Read the PDF file describing our Education Programs.
Education program reservation forms are available in Word or PDF format.
School Programs
Our mission is to re-connect the community with our shared agricultural heritage, and a very important part of that is our education programming. We are passionate about engaging children and encourage parents and educators to explore how the resources available at Hallockville can be incorporated to formal and informal curricula.
Hallockville Museum Farm is a unique educational resource-- it is the only place in Suffolk County where you will find history combined with a working farmstead. Our 28 acre campus has 18 historic buildings spanning 250 years on the North Fork of Eastern Long Island. Animals, gardens, and farmland are all important elements of our working landscape. In addition, Hallockville is part of over 500 acres of preserved land that stretches to Long Island Sound and is a great venue to have school programs.
We have several standard educational programs that each can be tailored to suit the needs of particular groups. In addition, we can develop additional and specific programming for special events and purposes.
Hallock Homestead Program
The Hallocks are one of the "first families" of the North Fork and were part of the Puritan exodus from England in the early-17th century. The museum farm gains its name from the Puritan tradition of carving out a piece of the family farm for male heirs of marrying age. The land on which the museum farm sits came into the Hallock family in the late 18-th century. The Hallock Homestead includes the Homestead House, Barn, and outbuildings. There is a large collection of agricultural and household artifacts that show how farming was done over the last 250 years.
- Learn how to churn fresh butter or bake on our original wood burning stove. Students help prepare, cook, clean up and sample a delicious treat in our historic kitchen while interacting with the cook.
- Enjoy the outdoors by exploring our 28 acre farm and nature trails.
- Perform historic chores like washing laundry in our outside laundry area or grinding corn to feed to our resident chickens.
- Explore historic life through in-depth field expeditions to our homestead house, barn, decoy carving shop, shoemakers shop, chicken coop, gardens, and even the outhouse!
- Meet our Jersey cows, Stella and Hallie! Learn how to care for them and how important they were to local farmers.
- Learn how to play 18th and 19th century games such as marbles, croquet and more. Learn about the concepts of folklore and traditions through discussion of present playground games.
Note: Activities are subject to change based on the season, the availability of materials, and volunteers.
Immigrant Farmer Experience Program
During the late 19th-century, a transition was occurring on the North Fork- Eastern European immigrants were moving into the area and purchasing many farms. By the 1930's, more than 80% of the homes on Sound Avenue were owned by these immigrants. The museum farm has restored the Cichanowicz Farmhouse, Naugles Barn, and Trubisz Family buildings-- these are direct connections to the important contributions that immigrants made to East End agriculture.
- Learn about the important contributions that Polish immigrants made to agriculture on the Eastern End of Long Island.
- Prepare a “Passport” based on an authentic Polish document. Student passports will be checked and stamped after completing the tour.
- Tour a home built by a Polish immigrant farm family. See how it differed or is similar to homes today.
- Examine archival material, including a federal census manuscript. Find out what life on Long Island was like for immigrants.
- Plant or harvest potatoes (depending on season).
- Learn games and pastimes that immigrant farm children played. Try a few dance steps to the polka or other traditional Polish music.
- Meet our Jersey cows, Stella and Hallie! Learn how to care for them and how important they were to local farmers .
- Participate in other hand-on projects like making applesauce with old-fashioned peelers and utensils.
Note: Activities are subject to change based on the season, the availability of materials, and volunteers.
