Education

Programs

We offer a range of fascinating history programs for your organization, group, social event, or classroom.

  • Abraham Lincoln Goes to Waukegan

  • The Civil War: The War Efforts in Waukegan

  • “Firsts” in Waukegan

  • Influential Women of Waukegan’s Past

  • Jack Benny: From Waukegan to Hollywood

  • Jane Addams: Remembering Waukegan’s Bowen Country Club

  • Lake County’s First Public Execution  

  • Lake Michigan History and Local Shipwrecks

  • The Making of Waukegan: Immigration and Industry

  • Native American History of the Waukegan Area

  • Play Ball: Baseball in Waukegan 

  • Ray Bradbury: Waukegan’s Influence on a Visionary

  • Titanic: A Fateful Ticket to Waukegan

  • Waukegan and the Motion Picture Industry

  • Waukegan and the Underground Railroad

  • Waukegan’s African American History

For school groups only:

  • A Day in the Life of a Student (corresponds to the year your school opened)

  • Early Settlers of Little Fort

  • The French Fur Trade

  • Guided Neighborhood Walking Tours

  • The Growing Town of Little Fort

  • A Growing Waukegan

  • Haunted Waukegan

  • History of the Waukegan Schools

  • Introduction to Studying & Learning about Local History

  • Prominent Events and Visitors of Waukegan

  • Waukegan’s Famous Civil War Drummer Boys

  • What-Cha-Ma-Call-It History Trunk (hands-on program)

For educators and youth leaders:

  • Guided Museum Tours (All Grades)

  • Guided Bus Tours (All Grades)

  • Classroom Presentations (All Grades)

  • Library Research (All Grades)

  • Research assistance of Chicago Metro History Fair (All Grades)

Schedule a program or field trip

New field trip offerings:

  • Available year-round, and can include guided tour of The Waukegan Chronicles exhibit and Ray Bradbury Library exhibit.

  • Each field trip is 45 minutes-1 hour.

  • 15 student minimum, 30 student maximum.

  • Free for WPS60 schools, $3 per student for non-WPS60 schools.

  • Geography and Native Americans (Grades 1-2):  Students will learn about the geography of Waukegan through creating their own map and examine how Native Americans utilized natural resources by examining artifacts. 

  • The Underground Railroad (Grades 4-5): Students will study Waukegan and Lake County's role in the Underground Railroad. Students will use primary source photos and quotes to recreate the journey of an enslaved person from slavery to freedom in Canada.

  • Ray Bradbury Short Stories (Middle School): Students will be introduced to the imaginative world of acclaimed author Ray Bradbury. Students will read a short story by Ray and create their own writing inspired by his work.

Program length is 45 minutes to 1 hour.

  • Many programs are multimedia presentations with hands-on artifacts.

  • Programs presented in the schools are based on Social Sciences Performance Standards.

  • Programs can be given for multiple classrooms on the same day.

  • Programs able to be scheduled to be given on a weekly basis.

  • Presenters are the Waukegan History Museum staff.

  • All programs have a connection to Waukegan. If you have a need for something and you don’t see it on the list, let us know and we’ll try to create it.

  • The history of Waukegan is truly amazing and we look forward to sharing it with you!

Schedule a program or field trip