EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
You can travel 250 years back in time to a place of history and beauty — and still be in Northern Virginia. At Gunston Hall Plantation, students consider the ideas of American patriot George Mason and discover what life was like for his family, servants, and slaves. Their experience complements and enhances the Virginia Standards of Learning, with offerings for both elementary and secondary school students. Curriculum guides: Discover George Mason (grades 3-6) and George Mason, Planter & Patriot (grades 7-12) are available for purchase or free of charge to teachers reserving an on-site or outreach program. Educational video: George Mason and the Bill of Rights is available on loan in either an 11 or 28 minute version.
On-Site ProgramsAll on-site school programs involve a guided exploration of the plantation house, kitchen yard, schoolhouse, gardens/ archaeological site, hands-on museum, and Visitors' Center. A variety of tours are offered, depending on grade level and interests. We also offer tours and workshops for Girl, Cub, and Boy Scouts.
Tour fees: Students $3 – Chaperones $6 – Teachers and bus drivers complimentary admission.
Accessibility: Gunston Hall Plantation is committed to providing services to individuals with disabilities. In advance of the visit, teachers will have the opportunity to describe the special needs of students on a Class Profile Sheet. Please feel free to call the Education Department to discuss accommodations.
PLAN AHEAD: Reservations are required for all programs. Schedule your tour well in advance by calling for reservations: 703-550-9220 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or email education@gunstonhall.org .
Growing Up At Gunston Hall
Explore Gunston Hall through the eyes of an 18th-century child. Find out about everyday life over 200 years ago through a tour of the mansion, outbuildings, and farmyard with animals. Learn why George Mason is an important person from long ago. A related craft activity in the Textile Museum will add to your students' visit. Program: 1 1/4 hours. Supplementary Materials: Growing Up A Gunston Hall curriculum packet, and George Mason and the Bill of Rights video (11-minute version recommended). Group Size: Up to 48 students, with one chaperone required per 10 to 12 students.
Plantation World
Experience what life was like for George Mason and his family, enslaved workers, and indentured servants to live on a plantation like Gunston Hall in the 1700s. Through an interactive tour of the mansion, schoolhouse, kitchen yard, gardens/ archaeological site, and Visitors' Center, students will explore such subjects as the tobacco economy, slavery recreation, and education. A visit to the Touch Museum provides an opportunity to closely examine objects from the past. Program: 1 3/4 hours. Supplementary Materials: Discover George Mason curriculum guide, George Mason and the Bill of Rights video. Group Size: Up to 72 students, with one chaperone required per 10 to 12 students.
George Mason, Patriot & Planter
Find out about the varied roles of George Mason — father and husband, planter, slave owner, and American patriot. Learn how he contributed to the story of American rights. Students will work with hands-on objects and primary documents during a guided visit to the plantation house, gardens/archaeological site, and outbuildings. The program will include a stop at the exhibit, George Mason's Legacy of Liberty. Program: 1 3/4 hours. Supplementary Materials: Discover George Mason curriculum guide, George Mason and the Bill of Rights video. Group Size: Up to 72 students, with one chaperone required per 10 to 12 students.
Season of Grand Celebrations
Special Offering for December and January
Discover the good times and hard work that marked the holiday season in the 1700s. At the same time, learn that Christmas traditions in 18th-century Virginia were very different from what many people celebrate today. There were no holiday trees or wreaths, no favorite carols. You only exchanged gifts, if at all, in honor of the New Year! The interactive tour of the mansion and outbuildings will consider seasonal celebrations from the viewpoint of gentry, servants, and slaves, in addition to providing an overview of plantation life. Weather considerations will be taken into account when planning the tour route. Program: 1 3/4 hours. Supplementary Materials: George Mason, Planter & Patriot curriculum guide (available free of charge). George Mason and the Bill of Rights video provided on loan (11- and 28-minute versions). Recommended Group Size: Up to 72 students with one chaperone required per 10 to 12 students.
Winter On the Plantation
Special Offering for January, February and March
Brrrr .... Experience a winter day at Gunston Hall in the 1700s. Explore the effect of the season on activities in the mansion, kitchen yard, and schoolhouse. Clothing, work, travel, and recreation are among the topics discussed during this interactive tour of the plantation. Along the way, students will receive a firm grounding in the 18th-century plantation world. Program: 1 3/4 hours. Supplementary Materials: Discover George Mason curriculum guide, George Mason and the Bill of Rights video. Group Size: Up to 72 students. One chaperone required per 10 to 12 students.
Land and Labor
European travelers of the 1700s sometimes described a colonial plantation as a small village. Through an active tour of inquiry and discussion, your students will discover why. Daily life, industry, education, and recreation will be considered from the perspectives of the planter family, enslaved workers, and indentured servants at Gunston Hall. Your class will explore the entire historic area, including the mansion, gardens/archaeological site, schoolhouse, and kitchen yard. Program: 1 3/4 hours. Supplementary Materials: George Mason, Planter & Patriot curriculum guide, George Mason and the Bill of Rights video. Group Size: Up to 72 students with one chaperone required per 10 to 12 students.
George Mason and Gunston Hall Plantation
Offered to 4th Grade schoolgroups in Fairfax and eastern Prince William counties
Bring the 18th century into your classroom with this object-based, interactive program. Docents and students consider George Mason as author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, as one of the principal contributors to the U.S. Constitution, and as a planter, businessman, and owner of slaves. Using hands-on objects and visuals, and with Gunston Hall as a special focus, students explore the day-to-day life of planter families, indentured servants, and slaves. Program: 1 1/2 hours. Supplementary Materials: George Mason, Planter & Patriot curriculum guide (available free of charge) and George Mason and the Bill of Rights video provided on loan (11- and 28-minute versions). Recommended Group Size: Up to 35 students. Cost: $45.
Discover George Mason: Home, State, and Country
Featuring over 30 lesson plans, this curriculum guide helps explore George Mason as a plantation owner and a patriot. $8 per copy (plus shipping). One copy provided free when reserving an on-site or outreach program. Also available online.
George Mason, Planter & Patriot
This curriculum guide contains over 15 lessons that use George Mason as the springboard to discuss 18th-century political and social history. A classroom guide to the video, George Mason and the Bill of Rights, also is included. $10 per copy (plus shipping). One copy provided free when reserving a school program.
Sample lesson: "Mason Objects" available online.
Enrich your classroom study of George Mason and 18th-century life with these Gunston Hall materials. Stop by the Museum Shop from 10 a.m.- 5 pm. daily or call with questions or to place an order (703-550-9220). Teachers receive a 10% discount on materials purchased for use in the classroom.
George Mason and the Bill of Rights
This 28-minute video offers an engaging account of Mason's life and political contributions through views of Gunston Hall and 18th-century illustrations. It is best suited for grades 4 and up. VHS format. $18.95 per copy (plus shipping). Video also may be borrowed for up to three weeks.
Of Land & Labor
Using Gunston Hall as the focus, this 32-page book looks at plantation life in Virginia in the 1700s. Appropriate for use with a secondary school class or as background for teachers. $3.95 (plus shipping).
Gunston Hall Edu-Kits
A sampler of fun and educational take-home items for students. Choose from three kits: "George Mason," "Patriot," and "Planter." Kits may be pre-ordered and picked up on the day of your filed trip. $5 each.
Workshops for Teachers
Groups of 12 or more teachers in your school or district may set up an individualized program on the life and contributions of George Mason or on 18th-century plantation life. Contact the Education Department to make arrangements.
Library Facilities
Gunston Hall's modern and rare book library features materials on a wide range of 18th-century topics. Teachers and individual secondary school students may wish to schedule a visit; arrangements also may be made for small groups of students working on curriculum projects. Contact Gunston Hall's librarian to make an appointment at 703-550-9220. The library is open 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays.
Website Resources
Educational materials about Gunston Hall and George Mason may be found on our Website: