Education
Our Programs
Makerspace Experiences
Our hands-on history programs are perfect for school-aged groups!
Try your hand at historical crafts such as candle making, butter churning, weaving, and ice cream making!
Group program fees start at $50.
History Mystery Experience: Who Stole the Canandaigua Treaty?
Experience a new way to interact with artifacts and documents from the Ontario County Historical Society! Our History Mystery Kit contains replicas from the OCHS collection and uses those items to solve a mystery.
Suitable for preteens and older, this kit makes for a great team-building experience for youth and adults. If you enjoy solving puzzles and mysteries, you’ll enjoy our History Mystery Kit!
For Teachers: Encouraging critical thinking, reading comprehension, and historical awareness, these kits are a fun new spin on a classic staple of museum education. A comprehensive facilitator’s guide is available with suggested modifications and compatibility with NYS standards.
Kits may be reserved for up to two weeks for off-site use with a $50 refundable deposit. Kits may be used independently on-site at no charge, or you can schedule a guided experience with an OCHS staff member for $25. Call for availability and information on staff facilitation.
Private Tours and Presentations
Are you looking for a program speaker for your group or organization? Schedule a presentation with an OCHS staff member. Our off-site speaker fee is $100 while our on-site fee is $50.
Presentation topics include:
- Programming the Future: How a Loom Paved the Way for Modern Computing
- Oral History Workshop
- The 1873 Ontario County Trial of Susan B. Anthony
- Ontario County 101: The Phelps and Gorham Purchase
- The Remarkable Residents of Elm Manor
- The Canandaigua Treaty
- Historians and the Movies: A Love-Hate Relationship
Private Walking Tours start at $50 and are typically about 60 minutes involving walking and standing.
Walking Tours include:
- Lakefront Walking Tour
- Watering Holes Walking Tour
- Cemetery Walking Tour
- Trolleys, Trains, and Trails Tour
- Village Life in America Tour
Nooks & Crannies Tours
Learn about the history of our building and organization while you’re guided through our archives and collections areas, housing nearly 100,000 items. The tour will feature unique artifacts revealing everyday life in Ontario County.
Due to the nature of our historic building, this tour is not fully accessible and involves several flights of stairs. Please contact us to discuss a modified tour.
Photography is not allowed on this tour.
Limit of 10 people, minimum 2. Fee is $10 per person. Scheduled upon request.
Internships
Internships are beneficial both to our organization and to students of history. Please contact us to see if we have internship opportunities available.
Additional Learning Resources
Enjoy these additional resources to learn more about the unique stories of our communities…
Remembering Roseland Short Film Documentary
On September 2, 1985, Roseland Amusement Park in Canandaigua, NY closed for good. Two weeks later, the park’s contents were auctioned off and its iconic rides and attractions were disassembled and shipped off to new destinations. But Roseland’s closure did not erase it from the hearts of those who had attended the beloved park.
In this video, the Ontario County Historical Society looks back on the park’s history and examines why it is still so beloved in Canandaigua, the Finger Lakes, and beyond. For everyone who loved Roseland, for everyone who wants to share their love of Roseland with family or friends, or anyone who’s interested in our local amusement park history, we hope that you enjoy watching Remembering Roseland.
Written, Directed, and Edited by Ben Falter, OCHS Director of Education
North Shore Heritage
