History Field Trips
Grades 1-5

Grades 1-5

Click here to register your group!

What to Expect

Rural Home Life Tours

Designed for Students in Grades 1-5
Bring your students and discover the daily lives of Florida’s pioneers. Spend the morning immersed in a rural Florida community of the past and learn how a late 19th century rural family survived. Try your hand at farm and household chores, explore community buildings and learn the skills of Florida’s pioneers. Students will take back to their modern world knowledge of the differences and similarities between their lives and those of children in 1898. All groups will dip a candle, visit our train station and shop in our Cracker Country General Store.

Check-in: 10:00 am Time: 10:15am-12:00pm
Dates: Tuesday - Fridays on the following dates: Sept 20-Dec 8, 2022; March 14-May 12, 2023
Student Cost: $10 per student
Chaperones: One adult (teacher or chaperone) per ten students is required and admitted for free. Additional adults pay the rate of $12 each.
Register your group here!

Click here to register your group!
About the Tour

About the Tour

Discover Rural Florida's History!

Each group will be greeted by their tour guide who will lead the group through our historic buildings and activities that highlight how Florida's pioneer children lived in 1898.

Download Museum Map
What to See

What to See

10:00am Check-in
10:15 Introduction
10:30 Visit a Historic House / Butter Making
10:45 All About Candle Dipping
11:00 Rope Twisting Demonstration
11:15 See our Depot Station and Model Train Display
11:30 Discover How Pioneers Did Laundry
11:45 Participate in a School House Lesson / Play with Old Fashioned Toys
12:00 Shop in the General Store*
12:15 Tour Ends**

*All groups have the option of shopping in the General Store. If your group opts not to shop, you will instead visit the Terry Store, a historical store exhibit. Proceeds from our General Store help support our education programs.
**Picnic area available adjacent to Cracker Country following the end of your tour.

Learning Standards

Learning Standards

The Rural Home Life School Tour program aligns with a variety of Florida School Standards including many Social Studies Standards:

1st Grade: Compare life now with life in the past; Understand history tells the story of people and events of other times and places.
2nd grade: Identify terms and designations of time sequence.
3rd grade: Identify the cultures that have settled the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
4th grade: Describe pioneer life in Florida; People have many different types of jobs from which to choose. Identify different jobs requiring people to have different skills.
5th grade: Examine 19th century advancements (canals, roads, steamboats, flat boats, overland wagons, Pony Express, railroads)

Lunch

Lunch

Groups are welcome to bring a picnic lunch. Picnic tables and restroom facilities are provided for use after the tour ends at 12:15pm.

Please leave all lunches and coolers in a vehicle until it is time for lunch.

Please note there are no food services facilities on the Fairgrounds.

The Florida State Fairgrounds requires one adult (teacher or chaperone) per every 10 students. All required adults receive free admission for the field trip. Adults accompanying the group beyond the required number of chaperones pay $12 each. All student and adult admissions must be included in one payment.

Chaperones and adults are responsible for the behavior of the group and are required to supervise and stay with students at all times during the visit.

All adult chaperones must arrive on time and enter the field trip with the school. The gates into the Fairgrounds will be closed once the field trip program begins, so late chaperones CANNOT be admitted.

Chaperone Letter
Field Trip Funding Resources

Field Trip Funding Resources

Please ensure that you have a funding source prior to scheduling a field trip. If you need anything from us in order to apply for a grant please let us know.


DonorsChoose.org
This organization connects public schools to a community of donors eager to fund classroom projects.

Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop

In the Cracker Country General Store you will find a wide selection of historical toys, games, candy, books, 1890s reproductions and much more. Prices start at an affordable $0.40.

The General Store accepts cash, Visa, Master Card, and personal checks with ID. No checks or credit cards accepted from students.

Proceeds from sales in the General Store help support Cracker Country's education programs.

Some Helpful Information

Field Trip Policies

Browse Policies

Weather

Field Trips take place rain or shine. Please encourage your group to dress appropriately for outdoor activities.

In the event of severe weather... During heavy rain or severe weather we may cancel your tour the day of the tour by calling the phone number you provide. Due to Florida's quickly changing forecasts a decision to cancel will never be made prior to the date of your tour. If we cancel your tour due to severe weather, we will make every effort to reschedule your group on an alternative date.

Group Size

A minimum of 15 participants is required for a field trip program. Groups with fewer participants may be booked for a minimum fee of $150.00 (equivalent to 15 paid admissions).

Chaperones

One adult (teacher or chaperone) per ten students is required and admitted for free. Additional adults pay the rate of $12 each. Adults are responsible for the behavior of the group and are required to supervise and stay with students at all times during their visit.

All student and adult admissions must be included in one payment.
All adult chaperones must arrive on time and enter the museum with the school group. The gates into the Fairgrounds will be closed once the field trip program begins, so late chaperones cannot be admitted.

Deposit

A $50.00 non-refundable deposit is due within 30 days of booking your field trip. The deposit is required to hold your reservation.

Make checks payable to the Florida State Fair Authority and mail to:
P.O. Box 11766
Tampa, Fl. 33680

Pay Online: https://floridastatefair.ticketspice.com/cracker-country-school-tour-deposits-2022-2023

Forms of Payment

Please make all checks payable to the Florida State Fair Authority. We accept all major credit cards.

All student and adult admissions must be included in one payment.

Cancellations

We understand that this will be a difficult school year and that plans may change due to necessary response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Please reach out to us if you have any concerns.

All cancellations must be in writing and emailed to Jennifer Wanecski (jennifer.wanecski@floridastatefair.com)
or mailed to: Attn: Cracker Country
P.O. Box 11766
Tampa, Fl. 33680

Food & Drink

No food or drink is permitted inside of the museum. Please leave all lunches and coolers on the bus. There are water breaks built into your tour and numerous water fountains located throughout the museum that you may use at any time.

Backpacks

For the safety of historic artifacts and the comfort of all visitors, students are not allowed to wear backpacks. However, adults may bring bags if necessary.

Covid-19 Policies

The health and safety of our students, teachers, guests and employees is of paramount importance. It is our mission to keep everyone safe while also continuing to make your visit a memorable experience.

Masks: Masks are welcomed, but not required.
Hands-on Stations: Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the field trip.

Testimonials

Guest Comments - Rural Home Life Tours

The staff was amazing! I loved their wisdom and knowledge they are passing on to the next generation. They shared in a passionate loving way! Excellent field trip!

Stacey, School Tour Visitor
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Kid-geared activities, informative tour guide who kept it kid-friendly.

Tracey, School Tour Visitor
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Really believe the kids will get a lot from this. Thank you!

Jennifer, School Tour Visitor
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How amazing and amusing the docents are. My children love Cracker Country! It is their go to museum. I'm so glad it exists and i'm so thankful for the wonderful volunteers.

Courtney, School Tour Visitor
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The hands on experience was phenomenal. Fantastic to see how hard life would have been back then.

Megan, School Tour Visitor
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I will always remember the joy of my students when they get to do what we've been learning about in class.

Tari, School Tour Visitor
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The way the guide was able to make Florida history come alive and let the children be part of the experience.

Karol, School Tour Visitor
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The amazement in my son's eyes as he learned about our Florida heritage. Thank you so much for continuing Cracker Country and for keeping our heritage alive and accessible to other generations.

Kimberly, School Tour Visitor
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The 'feel' of the place seems very authentic. Our guide was great with kids! The hands-on activities are really fun, memorable and educational.

Mary, School Tour Visitor
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Sign up your students for a FUN Florida Field Trip at Tampa's only living history museum

Designed for Students in Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Bring your students and discover the daily lives of Florida's pioneers. Spend the morning immersed in a rural community of the past and learn how a late 19th century rural family survived. Try your hand at farm and household chores, explore community buildings and learn the skills of Florida's pioneers. Students will compare their lives and those of children in 1898. All groups will dip a candle, make a class jump-rope and shop in our Cracker Country General Store. 

 

Great for students in Hillsborough, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, & Sarasota counties!