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A field trip to T.C. Steele’s historic home and studio provides students with a chance to step into the world of a celebrated Indiana artist. Immerse your class in the beauty of Steele’s landscape paintings, explore the house where he lived and worked, and engage with nature through hands-on learning. Our field trips are designed to blend art, history, and nature, and are aligned with Indiana Academic Standards.
Call 812-988-2785 to schedule your field trip to T.C. Steele State Historic Site.
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.
Free Admission
Free for preregistered groups of 10+ students, including one free adult per five students. Additional adults pay the group rate.
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 812.988.2785 or email [email protected] to schedule your field trip to T.C. Steele.
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.
Program Length
45-60 minutes
Maximum Group Size
25 students
Cost
$2/student
Program Length
45-60 minutes
Maximum Group Size
20 students
Cost
$4/student
Program Length
45-60 minutes
Maximum Group Size
25 students
Cost
$4/student
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
Enrich your students understanding of T.C. Steele with a selection of recommended books. Our T.C. Steele book list offers resources for different grade levels, from biography and art books to children’s literature inspired by Steele’s works.
Take a look at our collected educator resources from across the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.
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:
Experiment with line and color when we explore the works of the Hoosier artist T.C. Steele. Create your own masterpiece with paint you mixed yourself. Afterwards, make a splash creating a collaborative work of art.
Available: On-site and Outreach
Early Learning Standards: CA3.1, CA3.2, CA3.3, CA2.1, SS2.1, SS2.2, APL1.2, APL2.1, SC1.2, SC4.1, ELA1.3, M4.2, APL3.1, PHG3.1
BIG animals roamed Indiana a long time ago! Together we will identify Ice Age fossils and learn how paleontologists dig for these interesting creatures with hands-on activities.
Available: On-site and Outreach
Early Learning Standards: SC3.1, SC2.2, SC4.1, SC1.1, SC1.2, APL4.1, SC5.1, SC1.1, SC1.2, APL4.1, APL1.2, M3.1, M5.1, APL1.2, APL1.2, APL3.1, SS2.2, SS3.3, PHG3.1, PHG3.2
What is living under our feet? Identify and investigate what creeps and crawls underground at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site, and how these creatures prepare for the changing seasons!
Available: On-site and Outreach
Early Learning Standards: M2.1, M3.1, M5.1; M5.2, SE4.1, APL1.1, APL2.1, APL3.1, APL4.1, SC1.1, SC1.2, SC2.2, SC3.1, SC4.1, SS2.2, SS3.1, SS3.2, SS3.3, CA3.1, CA3.2, CA3.3, CA4.1, APL1.2; SC5.1; SS3.3, PHG3.1, PHG3.2
You’re invited to be a naturalist-in-training, while we use our senses to explore the outdoors at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site (weather dependent).
Available: On-site
Early Learning Standards: ELA1.1, ELA1.3, M2.2, M3.1, M4.1, M5.2, APL1.1, APL1.2, APL2.1, APL3.1, APL4.1, SC1.1, SC1.2, SC2.1, SC3.1, SC5.1, SS3.1, CS3.1, CS3.2, CA4.1, PHG2.1, PHG2.2, PHG3.1
Line! Shape! Texture! Space! Color! How did T.C. Steele use art elements to create his masterpieces? Find out when your students create their very own three-dimensional sculpture. Students will explore how artists use these elements as tools to create with this hands-on workshop.
Available: On-site and Outreach
Indiana Academic Standards: VA:Cr1.1. Ka, VA:Cr1.2.Ka, VA:Cr2.1.Ka, VA:Cr3.1.Ka; VA:Cr1.1.1a, VA:Cr1.2.1a, VA:Cr2.1.1a, VA:Cr2.3.1a, VA:Cr3.1.1.a, VA:PR4.1.1a, VA:Re8.1.1a, VA:Re8.1.2a; VA:Cr1.2.2a, VA:Cr2.1.2a, VA:Cr3.1.2a; VA:Re9.1.2a
Students will learn how artists create composition, using math. Using the Rule of Thirds, they’ll create their own compositions and paint a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, keeping in mind the art elements and principles of design.
Available: On-site and Outreach
Indiana Academic Standards: VA:Cr1.1.3a, VA:Cr1.2.3a, VA:Cr2.1.3a, VA:Re7.1.3a, VA:Re.7.2.3a, VA:Re8.1.3a, VA:Cn10.1.3a; VA:Cr1.1.4a, VA:Cr2.1.4a, VA:Cr2.2.4a; VA:Pr5.1.4a, VA:Re8.1.4a, VA:Re8.1.4a; VA:Cr1.1.5a, VA:Cr2.1.5a, VA:Cr2.2.5a; VA:Re7.1.5a, VA:Re8.1.5a, VA:Re8.1.5a, VA:Cn10.1.5a
Nature is full of engineers! Explore how our animal friends construct their homes and select their habitat. Students will use the design process to brainstorm solutions, build prototypes and test their own habitat design.
Available: On-site and Outreach
Indiana Academic Standards: 3-LS1-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3, 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2, 5-LS2-1
Inspired by Steele’s paintings that model Realism and Impressionism, your students will discover their own tastes and aesthetics when they experiment with their preferred style, and subject!
Available: On-site and Outreach
Indiana Academic Standards: VA:Cr1.1.6a, VA:Re8.1.6a; VA:Cr1.2.7a, VA:Re8.1.7a; VA:Cr1.2.8a; VA:Cr2.3.8a, VA:Re7.1.8a; HS Proficient VA:Cr1.1.la, HS Accomplished VA:Cr1.2.lla,HS Advanced VA:Cr1.2.llla, HS Accomplished VA:Cr2.1.lla, HS Accomplished VA:Pr6.1.lla, HS Accomplished VA:Re.7.1.lla; DSF-3.1, DSF-3.2, DSF-3.3, DSF-3.4
An ekphrastic poem is inspired by a work of art. Students will read poems inspired by two famous paintings, then look to one of T.C. Steele’s paintings to inspire – then write – their own poems.
Available: On-site and Outreach
Indiana Academic Standards: VA:Cr1.1.6a, VA:Re8.1.6a, VA:Cr1.2.7a, VA:Re8.1.7a, VA:Cr1.2.8a; VA:Cr2.3.8a, VA:Re7.1.8a; HS Proficient VA:Cr1.1.la, HS Accomplished VA:Cr1.2.lla, HS Advanced VA:Cr1.2.llla, HS Accomplished VA:Cr2.1.lla, HS Accomplished VA:Pr6.1.lla, HS Accomplished VA:Re.7.1.ll; 3.RC.1, 3.RC.3, 3.RC.4, 3.RC.5, 3.RC.11, 3.RC.13, 3.W.2, 3.W.3, 3.W.4, 3.CC.1, 4.RC.1, 4.RC.3, 4.RC.4, 4.RC.5, 4.RC.8, 4.W.3, 4.CC.1, 5.RC.1, 5.RC.3, 5.RC.4, 5.RC.6, 5.RC.11, 5.RC.12, 5.W.3, 5.CC.1, 6.RC.1, 6.RC.3, 6.RC.4, 6.RC.6, 6.RC.7, 6.RC.10, 6.W.3, 6.CC.1, 7.RC.1, 7.RC.6, 7.RC.7, 7.RC.10, 7.RC.11, 7.W.3, 7.CC.1, 8.RC.1, 8.RC.4, 8.RC.5, 8.RC.8, 8.RC.11, 8.W.3, 8.CC.1
Walk through the home of T.C. Steele. This historic residence, nestled among the rolling hills, offers a glimpse into the personal and professional life of one of Indiana’s most beloved artists.
Explore the expansive space where Steele created many of his iconic works. The studio offers an incredible view into the artistic process and the world that inspired Steele’s work.
Wander through the beautifully preserved gardens and surrounding natural spaces that influenced Steele’s landscape paintings. Learn how the scenery shaped his artistic vision.
Start your journey at the visitor center, where interactive exhibits tell the story of T.C. Steele’s life and artistic contributions. Explore Indiana’s natural beauty through his eyes.
Visit the very spot where Steele painted “en plein air,” capturing Indiana’s landscapes. See how his works were shaped by the environment around him.
We look forward to welcoming your students to the T.C. Steele State Historic Site, where art, nature, and history come alive. Call us at 812.988.2785 to book your trip or send us an email at the link below.
