School Tours
As the oldest historic house museum in the Greater Portland area, Tate House Museum (1755) offers a range of school programs to help students better understand the social, political, and architectural history of pre-Revolutionary 18th-century Maine. We encourage student groups of all ages to participate in our programming.
Our school program typically features an introductory slideshow provided for advance classroom viewing, followed by a museum visit that includes a House Tour and a hands-on experience with the Tate Family Trunk. We are delighted to work with teachers on an individual basis to develop a program for your visit that best suits your classroom objectives.
The School Tour fee is $5 per student. Chaperones and teachers are free. We request one adult per 10 students, with a maximum of 40 students. School Tours can be scheduled by calling us at 774-6177.
Introductory Classroom Slideshow
The slideshow is provided for use in your classroom prior to your visit as a way to introduce the life and times of Captain George Tate. How did Captain Tate become the Maine Mast Agent? What did the job entail? What was so important about the Mast Trade? And what was the Mast Trade, anyway? All these questions and more are answered in this informative 27-image slide presentation. The slide show and accompanying script is offered to teachers at no cost, to help introduce their students to Tate House, Captain Tate, and the Maine mast trade. It is a wonderful pre-visit presentation. Throughout the house tour, guides will refer to & ask questions about themes and details presented in the slide show, thus better engaging the students in the tour experience.
Appropriate for all ages. (The script provided is written for elementary-aged students. However, it need not be followed verbatim.) Length of Program: 30–45 minutes
The slide show is mailed to teachers 3 weeks prior to the date of the house visit, and can be worked into individual schedules as desired. The slides should be returned to Tate House on the day of the tour.
Tate Family Trunk
To better educate the students about historic preservation, as well the idea of respecting the "real thing" we offer the newly refurbished "Tate Family Trunk." The trunk is filled with reproductions of 18th century objects, similar to those that might have been used by the Tate family in the 1750s, 1760s, and 1770s. Students can see, touch, and experiment with everything inside!
The trunk is also available on a “traveling” basis to come to your school! It is accompanied by one of our volunteers dressed in 18th century costume, portraying one of Tate’s servants or neighbors. This character will engage students in an interactive experience that will bring history to life right in your classroom.
Appropriate for: Elementary-aged students, especially Grades 2–5
Length of Program: 45 minutes–1 hour
House Tour: The Life and Times of George Tate and his Family
Captain Tate moved from London around 1751 with his wife, Mary, and their four sons. They arrived in Stroudwater, where Captain Tate served as the senior mast agent for the British Royal Navy. The mast industry played a vital role in ensuring England's supremacy on the seas, and Captain Tate held an extremely important position within that industry. The family home and its furnishings reflect their status and wealth. The tour focuses on the mast trade, Tate's responsibilities, and the family's way of life in 18th century Maine in the decades leading up to the Revolutionary War.
Appropriate for all ages. (Tours vary depending on grade level and special interests of the class.) Length of program: 45 min.–1 hr.
Please contact us at 207-774-6177 for more information.