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Inspiring, educating and empowering through the arts and humanities.
School and summer camp field trip experiences to the National Register Historic Site of the 1969 Woodstock festival and Museum at Bethel Woods.
Explore the '60s is a multi-modal learning experience which includes a traveling trunk of artifacts that arrives to your school (at no cost) in advance of a field trip experience at Bethel Woods. Each field trip group is guided by our Museum Education Teaching Artists.
Drawing on the content in the Museum and our collections, we offer programming for grades K through 12, focused on expanding any students’ understanding of the lessons of the 60s and their relevance today. Take an immersive trip with us!
Begin any Explore the ‘60s experience with a pre-visit traveling trunk, sent to your school at no charge. The trunk is customized based on content focus, bringing the '60s to life by creating understanding through hands-on exploration.
Don’t forget to bring the trunk with you on the day you visit the Museum at Bethel Woods. Our Teaching Artists will use the artifacts and activity in the trunk to begin the day with you at the Museum.
Once you arrive at the museum, our Museum Teaching Artists and volunteers will guide the group on a deep exploration of the site, the Museum, our special exhibitions and take the group through an activity (art, music or performance based) to create a deep and meaningful learning experience.
Explore the ‘60s: Artful Activism explores symbols of the 1960s, their significance and their meanings today. Students and chaperones think about how symbols can communicate messages through analyzing the museum artifacts and 1960s posters. Inspired and empowered by history, we then identify current issues individually important to us, and create artistic symbols that amplify our own proactive voices!
Explore the ‘60s: Woodstock Music and Art Fair explores how community, cooperation and counterculture created and transformed a music festival into an event of peace and love. Through an exploration of the museum, group discussions and a button making art activity, students and chaperones interpret the three c’s and create their own story of the historic Woodstock Music and Art Fair and its relevancy today!
After your visit to the Museum, we ask all teachers, chaperones and facilitators to complete a survey to assist us with modifying and enhancing our education-based experiences.
We have a Teaching Artist-in-Residence program called Bethel Woods on Main.This provides an opportunity for creative learning residences throughout the region: in libraries, non-profit organizations, schools and at community events. Customized creative learning experiences can be one day, or many, and will be structured to enhance any learning curriculum. Our mission is to not only share the transformative power of the arts as an instrument for chance, self-expression, collaboration and purpose, but make it accessible to broad ranges of communities.
If you would like to enhance your classroom experience with a customizable curriculum, please contact us at education@bethelwoodscenter.org.
Our Yasgur’s Farm Café is open during normal hours but we require group ordering for Explore the ‘60s. a minimum of 2 weeks in advance of your visit.
Through grant funding from TD Charitable Foundation and First Niagara Foundation, Joan and Dan Silna , and The Williams Endowed Education Fund, Bethel Woods is able to provide a limited amount of transportation and school program admission scholarships to Sullivan County public school students. Discounted transportation is also available for students from surrounding counties. Funds are limited, so please contact us early in the school year to determine availability.
Our programs can accommodate groups up to 75 students, not including chaperones. If you need to schedule on a day when The Museum is not normally open, there is a maximum of 50 students and we will plan your trip with you accordingly. *If your group size is smaller than 15, register the trip and a representative will be in touch to support your trip planning.
All groups should maintain a ratio of at least one chaperone per ten students. Chaperones are expected to play an integral role in the program, including assisting with the activities and maintaining the schedule. We ask that the adult visitors in your groups (teachers and parents) be participants in assisting with program. This includes monitoring student behavior at all times on site, mixing with the students during program activities to help guide projects, and facilitating positive behavior.
Explore the ‘60s is $10 per guest, including chaperones.
Transportation and tuition assistance available based on proof of need.
Programs generally run on Thursdays and Fridays (April-June and September-December). Groups can arrive as early as 9:00 AM for the program. Special arrangements can sometimes be made for groups who cannot get to The Museum within the typical 9 AM – 1 PM time frame. Our field trip programs can run 2.5 - 4 hours depending on group needs and travel distance.
Check our Museum schedule to assist with choosing dates at registration
Funding for Museum Education and Creative Programs is provided by Bethel Woods members and donors and through generous support from foundations, individuals and agencies including: The American Gift Fund, Annelise Gerry and Family, Robyn Gerry, Nellie and Robert Gipson of the Tianaderrah Foundation, the William and Elaine Kaplan Family Foundations, the Rhulen Loughlin Family -- in memory of Trevor John Loughlin, and TD Charitable Foundation.
