Self-Guided Visits

Groups of ten or more students are eligible to receive our group rate for a self-guided visit to the  Mercer Museum. All groups receive a 10 to 15-minute orientation led by museum staff. Please find downloadable scavenger hunts and pre- and post-visit activities to bring with you on the day of your group’s visit, located on our Resources page.

INTERPRETER-LED PROGRAMS

Doan Gang Guided Exhibition Student Tour (Grades 2 – 8)
30-Minute Program as part of Sampler Program or 45-Minute Program as Standalone Program
A guided tour of our rotating exhibition, The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution. Discover the untold stories of the Doan Gang and journey through a world of espionage, legendary robberies, and mythical lost treasure in the heart of Revolutionary Bucks County.

Meet the Makers: Bartering in Colonial America (Grades 2 – 6)
30-Minute Program as part of Sampler Program or 45-Minute Program as Standalone Program
The Meet the Makers: Bartering in Colonial America Program weaves a story for students to understand economic relationships in early American communities. Participants join a Colonial shoemaker and the owner of a general store and learn how people in early America bartered for the household objects they needed to survive. Costumed educators show how these tradespeople made shoes, tin-punch lanterns, iron nails and so much more using tools now on display in the museum.

Museum Detective (Grades 2 – 8)
30-Minute Program as part of Sampler Program or 45-Minute Program as Standalone Program
Museum Detective is a hands-on interactive session where students can handle different objects and explore what they were and how they were used all with the guidance of a trained educator.

Log House (Grades Pre-K, K & 1)
30-Minute Program; Grades 2 – 6: 30-Minute Program as part of Sampler Program or 45-Minute Program as Standalone Program
The Log House Program transports students back in time to Bucks County over two centuries ago. In this program, students will learn what life was like living in a Log House by engaging in a variety of hands-on tasks. Costumed interpreters set the scene in the Mercer Museum’s historic Log House and teach students about the daily chores families would’ve completed in Colonial America.

Simple Machines (Grades 3 – 6)
45-Minute Program
The Simple Machines Program was inspired by the Mercer Museum’s collection of pre-Industrial hand tools. In this program, students investigate examples of the six simple machines, including the inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, and more. The students then explore how these machines/hand tools make work easier. Students are encouraged to make connections between the historical tools exhibited in the museum and the fundamental scientific and technological principles that lie behind them.

Mercer Sampler (Grades 2 – 6)
Up to 100 Students, 10 Student Minimum, 2 – 2.5 hour program
Experience two or three of our on-site offerings, tailored to grade level, in this rotational program for larger groups. The program consists of a museum visit and 30-minute versions of Doan Gang Guided Exhibition Student Tour, Meet the Makers, Museum Detective, and/or Log House.

Mercer Museum On-site Fees: