On-Site Programs at the Noah Webster House!
Thank you for your interest in the Noah Webster House, a National Historic Landmark property, constructed in 1747. It’s the birthplace of the author of the American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) and the “Blue Back” Spelling Book. (1783). Our unique, hands-on programs can be tailored to your specific needs for public, private & homeschool groups.
See below & click on the tabs to access full descriptions of our current experiences.
Can’t bring your students to the museum? We can come to your school!
It’s a small house, with a very big story!
For more information, please contact our Education Department by filling out the contact form below or call 860.502.3247.
Connecticut Town Meeting
(Grade 8)
How did democracy play a role in the lives of early Americans before and during the American Revolution?
Theme: Connecticut Town Meeting will explore themes of American democracy, civics, and
government through a historical lens. Students will learn how perspectives are formed based on
historical context and how these decisions have a national and global effect. This program
highlights the roots of American democracy and the role that it plays in maintaining a free and
fair society.
In 1774, Hartford residents voted to cease all trade with England, in response to policies & taxes considered unfair by the local population. Students will visit the National Historic Landmark birthplace of Noah Webster, Jr., hear stories of townspeople in Webster’s time who struggled with a choice of supporting continued English rule or supporting independence, and be challenged to interpret the issues, defend their positions, and vote in the “Town Meeting.”
This Education program was made possible through support by:
- Richard P. Garmany Fund
- Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation
- Additional funding provided by the Swindell family…in memory of Joan M. Swindell
Early American Life on the Webster Farm! [NEW! Reduced Pricing for 2027]
(Core Program | Grades PreK–8 | 1½ hours | $12/student) Step back in time and discover how 18th-century children lived, worked, and played! Guided by museum educators in period attire, your class will explore Noah Webster’s historic birthplace and learn firsthand how kids contributed to the wellbeing of their families and communities.
Core Activities Included:
- Textile Arts: Try your hand at carding & spinning wool, processing flax, or weaving on a tape loom.
- Hearth & Home: Explore how the 18th-century kitchen worked, handle cast-iron cooking implements, and discuss historical food preservation long before refrigeration.
- Early American Play: Take turns learning about (& playing with) authentic 18th-century toys & games.
Specialized Hands-On Add-On Modules
Customize your experience by adding specialized hands-on modules and extending your program time. (Add-on prices are per student in addition to the $12 base).
- $3 Add-On | Quill, Ink & Schoolhouse Life (Adds ~30 mins / Total: 2 hours) Step into an 18th-century one-room schoolhouse, practice writing with real quill pens and ink, and learn about Early American education and hygiene.
- $3 Add-On | Loom Weaving (Adds ~30 mins / Total: 2 hours) Connect to historical trade crafts. Fitting since the surname Webster means “weaver”! Students craft their own textile sample on a cardboard loom and take home their completed loom to continue weaving.
- $5 Add-On | Traditional Butter Churning (Adds ~20–30 mins / Total: 2 hours) Give students a direct taste of historic foodways by rolling up their sleeves to churn fresh cream into real butter, discussing how early American families produced everyday staples.
- $8 Add-On | Full Hearth Meal Preparation & Dance (Adds ~1 hour / Total: 2½ hours) Dive deeper into farm life by helping prepare a traditional colonial spread over the open hearth in the 18th-century reproduction kitchen! Cooking traditional applesauce, Three Sisters soup, hoecakes, and fresh butter. Students also learn a period dance like The Townsend Reel and experience an immersive, multi-group rotation of historical chores.
Community Life in the 1700s
(Grades 4-8)
“Overall, the experience was great. The docents had great energy and were very knowledgeable about the house and the history… They really enjoyed it all and were thankful to get to experience the Noah Webster House.” -West Hartford Fifth Grade Teacher
What are the stories of freedom & power that define community life in the 1700s in West Hartford?
Theme: Historians look at many sources when doing research and they interpret their information by making them into stories about the past.
This program teaches students how to conduct a “community study,” to examine the past with a focus on a single early American community. Students will uncover the stories of specific people who lived in West Hartford (Hartford’s “West Division” during the 1700s), along with their roles within the community and relationships with each other.
Students are encouraged to be curious, ask questions, and draw conclusions about early American life, as they move through various rooms in the Noah Webster House. This program engages with students as more than just casual observers- they take on the role of being young historians as they study artifacts and primary documents straight from the West Hartford History Center archive.
While cooking on our open hearth, carding wool with historical tools, and passing precious leisure time with 18th-century toys, students will learn where community resources came from, who had access to them, and how they were used.
This hands-on program explores the stories of local indigenous and enslaved people, offering a broader view of the multiple perspectives and voices that made up life in 1700s West Hartford. Students will unlock skills and awaken aspirations to study their own community’s local history.
Cost:$25/student. Program length: 3 hours.
Webster’s Wanderings: The Geography of Early America
(Grade 4)
This Education program was made possible through support by:
- Richard P. Garmany Fund
- Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation
“¡Noah Webster En Español!”
