The Rush County Historical Society, Inc.

Museum Tours

No admissions fees - Donations Welcomed

Educational Tours

The Rush County Historical Society invites you and your students to visit the county historical museums. Free guided tours conducted by our knowledgeable volunteer staff will provide your students with an indepth 30 minute tour of selected museums at the museum complex.

These tours can be easily included in your current lesson plans.

You can use a tour of the Post Rock Museum to . . .

• provide a visual example of the skeletal differences in meat-eaters (carnivores) and plant-eaters (hervivores). Also, examples of different types of rocks and fossils will be seen.
• provide an excellent opportunity for your students to practice skills in creating clear questions and to interact with other peple in science inquirey

You can use a tour of the Nekoma Bank Museum to . . .

• Learn about the history of banks
• Practice math skills in a real-life setting

You can use a tour of the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum to . . .

• discuss the importance of barbed wire to the development of the midwest and control fo resources
• illustrate the imporantce of being careful to tak into account details (in discussing patents)

You can use a tour of the Rush County Historical Museum to . . .

• allow your students to explore different ways that products were transported in the past, and how many of those methods we still use today
• discuss ways to pay for services other than money

Through participating in these tours your students will have an opportunity to see and investigate real fossils; gain and appreciation for times past,;explore financial and banking activities; specific aspects of farming, development of land use, and evolution of tools; view tools used by pioneering doctors; gain an understanding of the development of this area of the country; and review or apply some of the knowledge you have taught them in the classroom.

Spring 2011 Educational Tour Schedule and Information

Dates for special guided educational tours: April 26 and May 4.

Length of tours: approximately 30 minutes per selected museum (This year educational tours are targeting the Post Rock Museum and the Nekoma Bank Historical Museum). We encourage you also to plan for time to take a look around the Barbed Wire Museum and the Rush County Historical Museum).

How to reserve a tour time: Contact Patricia at MuseumTours@rushcounty.org or leave a message at 785-639-6011

Who can schedule an educational tour: Any school or educational group is invited to schedule a tour. We welcome and encourage any grade level to participate.

What the tours will consist of

• Introduction - When you first arrive a member of the Historical Society will give a brief welcome and introduction to the holdings and activities of the society.
• Museum Tour - You will spend 30 minutes in each of the selected museums. You are welcome to schedule an hour tour to visit both targeted museums. You can also request time to take a quick visit to the other museums in the complex. Staff members will be available to answer student questions and point out interesting items.
  • Rush County Historical Museum - Come check out what this museum has to offer.
  • Kansas Barbed Wire Museum - Come check out what this museum has to offer.
  • Post Rock Museum - Your students will have the opportunity to learn about and explore the concept of rock types, investigate Kansas fossils, learn about the impact of post rock and limestone on the lives of area pioneers, and compare the different uses of post rock limestone. A tour of this museum will begin with an introduction to the geologic history of this region and then move on to an exploration of post rock uses through a dioramic demonstration of 'harvesting' the stone and examples of the architectural and other useful items made of post rock limestone.
  • Nekoma Bank Museum - Your students will have the opportunity to learn about the history of banks, starting a museum, preserving history, and the importance of math skills. A tour of this museum will begin with an introduction to the history of the Nekoma State Bank and its current development followed by an introduction to the history and importance of banks. Students will also have the opportunity to explore non-computerized machines used in banking and different jobs with in a bank environment.

Other Things that may interest you

• This is our third year to offer specially directed educational tours on specified dates of April 26th and May 4th before the museums open for the summer season. As always, any group is still welcome to arrange to bring classes out to visit the museums anytime after the museums open for the season.
• We have concentrated on developing teacher and student materials for 3rd and 4th grades. If you teach either of these grades please let us know when you schedule your tour so we can prepare a packet of lesson plans and student materials for your classroom. (We will be developing materials for other grades in the future.)
• When preparing to schedule a tour please note that transportation to and from the museums as well as arrangement for appropriate adlult supervision and student behavior will be your responsibility.
• To assist us to continue to develop a program that will benefit you and your students we will ask you to complete a short evaluation after your visit.
• Classroom kits and supplies will be provided to classes participating in the targeted tours program.

Other Group Tours

The Rush County Historical Society invites you and your group to schedule to tour one or all of our museums. Please call 785-222-2478 to make tour arrangements.