• Special Events
• Historic Dinners
• Cabin Fever Event Series
• Day Camps
• Photography Day
• GUAH
• Historic Baseball
• Walnut Hill Choral Society
• Farmstasia Gala

Give Us A Hand

Travel back in time for an exciting day of hands-on discovery!

Every day from June 1 - August 14, you’ll have the opportunity to give the historical interpreters at Living History Farms a hand with the chores, games, and projects that made up everyday life in the past. Hands-on stations are located at varying sites through out the museum each day from 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm. Stations change every day, morning and afternoon. Look for the blue “Give Us a Hand” signboards to find the day’s activities. All activities are weather dependent.

Home, Farm, Family, Work and Fun

These themes tell the story of our farming heritage and make great comparisons to our lives today. Throughout the summer, Give Us A Hand activities allow visitors to experience these themes from a historic farmer’s point of view. Here are some examples of the many different activities scheduled throughout the summer.

Home & Family Experience the home life of an Ioway woman at our 1700 farm by helping to scrape and break hides for clothing or grinding corn for food. Find out more about the challenges of keeping a log home with chores like laundry and candle making at the 1850 Pioneer farm. Get a chance to knead bread or churn butter in the 1900 farmhouse. Discover the roles of women, men and especially children in the Victorian era through etiquette practice at the Flynn Mansion or apprentice activities in the 1875 farm town of Walnut Hill. Special activities during Historic Snapshot events such as hanging funeral drape for the Victorian Funeral and dancing at the Pioneer Wedding involve guests in life-changing events for families.
Farm & Work Farmers had fences and tools to take care of, along with crops and livestock. Give a hand to the 1850 Pioneer Farm hands by cultivating corn by hand or pulling weeds in the garden. Help grind corn for feeding the hogs or hauling water for the chickens at the 1900 Farm. Visit the Schaefer drug store and compound a \veterinary medicine for farm livestock. Share in the combing of broomcorn tassels at the Walnut Hill Broom works. Stock shelves or weigh out goods in the Greteman General store where farming families buy their supplies.
Fun After the work is over, play some outdoor games at the Tangen Home. Catch a game of checkers at the Greteman General Store. Pick out trims for a fun and fancy hat at the Millinery shop. Special activities such as lawn games and a town parade on Independence Day allow visitors enjoy a party of the past!