School Programs

Pioneer School Day

Historic Walking Tour

"This is more fun then Video Games!"
quote from kids at Fort Lauderdale Preparatory School

Pioneer School Day
Students take part in hands-on- history adventures through our onsite programs offered at the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. Students can either spend their time at the schoolhouse learning lessons from 1899 or spread out their time between the schoolhouse, King-Cromartie House, and New River Inn.

1899 Replica Schoolhouse Experience - Pioneer School Experience

The Pioneer School Day experience is unique to the school the students are in. It is a replica of the school the 1899 class was originally in. The schoolhouse housed grades 1-8. A modern Miss Ivy Cromartie leads students in early 20th century lessons including arithmetic, history, geography, and even recitiations. Students are encouraged to dress in period clothing including long dresses, bonnets, suspenders, caps, and dark boots. They start their school day with 1899 pledge of allegiance and follow classroom rules of 1899. Each lesson is grade appropriate and students are encouraged to fully participate.

1907 King-Cromartie Pioneer Lifestyle Museum

At the King-Cromartie House, students enter the world of Fort Lauderdale in 1907 As one of the premier citizens of Fort Lauderdale, Mr. King's home stands still in time, illustrating to children the life of a middle class family at the turn of the century. Students will explore each room finding clues to life before television, Xbox, and cell phones. They will do laundry by hand, learn about different customs, and even the animals that lived right outside their front door.

1905 New River Inn , Games People Play

Built in 1905, the Inn is Broward's oldest tourist hotel.  Built of hollow concrete blocks made with sand barged from the beach, the hotel now serves as the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society Museum of History. Students will discover what children did before technology and play the games children played in 1905. They will learn the origins of many of the games they play today, such as Duck, Duck, Goose, and Red Rover.

Historic Walking Tour

Designed for studnets in grades 6-10, students will have the opportunity to walk where pioneers did before them and discover what life was like as a child at the turn of the century.

Please go to our Policy and Fees page for more information

Pre-Visit Activities

Click on the link above for some activities you can do with your students before you come to visit us on site!

More programs are currently in development. Please check back often or contact Jamie Melissa Wilms for more information.