What We Teach
In 1860, 3,494 people called Austin, Texas home, 977 of them enslaved. As educators working with one of Austin’s few resources for pre-Civil War cultural heritage, we ask and explore questions about what life was like in Austin then, what was it like twenty years later, as Texas emerged from Reconstruction, and what it was like in the early twentieth century, when, for example, students flocked to the University of Texas at Austin in ever-increasing numbers.
Life in Austin and Texas from 1840 to 1930 forms the core of the educational program for K-12 students. The Neill-Cochran House witnessed the successes and failures of our community from 1855 onward. Drawing on the story of its builder, its original owner, and occupants from the State School for the Blind and the Federal War Hospital, renters, and on the Neills and Cochrans, we put the history of Austin and of Texas at young visitors’ fingertips through guided tours, hands-on explorations, and map reading activities.
Our field trip opportunities satisfy the 4th grade TEKS alignments.
Student Objectives
Use inference and observation skills to think about how different kinds of people lived in Austin during the 1800s.
Build map skills by looking at different kinds of maps made of Austin between 1839 and 1985.
Describe ways in which Austin has grown and changed over its history.Locate and describe basic architectural features such as columns, symmetry, and millwork.
Guiding Questions
As Austin grew and changed, how did the lives of those who lived in the Neill-Cochran House change with it?
What can we learn about what life was like in the Neill-Cochran House by looking at how it was built?
What can we learn about what life was like in Austin?
Field Trip Packages
2 Hour tour
($3 / child)
Docent-led tour of Historic house and Dependency focusing on architecture and the history of Austin and Texas
3 hour tour
($4 / child)
Add to your visit with a map study workshop that leads students from the 1839 Waller Plan up through the 1980s.
4 hour tour
($6 / child)
Incorporate a workshop to introduce students to the process of making homemade ice cream and lemonade. Pairs well with lunch and play time on the museum grounds. May be done with the map study workshop or on its own.
Scheduling Your Field Trip
Please complete this form and our staff will reach out to confirm your reservation & share more details with you. Ideally we schedule field trips on Mondays and Tuesdays since these are days the Museum is closed and we are able to give your students a more in depth tour of the site. However, we do have some ability to host field trips on other days of the week as well. Please note, we require at least one adult chaperone for every ten students. Chaperones attend free of charge.