Funk Heritage Center School Field Trips

The Funk Heritage Center is designated by the state legislature as Georgia’s Official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center. Guided tours of the Bennett History Museum are designed with the Georgia Performance Standards in mind and require a minimum of twenty students. Students learn about the Southeastern Indians and early European Settlers of the Appalachian foothills. Teachers can also add a visit to the museum gift shop to their field trip where children can select inexpensive items.  Child care center tours are offered during the summer.

Below: Students visit the Hall of the Ancients, the Rogers Native Art Gallery and the Sellars Gallery of Historic Hand Tools.

 Schools can make advance reservations for the following school field trips:

1) Native Americans of the Southeast - 1  hour  $5

Students view a 15 minute film on the Southeastern Indians and see exhibits in the Longhouse and in the Hall of Ancients.  They learn the types of shelters the Southeastern Indians built, how they hunted, fished and farmed, what they wore and how they traveled. The group will be introduced to the culture of these people, the Trail of Tears and the impact of European settlements on the Native population. They will also see how archaeology has contributed to our knowledge of the past. With outdoor option, add $2.

 2) From Past to Present - 1 ½ hour $6

This tour includes a film on the Southeastern Indians, a visit to the Hall of the Ancients and the Longhouse. In the Rogers Contemporary Native American Art Gallery, there are  many types of art including baskets, sculptures, pottery, beadwork and paintings by artists who are descendants of the original Southeastern Indians. This tour includes the Sellars Gallery of Historic Hand Tools featuring a unique collection of tools from more than 100 crafts. Docents focus on tools used by important craftsmen studied in the elementary grades. With outdoor option, add $2.

Outdoor Option: History Alive – 1 hour ($2 additional fee)

A visit to the Appalachian Settlement, weather permitting, may be added to Tour 1 or 2. Students will learn how the Appalachian settlers lived. They will visit a historic log cabin, the blacksmith shop and learn how pioneer families coped with daily difficulties and their legacy. Living history volunteers dressed in period clothing may be a part of this program when available. Otherwise, docents will explain how frontier families lived in the 1840’s. This program is not offered in December, January or February.

       Special School Programs      

The annual Georgia History Timeline is held in the Appalachian Settlement each fall. This popular living history event is reserved for school students. Groups are scheduled to visit professional history interpreters who present brief programs, and students will visit the pioneer village. Teachers are encouraged to make reservations early in order to schedule the best day and time for their school. In 2012, the program will be held October 10, 11 and 12. One teacher per 20 students admitted free. $12 per student/adult.

Pioneer Days  is an annual two-hour program for grades K-5. It is held in May in the Appalachian Settlement and features living history volunteers dressed in period clothing. Children visit log cabins, the blacksmith shop, the sorghum syrup mill and observe settlers demonstrating crafts. They will enjoy pioneer games and old-time music. This outdoor event does not include a tour of the Bennett History Museum. One teacher per 20 students admitted free. $7 per student/adult.*

• School field trip admission fees for students are $5 or $6 depending on the tour selected and $6.00 for adults (plus tax if your group is not sales tax exempt). We will give a discount to Title I schools.
• If your tour includes History Alive as an option, there is an extra charge of $2 per student/adult.
• Guided tours may be arranged for groups of 20 or more children..
• Summer group tours for child care centers may include a special craft session ($1 craft fee added to tour fee) and may be arranged for a group of 10 or more children.
• Prices are subject to change for special event school field trips.

Picnic tables available on the grounds

Comments from Third Grade Students

I thought the field trip was awesome. * My favorite part was the movie. * I learned that Indians were alive in 1,000 BC and they used spears and bow and arrows to hunt animals for food. * The indians wore deer skins, beaver skins, skunk skins and squirrel skins and we got to feel them too. * I loved all the tours but I especially liked the tool room. * My favorite part was the weapons, they were cool and our guide was awesome. * It was the best field trip since Pre-K. * This was the first time I ever touched a deer skin. * We saw this really big cool rock with writing on it. It amazed me. * I liked the tool room because we saw over 2,000 tools in this room. This was a cool trip!