Old Independence Regional Museum has school tour grant funds available –
Old Independence Regional Museum has school tour grant funds available. Funds, provided by an anonymous donor, cover the cost of admission for visiting school groups. In some cases, a bus stipend and/or a hands-on activity may also be available at the discretion of the grantor.
Grant tours include six standard stations: Region on the Move, War Comes to Us, Shawneetown, Where the Delta Meets the Ozarks, Historic Games, and the Gift Shop. “Our grant tour gives groups a fun, well-rounded experience at OIRM,” said Humanities Educator Amelia Bowman. “Students learn about the most important parts of our regional history and each station can be tailored to fit a class’ current subject matter.” In addition the standard stops, hands-on activities or living history programs can be added to the tour.
In Region on the Move, students will discover how travel in our region has evolved over time. The tour will focus on wagon, train, and automobile travel. It features a 1940s Springfield covered wagon, a 1930s gas station, and gravity gas pump. The temporary exhibit, Living with the White River, will also be incorporated to highlight how the river influenced settlement and how people traveled along the river.
Shawneetown explores Native American life in our region. The culture of the Shawnee, who settled in present day Yellville, AR, and the history of other Native American tribes in the region are discussed.
Where the Delta Meets the Ozarks, highlighted by the Depression Era Back Porch, examines what life was like for families in our region during the Great Depression and how people “made do.”
War Comes to Us features Batesville’s role in the Civil War. Students will learn what daily life was like for soldiers and civilians in occupied Batesville and on the battlefield.
Old Independence Regional Museum’s historic toys and games program gives students an opportunity to experience some of the pastimes of children from the 19th century. Students learn about and play with toys and games that were made at home from materials that were readily available.
In the Gift Shop, students will find a variety of fun and educational items priced for their pocket book. For the teachers’ convenience, our gift shop personnel will package and label the students’ purchases and keep them at the front desk during the remainder of the tour.
To apply, visit www.oirm.org. Call 870-793-2121 or email april@oirm.org for additional information.
This humanities program is made possible by local support from Independence County and the City of Batesville, as well as by Challenge Grant Endowment funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Old Independence serves a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820s Arkansas territory.
The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children. The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville. During your visit, stop by our gift shop. We stock many items from local artists, authors, and crafters, as well as historical toys and games.
