Early Schenectady: Our Colonial Beginnings
Grade levels: 2nd – 12th
Students will explore Schenectady’s beginnings, learning about the importance of the fur trade to the community, comparing a colonial map and a modern map, encountering artists’ depictions of Schenectady’s early settlement, seeing an original 1670 land agreement between the Mohawks and Dutch settlers, and taking a walking tour of the Stockade neighborhood.

A Mule Named Sal: The Erie Canal in Schenectady
Grade levels: 2nd – 6th
This field trip focuses on the nineteenth century in Schenectady, exploring the technology of the Erie Canal and how it transformed transportation, businesses, and daily life in the community. Students compare historic photos of the canal to modern images, see original artifacts from the lock system, and learn a song about life on the Erie Canal.

The Electric City: Industrialization and Immigration, 1880-1920
Grade levels: 7th – 12th 
Students learn about the industries that drew over 75,000 people to Schenectady in the period between 1880 and 1920. Through primary source documents, photographs, art, and artifacts, students discover the ethnic groups that contributed to Schenectady’s growth and redefined the city’s culture, neighborhoods, businesses, and politics.