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GENE-STRATTON PORTER STATE HISTORIC SITE

FIELD TRIPS

Field Trips

Stop and smell the wildflowers

Located on Sylvan Lake, the site highlights the life and work of Indiana author, naturalist, and conservationist Gene Stratton-Porter. Students can explore her 1914 limestone cabin, original furnishings, and gardens, and engage with nature in over three miles of trails, ponds, and prairies. Interactive exhibits in the visitor center support Indiana Academic Standards, making it an inspiring destination for literature, science, and environmental studies.

Call 260.854.3790 to schedule your field trip to Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site.

Boy and girl interacting with artifacts inside of Gene Stratton Porter's Cabin

  • Indiana K-12 Schools

    Free Admission
    Free for preregistered, accredited schools of 10+ K-12 students, teachers, bus drivers, and one additional adult per five students. Additional chaperones pay the group admission rate.

     

    CALL TO SCHEDULE

  • Homeschool Groups

    Free Admission
    Free for preregistered groups of 10+ students, including one free adult per five students. Additional adults pay the group rate.

    CALL TO SCHEDULE

  • Non-Indiana Student Groups

    Call for Rates
    Please contact us for rates.

    CALL FOR RATES

Booking Your Field Trip

Pre-Registration
All field trips must be booked at least two weeks in advance. This ensures a personalized, engaging experience for your students.

Group Size
A minimum of 10 students is required for field trips.

Lunch
Picnic areas are available, and there are nearby restaurants for students and chaperones.

Accessibility
The site is fully accessible, including the studio, home and garden areas.

Contact
Call 260.854.3790 or email [email protected] to schedule your field trip to Gene Stratton-Porter.

Enhance Your Visit with Interactive Programs  

Take your students’ learning experience to the next level with hands-on, interactive educational programs designed to complement classroom lessons. All programs fulfill select Indiana Academic Standards.

Customize Your Visit
Educators may request a specialty program or activity for an additional fee. Programs include art, history, nature, science, engineering and multidisciplinary learning.

Bring the Experience to Your Location – Outreach Program
Can’t come to us? We’ll come to you with a variety of activities from one of our programs below.

  • Indiana K-12 Schools

    Program Length
    45-60 minutes

    Maximum Group Size
    20 students

    Cost
    $4/student

  • Homeschool Groups

    Program Length
    45-60 minutes

    Maximum Group Size
    25 students

    Cost
    $4/student

  • Outreach Programs

    Program Length
    45-60 minutes

    Cost
    First session: $100
    Additional sessions: $75

    Travel Fees
    30-60 miles: $20
    60-90 miles: $40
    90+ miles: $60

Check Out Resources from Across the State  

Take a look at our collected educator resources from across the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.

Immersive Programs that Align with Academic Standards

Our programs are designed to engage students with art, history, and nature in an integrated way. We focus on core educational themes that meet Indiana Academic Standards for multiple grade levels, including:

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    NATURAL HISTORY

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    READING & WRITING

K-GRADE 12
gene stratton porter's cabin

GENE'S CABIN

This school group tour includes a guided tour of Gene’s cabin and exploration of her gardens and grounds. Students will learn how this author and naturalist infused her personality into her home during its construction and see many of the region’s beautiful wildflowers Gene transplanted to her garden.

Available: On-site

Indiana Academic Standards: Social Studies: 3.H.4; 3.H.7; 3.G.5, 4.H.7, 4.H.8, 4.H.9, 4.H.13, 4.H.14, 4.H.15, 4.E.1, 5.H.18; 6.H.15; IS.1.15; IS.1.38, IS.5.8, IS.5.11, IS.5.11 Art: VA:Pr4.1.4, VA:Pr4.1.5, VA:Pr6.1.1, VA:Pr6.1.4, VA: Pr6.1.5, VA:Pr6.1.6, VA: Pr6.1.7, VA: Pr6.1.8, VA:Pr6.1.I, VA: Re7.II

a girl walking along a path

GUIDED TOUR THROUGH SOWERS WOODS

Students will explore Indiana’s natural heritage and see what plants and flowers are currently in bloom.

Available: On-site

Indiana Academic Standards: Social Studies: 3.G.8, 4.G.5, 4.G.6 Science: 3-LS2-1, 4-ESS2-1, 5-PS3-1, 5-LS2-1, MS-LS1-6, MS-LS2-1, MSLS2- 2, MS-ESS3-3, HS-LS2-7, HS-ENV2-7

a typewriter on an old desk

SPECIAL NATURE/ART/LITERATURE PROGRAM

Gene Stratton-Porter wrote, drew, explored and photographed her natural surroundings. Create a similar experience for your students.

Available: On-site and Outreach

Indiana Academic Standards to be discussed at time of reservation.

a path through the woods

TREE & LEAF ID STUDY

Identify the different trees that grow in Wildflower Woods and discover the different things that affect a tree’s growth. Learn to age a tree through hands-on activities and discuss how to differentiate significant weather events just by the tree’s growth.

Available: On-site and Outreach

Indiana Academic Standards: Science: K.LS.1; K.LS.2; K.LS.3; 1.LS.3; 2.LS.2; 3.LS.2; 4.LS.1; 4.LS.2; 5.LS.1; 5.LS.2; 6.LS.2; 6.LS.5; 8.LS.9; s Env.1.1; s Env.1.2; Env.5.1; Env.5.5, K-LS1-1; 1-LS3-1; 2-LS2-1; 4-LS1-1; 5-LS1-1; MS-LS1-6; HS-LS1-5

a wetland

WETLAND EXPLORATION

Engage in a discussion of what a wetland is, what it does and how it works to keep our water healthy. Then, utilize our wetland exploration backpacks to dip for macroinvertebrates. Beware – students will get muddy!

Available: On-site

Indiana Academic Standards: Science: K-PS3-1; K-ESS2-2; 2-LS4-1; MS-LS4-3; MS-ESS2-4; HS-LS2-6; HS-ENVI-5, K-PS3-1; K-ESS2-2; 2-LS4-1; MS-LS4-3; MS-ESS2-4; HS-LS2-6; HS-ENVI-5

GRADES 9-12 (program can be adjusted for younger students)
plants and trees

PLANT STUDY

Students will investigate plant identification methods by examining the plants that grow in Wildflower Woods, and get an up-close look at the various parts of a plant.

Available: On-site, outreach

Indiana Academic Standards: Science: B.2.1, ENV.1.1, ENV.1.3, ENV.1.6, ENV.5.2, ENV.5.5, ENV.5.6, ENV.7.3, ENV.8.2, K-LS1-1; 1-LS3-1; 2-LS2-1; 4-LS1- 1; 5-LS1-1; MS-LS1-6; HS-LS1-5

GENE STRATTON-PORTER field trip HIGHLIGHTS

Gene Stratton Porter Painting in her Garden

Gene Stratton-Porter’s Cabin (1914)

Visit the cabin designed by Gene Stratton-Porter and completed in 1914. Furnishings in the home are arranged and maintained to reflect Stratton-Porter’s lifestyle, and much of the furniture and personal collections, including her library, are preserved at the home.

Cabinet with artifacts inside of Gene Stratton Porter

Carriage House Visitor Center

Explore the Carriage House Visitor Center to learn about moths, wildflowers, woodpeckers, carnivorous plants and other nature topics. Pull the drawers out from a large cabinet to see different types of rocks and wildlife found throughout Indiana.

Forest Path on the Gene Stratton Porter grounds

The Garden and Grounds

Admire the 35-bed formal garden, accented with a 120-foot-long wisteria-covered arbor. The site also has over three miles of grass and mulched trails in the woods and along the fields as well as a paved trail on the west portion of the site behind the historic Sower farmhouse and barn.

Various books from the Gene Stratton Porter Library

Gene’s Literary Works  

In her lifetime, Porter authored 12 novels, seven nature studies, three poetry books, children’s books and numerous magazine articles. With an estimated 50 million readers, her works have been translated into several foreign languages as well as Braille. Eight of her novels were produced as motion pictures.

BOOK YOUR
FIELD TRIP
TODAY

We look forward to welcoming your students to the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site, where art, nature, and literature come alive. Call us at 260.854.3790 to book your trip or send us an email at the link below.