Tucson Presidio museum

Education, Outreach, and Community Engagement

Outreach and Community Engagement

The Tucson Presidio Trust works to build long lasting relationships with community members and organizations that extend beyond a single museum visit. We welcome invitations to participate in community events and can offer topic specific traveling displays for local non-profit organizations and museums.

For more information on outreach or community engagement opportunities contact Ginger Thompson, Curator of Public History, at gingert@tucsonpresidio.com.

Education

Registration opens on August 1st!

The Tucson Presidio Trust offers educational programs for 3rd-12th grade students at both the Presidio and Fort Lowell Museums. Our field trips are for public schools, charter schools, private schools, homeschools, and other groups from, October-April. All educational programs and tours at the Presidio and Fort Lowell Museums are by reservation only. Information on our need-based scholarships is available on request.

Program 1: Hands-on History (Morning Muster)

On-Site Field Trip Approximately 2 hours
Accommodates 8-40 participants, not including chaperones.

Cost: $6 per child and a $25 non-refundable supply fee, chaperones are free.
Contact our Curator of Public History,
Ginger Thompson, gingert@tucsonpresidio.com

This field trip is offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can take place at either the Presidio or Fort Lowell Museums (you pick your location!!). These programs support Common Core curriculum for Arizona 3rd and 4th graders but their small size allows for flexibility, they can be adapted for grades 3 through 12 or to focus on a specific topic (ex: cultures of Tucson). Each museum offers different activities and different information. Teachers will work with a Presidio Trust staff member to customize a program that best suites their students’ needs. You will receive educational materials prior to your scheduled program to use to prepare your students for their field trip.

**Grades 3-6: During your on-site visit your class will be broken into smaller groups to rotate through 4 stations that may include the following (depending on volunteer availability) Visit Fort Lowell Museum’s website for more information on field trip activities:    

  • Cochineal paint
  • Games and toys
  • Presidio soldier
  • Tinsmithing
  • Scavenger hunt
  • Etc…

**Grades 7-12: will receive an age appropriate tour of the museum and/or surrounding area along with 1-2 demos.
Demos may include (depending on volunteer/staff availability. $6 per student. No supply fee required):

  • Soldier
  • Medical
  • Cochineal
  • Columbian Exchange
  • Etc…

Information on our scholarships available upon request.

(Registration Closed for 2025/2026 season) Program 2: Friday at the Fort at the Presidio

On-Site Live Field Trip Approximately 3.5 hours
Accommodates 60-75 participants, not including chaperones.

Cost: $8 per child and a $40 non-refundable supply fee, chaperones free
For More information contact Wolf Whitney-Hul, Education and Engagement Coordinator, at wolfwh@tucsonpresidio.com

This field trip is offered only on Fridays at the Presidio Museum and is restricted to 3rd and 4th grade students.

A Presidio Trust staff member/volunteer will make two appointments with your group. The first will be for an in-person or virtual visit at your location for a 30-45 minute age-appropriate presentation covering the history of the Presidio Museum. The second will be for the on-site portion of the field trip on a Friday. This field trip supports Common Core curriculum for Arizona 3rd and 4th graders.

For the on-site portion of your field trip your group will arrive at the Presidio and receive a brief recap of the history of the Presidio and Tucson. Then your group will be broken into smaller groups to rotate through several stations for approximately 3.5 hours. Stations may include the following (based on volunteer availability): 

  • Chores of early Tucson settlers     
  • Tinsmithing activity and blacksmithing demo     
  • Toys and games of the 18th and 19th centuries
  • The life of a Presidio soldier
  • Calligraphy
  • Make tortillas


Program 3: Museum in a Box

Box checkout with supplies for up to 30 students. The boxes are appropriate for 3rd-6th grade students. FEE PER BOX: $30 for up to 7 days. Kit descriptions below.

Contact Ginger Thompson, at gingert@tucsonpresidio.com

In this program, you can rent an activity box that will have a teacher packet and specific supplies for up to 30 children. Some kits require some items to be supplied by the school/group. Provided directions will help teachers/parents to run an activity with their participants. Two box themes are available. Theme1 is conducted without Presidio Museum staff interaction and teachers can choose the kit(s) they would like to check out. Theme 2: Historic Hats of Arizona REQUIRES an in-person presentation when the box is delivered. Both themes must be scheduled in advance.

Theme 1: A Day in the Life of A Presidio Child

Boxes available for rental are:

  • Children’s chores 
  • Tinsmithing
  • Toys and Games
  • Calligraphy
  • Archaeology

This theme is conducted without in-person Presidio Museum staff interaction.

Theme 2: Historic Hats of Arizona

(Theme 2 REQUIRES an in-person presentation by a Presidio Museum staff member when the box is delivered)

Your group will identify the hats in the box and do further investigation on the individual who would have worn that hat.  Your group will learn about individuals from different time periods:

  • Indigenous (2100 B.C.E.-present)
  • Spanish Period (1500s-1821)
  • Mexican Period (1821-1854)
  • American Period (1854-present)

And will learn about the roles of:

  • Women
  • Military
  • Workers and merchants of various cultures
  • Religious individuals