- Programs are offered Tuesdays through Fridays; September 16, 2025 - May 15, 2026
- All programs are FREE - A $2 donation per student is appreciated!
- Review the program information below and register at the bottom of the page
AT THE MUSEUM: Hands on History Program
- 2nd – 5th Grade
- 10 – 50 Students; Require 4 Adult Chaperones (no more than 10 chaperones total – including teachers)
- Tuesdays-Fridays; 9, 9:30, or 10am; 2 hours
- Choose 3 Stations
Students will be welcomed as a group and rotate between three interactive stations in Museum exhibits. Each station focuses on a learning target developed according to Colorado Academic Standards for Social Studies. Groups larger than 50 will be asked to schedule two separate visits on different mornings.
Explore our city’s relationship with health and disease. Learn how the “City of Sunshine” drew, and continues to draw, people from all over the country as a healthful resort town. Understand what Tuberculosis is, how it was treated, and why thousands of “seekers” came to Colorado Springs searching for a cure.
From fashion to function, hats hold many clues to the history of the Pikes Peak region. Students will explore the Accessorize It! exhibit and consider the stories artifacts tell. Imagine wearing the hats of explorer Zebulon Pike, business owner James Bofonda, nurse Florence Standish, and college graduate Joyce Gilmer. Students will also design their own hats and consider what features are required for different environments and occasions.
Students will explore 150 years of Pikes Peak regional history through an interactive timeline in the COS@150 exhibit. Using primary sources such as objects, photographs, and documents, students will analyze historical time periods and patterns of continuity and change, through multiple perspectives.
In June of 2025 the museum opened a new exhibit, Until Forever Comes: This is Ute Homeland. This project is the result of five years of consultation with our Tribal partners: the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. This permanent exhibition centers the ongoing history and culture of the Ute People in the Pikes Peak region, in their own words.
During the fall 2025 semester, the museum’s education team is testing school program acitvities in the space with the goal of launching a new station in 2026. Groups who are interested in participating in the testing process can choose this option as one of their stations. Please note that we may not be able to accomodate all requests and we appreciate your understanding.
Coming in 2026!
From The Story of Us to the 50% of the Story exhibit, students will investigate and discuss how diverse communities address issues relevant to their culture, place and times by sharing and creating art. Hands-on activities will highlight the life of silent film actor, Lon Chaney, cultural performance group, Sankofa, and regional quilters and collage artists.
AT THE MUSEUM: Little Learners Program
- Preschool – 1st Grade
- 10 – 40 Students;
- Require 4 Adult Chaperones (no more than 10 chaperones total – including teachers)
- Tuesdays-Fridays; 9, 9:30, or 10am; 90 minutes
Students will be welcomed as a group and rotate between three interactive stations – story time, a craft, and exhibit exploration. These programs are designed to help young learners discover and practice essential development skills, all while exploring local history! Groups larger than 40 will be asked to schedule two separate visits on different mornings.
AT THE MUSEUM: The Amazing Race Program
- Middle & High School
- 10 – 40 Students; 1:10 Adult to Student Ratio
- Tuesdays-Fridays; 9, 9:30, or 10am; 2.5 hours
Students break into teams and explore exhibits through a challenging and engaging scavenger hunt. Using inquiry skills, students will draw connections and discover clues to complete tasks throughout the museum. Groups larger than 40 will be asked to schedule two separate visits on different mornings.
AT THE MUSEUM: Interpreting the 1898 Antlers Hotel Fire
- High School
- 10-15 Students; 1:10 Adult to Student Ratio
- Tuesdays-Fridays; 2.5 hours
- High School, History: 1.1.a, b, c, d; 2.2.a, b, c, d; Geography: 4.2.a, d, e
New! Framed by the “picture perfect” view of Pikes Peak, the Antlers Hotel has been a symbol of elegance and refinement since it opened in 1883. When the opulent hotel succumbed to a fire in 1898, the community was impacted in many ways. In this program, students will examine the history of the Colorado Springs Antlers Hotel through a variety of primary and secondary sources. They will research and interpret different viewpoints on the Antlers Hotel and the 1898 fire and briefly present their historical arguments. In addition to exhibit exploration, students will gain valuable research experience in the museum archive.
AT YOUR SCHOOL: History Detectives
- 3rd & 4th Grade
- LOCATION: Your School!
- Designed for 3 Classrooms (if you have more, you’ll just combine them into 3); 1 Adult Chaperone per Classroom (additional adult helpers appreciated)
- Offered Fridays ONLY
- Programs are 1 hr. and 45 min. *Not including set-up and clean-up time
In the History Detectives outreach program, a team of Mission Agents will visit your classroom and guide your students through a series of hands-on activity stations. History Detectives in training will work with invisible ink, decoders, magnifying glasses, and puzzles to analyze artifacts, documents, and photographs from the Museum’s collection. Our team is thrilled to recruit and train the next generation of History Detectives! Are you up for the challenge?
Do you need information to share with your school about the goals and benefits of this program? Access the guide: “How will the program support my student’s learning?”
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– Local 4th Grade Teacher