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The Homestead Museum Review

AIN’T WE GOT FUN CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

The Homestead Museum in The City of Industry

"Igloo" at Temple Mansion, City of Industry

Last month, I led a group of students on a field trip to The Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum in The City of Industry, CA.  The museum is a historical and cultural landmark that sits on several acres of preserved land in The City of Industry.

The Homestead Museum

Our group took the Ain’t We Got Fun tour, which introduces children ages 2-12 to the history of the 1840s, 1870s, and 1920s, by focusing on what children would have done for fun during these decades.  The tour included a visit to the museum’s historic houses with a focus on popular forms of entertainment, an 1870s game and a craft.

For our first activity the children made a classic toy from the early 1900s.

Learning How To Make A Classic Toy

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Field Trip Girl Enjoying Her Classic Toy

Next, we visited La Casa Nueva “a 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival mansion noted for its architectural crafts, built by the Workmans’ grandson Walter Temple and his wife, Laura; and El Campo Santo.  The mansion has one of the region’s oldest private cemeteries, containing the remains of Pío Pico, the last governor of Mexican California, and many other prominent pioneer families.”

La Casa Nueva (Used By Permission)

Outside we enjoyed the beautiful architecture and landscape surrounding the house.  My favorite piece of architecture was the main door.  The amount of detail that went into the design was flawless.

Students Exploring La Casa Nueva

Inside, the children got to see traditional furniture from the late 1800s, early 1900s.  No touching of course!

The Living Room in La Casa Nueva

The Dining Room in La Casa Nueva

Stained Glass Window inside La Casa Nueva

Our tour guide demonstrated how children entertained themselves back then by playing board games and listening to music on a phonograph.

Stained Glass Window of Handel

Traditional Phonograph

Traditional Phonograph

Furthermore, the children played musical instruments.  On any given day, I could just imagine the beautiful music that rang loud and clear throughout La Casa Nueva.

Traditional Musical Instruments

My daughter’s favorite part of the field trip was learning how to dance the Charleston.  In fact, it was the highlight of everyone’s favorite part!

Learning How To Do The Charleston

Learning How To Do The Charleston

Our last stop on the tour was The Workman House.

The Workman House (Used By Permission)

The Workman House “originally stood as a simple three-room adobe, built shortly after the Workman family’s arrival in November 1841. With the success of their cattle ranch, they continued to remodel the house by adding rooms. By the 1870s, new wealth in vineyards and wheat farming allowed them to completely transform the Mexican-era adobe into a modern American house, building a second floor and adding a variety of decorative details.”

The Workman House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a California State Historic Landmark.

Inside the students got to touch one of the house’s original adobe bricks and learn how The Workman family raised cattle for a living.

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Outside the garden walkway was absolutely stunning.

The Garden Walkway Outside The Workman House

At end of the tour, my daughter and I visited The Homestead Museum’s picturesque pond that was chocked full with koi fish and turtles.

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The Pond At The Homestead Museum

A few additional considerations when visiting The Homestead Museum:

1. The Ain’t We Got Fun Field Trip is FREE for all students.  However, I personally recommend the trip for children ages 6+.

2. The tour lasts approximately 1 hr. and 15 minutes.

3. Parking is FREE.

5. The museum offers FREE public tours on certain days of the month.  Please visit their website for details.

The Homestead Museum is hosting their Annual Victorian Fair on April 26 – 27 from 1 to 5 pm.  It is a FREE EVENT for the whole family!  Visit http://www.homesteadmuseum.org/calendar to learn more.

Happy Field Tripping,

Jilleen

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Disclosure: SoCal Field Trips led a field trip to The Homestead Museum on behalf of Celebration Education.  All opinions are our own. Images are used by permission.

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