Programs for School Age Students

Living History Labs - The Living History Labs are a comprehensive, interactive, educational experience for fourth and fifth grade students of selected Monterey schools. The Labs are designed to give students a hands-on opportunity to learn about Monterey’s rich and diverse history and the people who lived it. The student becomes a participant in history rather than an observer.

Each 2-hour lab is filled with activities that are designed to make learning an adventure rather than an assignment. In all sessions, experts with various specialities are brought in to teach the programs.

Fourth Grade - They learn how Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and Sicilian fishermen down the centuries helped make what Monterey what it is today. Students design their own sardine labels, play bocce on an authentic court, taste Monterey sardines, and visit an abalone farm.

Fifth Grade - this focuses on exploration and navigation. Students learn what life was like aboard 17th- and 18th-century sailing ships. They taste hardtack and learn how to get their “sea legs.” They learn to use a sextant, read a chart, and plot a course. They acquire the craft of “sailors art” by making their own scrimshaw or needlepoint.

Availability - Living History Labs are available with advance scheduling. Call Sharon Halvorson,
831-372-2608 ext. 29 to arrange a Lab for your classes.  

Click here to print out our Tour Request Form - PDF Format.

All Hands On Deck! - For a small fee, school groups are welcome to join us for a one-hour, guided adventure into the past ‘aboard’ the Maritime Museum of Monterey.

Tours begin with a 14-minute film on Monterey’s rich history, followed by a general guided tour of the Museum’s exhibits and/or specialized exhibits.

Availability - Tours must be reserved ahead. To request a tour please call Call Sharon Halvorson, 831-372-2608 ext. 29 or email shalvorson@sbcglobal.net, Tuesday - Friday,  11:30am-3:00pm.