Field Trips to the State Archives
Bring your students to the State Archives to explore our state history, research with primary sources, and learn about preserving our historic documents.
Plan your visit
- Schedule a field trip to the State Archives for your students in grades 4-12.
- Due to the size of the Archives facility we can only host one classroom (~25 students) at a time; however, we are happy to work with larger groups to explore complementary programs with nearby partner institutions.
- Requests should be made at least three weeks in advance.
- School visits last one hour.
“I keep telling people that it's one of those field trips you'd never think of doing, but once you've gone, you wonder why you never did.”
– Marc Hamlin, Exeter-West Greenwich High School
During your visit
Students will rotate through stations where they will learn about primary sources, historical documents, and the Rhode Island State Archives. Stations include:
- An introduction to primary source research and the basics of preserving historic documents.
- A guided tour through some of our state’s most significant historic documents. Educators may request to view documents that relate to specific periods or events to complement classroom work.
- A docent led tour of the exhibition on view in the State Archives Gallery.
CONTACT US
For assistance in scheduling or developing programs for your classroom, please contact:
401-329-0120