Student Field Trips
Empower students with civics knowledge and reflect on America’s founding documents – and their role in students’ lives today – with a class visit to the National Archives in Washington, DC! During our free student field trips, educators and students embark on an interactive gallery experience and engage in lively discussions about what the records reveal (or don't!) about the people and events that shaped who we are today.
There are a limited number of student field trips available each day. The maximum number of students on any one field trip is 35 to allow smooth, timely movement through our exhibits. Please inquire about availability as you schedule your field trip:
- Available for grades K-12
- Size limit: 10–35 students
- Length: 90 minutes
- Weekdays (except Wednesdays) with programs beginning at 9:30 am or 12 pm
- At least 45 days advance registration required
- Availability based on staff and volunteer guides
Reserve your program today! Please select your workshop and email fieldtrips@nara.gov to discuss availability and scheduling your visit. All field trips must be scheduled at least 45 days in advance.
Student Field Trip Options
Art and Architecture of the National Archives
Grades: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, or 9-12
90 minutes
Designed by American architect John Russell Pope in the 1930s, the National Archives Building and especially its half-domed Rotunda offer an awe-inspiring setting in which to visit the U.S. founding documents. This program asks students to engage critically with the art and architecture of the National Archives Building and consider the ways in which the environment -- the building's neoclassical style, scale, imagery, and proximity to the National Mall -- frames their encounter. Students will consider the following questions: What do you think the architect wanted you to feel while standing in the Rotunda? What message did they want to share? How does this match what you know about the history of American democracy? At the end, students will be invited to imagine their very own artwork decorating the empty niches lining the Rotunda. How might they update the space to represent American society today?
America’s Freedom Train
Grades: 6-8 or 9-12
90 minutes
This program focuses on America's founding documents and their continuing role in shaping U.S. society. Inspired by the Freedom Train special exhibit dedicated to the history of American democracy that toured the United States in a seven-car train from September 1947 until January 1949, students will tour the National Archives Rotunda to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights and visit other highlights of the National Archives. Then, working in small groups, they will exercise civic literacy and historical analysis skills to justify which objects they would select for an updated Freedom Train exhibit marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In what ways has the United States fulfilled the democratic ideals outlined in the founding documents? What could it have done better? How would you tell the story of American democracy today? How have ordinary Americans used the rights outlined in the Constitution to create a more perfect union?
Unveiling Stories: Power and Light: Russell Lee's Coal Survey
(until July 2025)
Grades: 3-8
90 minutes
This experience focuses on the temporary exhibit Power and Light: Russell Lee's Coal Survey (March 2024-July 2025), which features more than 200 of American documentary photographer Russell Lee’s photographs of coal miners and their families. Journeying into the gallery, students will engage in slow-looking to strengthen their observation and analytical skills while learning about the history and meaning of Lee's photographs. This program also asks students to make connections between photographs and story-telling. What stories are (and are not) present in Lee’s coal survey photographs?
Remember the Ladies: Women's Rights from the Revolution to the ERA
Grades: 8-12
60 minutes
Nearly 250 years ago, Abigail Adams admonished her husband John to “remember the ladies” when fighting for Americaʼs independence from Great Britain. Her letter, written in 1776, marks a first step in U.S. womenʼs centuries-long struggle for equal rights. How did women fight for the right to vote, and what challenges persisted even after the ratification of the 19th Amendment? Through analyzing documents, photographs, and more on display in the Records of Rights exhibit, students will learn about American women's civic activism and achievements from the Revolutionary War era to the Equal Rights Amendment and beyond.
Please note: This program is designed for groups of 20 or fewer students.
Art and Architecture of the National Archives - Large Group
Grades: 6-12
60 minutes
Interested in bringing a large student group (up to 75 people)? This educator-led experience, a modified version of “Art & Architecture of the National Archives,” includes a 20-minute presentation in the McGowan Theater followed by a visit to the National Archives Rotunda to view the founding documents.
Please contact our Education Team at fieldtrips@nara.gov at least 90 days in advance to discuss availability.