CURRENT HOURS: Closed for touring, Open by reservation for Programs and Events
Want to know more about something you saw at Living History Farms, interested in learning a new skill, or just want to have fun with friends and family? Then sign up for one of our Historic Skills Classes!
You will work in small groups to learn more about a specific skill or trade that was common in the 19th century, from baking to blacksmithing. And with a small class size, you are guaranteed lots of individualized instruction and plenty of opportunity to participate.
Have a specific interest but not a ton of time? Join us for a Signature Sampler! You will get a sample of the tastes, talents, and atmosphere found in our historic kitchens, craft shops, and farms.
Date | Time | Subject | Location |
| Saturday, October 31 | 9:30-11:00 am | Biscuits and Gravy | Tangen House |
| Sunday, November 1 | 9:30-11:00 am | Sheep Chores | 1900 Farm |
| Saturday, November 7 | 1:30-3:00 pm | Victorian Pampering | Drug Store |
| Tuesday, November 17 | 6:15-7:45 pm | Setting a Victorian Table | Flynn Mansion |
| Tuesday, November 24 | 6:15-7:45 pm | SOLD OUT – Norwegian Pastry and Punch | Tangen House |
| Tuesday, December 8 | 6:15-7:45 pm | SOLD OUT – Cup Cakes and Cocoa | Tangen House |
| Tuesday, December 15 | 6:15-7:45 pm | Pepperkakker and Cider | Tangen House |
Jump to the Signature Sampler Class Descriptions
These classes are more in-depth experiences than our Signature Sampler classes.
Date | Time | Subject | Location |
| Sunday, November 8 | 1:00-4:00pm | SOLD OUT – 19th Century Bread Baking | Tangen House |
| Sunday, November 14 | 1:00-4:00pm | SOLD OUT – Basics of Woodstove Cooking | Tangen House |
Jump to the Historic Skills Class Descriptions
Biscuits & GravyBake a fluffy baking powder biscuit in the woodstove while stirring up milk-and-sausage gravy to go over the top. Grind some beans and boil a pot of coffee to go with.
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Sheep ChoresAll things sheep! Meet the wooly ewes that live at the 1900 Farm and help with morning chores, such as feeding, watering, and checking ewes in anticipation of lambs. Dress for being outside on the farm.
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Victorian PamperingExplore the Schaffer Drug Store and the beauty products offered to Victorian Iowans. Mix a cologne or perfume and stir up some bath salts to indulge in at home.
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Setting the Victorian Holiday TableThe holidays bring out our best china and flatware. Are you confident about where to put your soup spoon on the table? Set the Flynn Mansion dining table for an elegant 19th century party and discover the multitude of knives and forks involved. Finish the table by learning a fancy napkin fold.
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SOLD OUT – Norwegian Kringla and Spiced PunchMix and bake our favorite Norwegian sweet roll in our wood-burning stove. While that is baking, learn what spices go in traditional Holiday Punch.
This class is sold out.
SOLD OUT – Cup Cakes and CocoaA cup cake was once a simple cake mixed with a cup of butter, a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, and eggs. This popular simple sweet always tastes better baked in a woodstove and served with homemade hot chocolate. Mix up a pot of chocolate to drink and a batch of cup cakes to enjoy in the cozy holiday kitchen.
This class is sold out.
Pepperkakker and CiderEnjoy the tastes and smells of cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves as you mix and bake this intense Scandinavian style of crisp gingerbread cookie in the 1870s woodstove.
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SOLD OUT – 19th Century Bread BakingDo you need a refresher course on making bread from scratch? Would you like to try baking in a wood burning stove? If so, try your hand at biscuits, yeast bread, and cinnamon rolls in an 1876-era farm kitchen while learning the history of bread making. Afterwards, sit around the table and enjoy your creations while learning more about the house and the type of family that would have lived there.
This class is sold out.
SOLD OUT – Basics of Cooking on a Wood Burning StoveDo you have a wood burning stove at home that you’d like to cook on, but have no prior knowledge of how to do it? Do you just want to try cooking like your great-grandparents? Roll up your sleeves and make hearty meat stew, a vegetable dish, bread and a cake. Participants will learn the design of the woodstove and how to properly use it. After the meal is prepared, sit down to enjoy the food and ask last minute questions. And, yes, you will get recipes to take home and try!
This class is sold out.
