacksmith Shop to learn about their role in local history. Demonstrations are provided by members of the Orange County Blacksmith Guild.
Gold Rush In-Person Field Trip:
“Eureka!” Students experience the journey to “The Golden State” with hands-on activities that include purchasing supplies, panning for “souvenir gold’ and “traveling on the Oregon Trail.” Wear sturdy walking shoes for this one!
School children visit HMOC to learn and discover what life was like at the turn of the century. Through the California Gold Rush program children discover the pioneers of California history who shaped our state into what it is today. They will become a frontiersman and experience the hardships of westward migration and the struggle for prosperity in a new land. While panning for gold and exploring multiple travel options, students will tackle the unique challenges faced traversing the Oregon Trail and seeking fortune in mining camps, and be introduced to the cross-cultural communities formed by settlers of diverse backgrounds.
All Heritage Museum programs are created to compliment and enhance classroom lessons. This means careful consideration is given to both Common Core and California Content Standards as programs are created and revised. Each educational program uniquely correlates to standards across multiple grade levels.
Recommended for 4th-6th grade
FULFILLS CA STANDARDS: 4.3 #2, #3, #5; 4.4 #2, #3
PRICING:
Gold Rush ($22/student)
Gold Rush + Blacksmith ($24/student)
Minimum 25 Students per HMOC’s Gold Rush in-person Field Trip
Available Add-ons:
Blacksmith demonstration: Students will visit the HMOC Blacksmith Shop to learn about their role in local history. Demonstrations are provided by members of the Orange County Blacksmith Guild.
Gospel Swamp Farm: A Walk Through Time Field Trip:
HMOC’s interactive, hands-on tour, Gospel Swamp Farm: A Walk Through Time takes students on a journey through agriculture’s past and present. Hands-on activities such as grinding corn meal, germinating beans, and identifying native plants give students a tangible connection with where their food comes from.
As the last natural swampland in Santa Ana, Gospel Swamp will immerse students in the lifestyle of Tongva Native American people, who hunted and gathered their food in the Orange County area for thousands of years. Students will discover plants native to California’s coastal shrubland, and the historic significance of these plants to the Tongva.
HMOC’s Gospel Swamp Farm is an urban farm that practices regenerative farming techniques. At the farm, students will learn about what it takes to grow our food, from soil to seed to harvest. Our farm uses techniques such as crop rotation, composting, and aquaponics to grow food sustainably. Students will explore these techniques and more, to develop their understanding of how the food on our plates connects to our environment.
All Heritage Museum programs are created to compliment and enhance classroom lessons. This means careful consideration is given to both Common Core and California Content Standards as programs are created and revised. Each educational program uniquely correlates to standards across multiple grade levels.
Recommended for 4th-6th grade
FULFILLS CA STANDARDS: 4.3 #2, #3, #5; 4.4 #2, #3
PRICING:
Gospel Swamp ($22/student)
Gospel Swamp + Blacksmith ($24/student)
Minimum 25 Students per HMOC’s Gospel Swamp in-person Field Trip
Available Add-ons:
Blacksmith demonstration: Students will visit the HMOC Blacksmith Shop to learn about their role in local history. Demonstrations are provided by members of the Orange County Blacksmith Guild.
Kellogg House Virtual Tour:
FREE with in-person Field Trip Booking -or-
$400 - Valid for 3 weeks of access for your whole school
We’ve poured our 40+ years of expertise providing hands-on immersive, engaging and fun educational experiences and programming into the development of our Kellogg House Virtual Tour! Our program was created entirely in-house to align with the CA State Content Standards and ensure we provide the high level of quality you expect from us. This interactive tour provides an in depth exploration of each room in the historic 1898 Orange County Kellogg House through the use of videos, 360 degree imagery, text, and activities to facilitate engagement.
Whether as a stand alone classroom or group virtual tour, or as a complimentary add-on when you book one of our eligible in-person field trip programs, our expansive Virtual Kellogg House program includes everything you need for an engaging and FUN learning experience.
Watch a short guided "How To Use" video about HMOC's Virtual Tour Program
Booking an In-Person HMOC Field Trip:
All reservations start online with our Reservation Request form below, or open the form full size. A representative from our office will contact you directly to finalize the reservation details. Reservations will be processed in the order received. Contact our Programs Department with any questions. We look forward to having you join us!
Information to have available that we request for booking:
School Information: Name of School; School Address; School District; Grade Level
Contact Information: Your Name; Email Address; Phone Number
Tour Information: Program Selection; Number of Students; Number of Teachers; Number of Other Adults; Dates of Interest
Logistics: Will you eat lunch here? Will you arrive by bus or car?
Special Needs: Do any students require aides or special accommodations? If yes, how many aides; and what type of accommodations?
Kellogg House Field Trip and Virtual Tour Content Standards Alignment:
All HMOC programs are created to compliment and enhance classroom lessons. This means careful consideration is given to both Common Core and California Content Standards as programs are created and revised. Each educational program uniquely correlates to standards across multiple grade levels.
HMOC tours are always designed to support the incredible work you do with your students in the classroom. For this reason, we work hard to align our program material with CA State Content Standards. Although this list focuses on History-Social Science Standards, you may also find connections to other content areas such as Art, English Language Arts, and Computer Science.
HMOC Field Trip FAQ's
CAN WE EAT LUNCH AT THE MUSEUM?
Yes. You can bring lunch to eat at the museum’s picnic area and may do so after the tour concludes. Lunches must be stored on the bus, held in backpacks, or in covered boxes. There is no lunch storage on the grounds. You must be finished with lunch and offsite by 1:00PM. Food and drink are not permitted inside the Kellogg House. For the Gold Rush tour, food is not permitted on the trails however, bringing a bottled water is encouraged.
IS PARKING FREE?
Yes, parking is free and HMOC offers a few options for your parking convenience:
(1) Parking for cars is free in the main lot (between HMOC and Mitchell Fundamental). Spaces are extremely limited, so we highly encourage carpooling.
(2) There is limited parking (10-12 cars maximum) in the HMOC employee/bus lot, we encourage carpooling. Spaces are taken on a first come basis.
(3) Street parking is available in select zones; please check all parking signs carefully, HMOC is not liable for parking tickets or towed vehicles.
WHERE CAN OUR BUSES PARK?
Buses will unload students in the designated zone, located behind the museum complex through the bus/employee entrance. Buses may remain parked in our employee lot for the duration of the program.
To reach the parking lot, all bus drivers should enter through the “Bus & Employee” gate just behind the Kellogg House and follow the driveway past the rose garden to the parking plaza near the pioneer wagon and 2-story Carriage Barn/office building. School buses will fit through the gate. Buses should pull up in front of the brick walkway area to unload students, and then they will be directed by museum staff as to where they can park. The front museum gate and parking is not open for weekday reserved tours.
No bus or car parking will be allowed for any amount of time in the driveway, this is a fire and emergency vehicle access lane; violators will be towed if they cannot be found to move their car immediately.
CAN WE TAKE PICTURES DURING OUR VISIT?
WILL THE GIFT SHOP BE OPEN?
SAFETY & COMMUNITY GUIDELINES
At HMOC we strive to provide a safe environment for visitors and staff alike. Our policies are put in place to ensure the best experience for all. HMOC will not tolerate inappropriate behavior on our property or on our online platforms, including, but not limited to: yelling, violence, intimidation, threats, harassment, aggression, swearing, damage, abuse, or sexual harassment. HMOC is a space for safe, constructive, and respectful dialogue and actions. Comments and interactions deemed by Museum representatives to be offensive, racist, derogatory, demeaning, or otherwise hurtful in nature will not be tolerated. No weapons of any kind or drug use will be allowed on the Museum property at any time. Smoking and vaping is an extreme fire hazard to our historic buildings and is strictly limited to certain areas and times only; some events may be completely off limits to smoking of any kind, please check individual event policies. Be courteous and aware of your surroundings and actions at all times to protect our property and for the safety of yourself and others.
Individuals who are out of compliance with museum policies and/or are aggressive toward staff or other visitors will be expelled from HMOC and escorted off the property with a possible permanent ban. No refunds will be issued. Please help us maintain the respectful and safe environment we’ve worked to establish for the community.
As a private organization, Heritage Museum of Orange County and its staff members reserves the right to refuse service or entry and/or revoke admission with no refund to individuals and/or groups whose presence and/or participation interferes with the safety and well-being of other patrons and the organization itself, or who is not compliant with health and safety procedures.
To speak with an HMOC Programs and Tour representative directly please contact us at:
Or, fill out this brief inquiry form to be contacted by our team.
We look forward to assisting you!
