Shawnee Town has two different Traveling Trunks programs that are available to you in your own classroom! They are excellent programs for putting students in touch (literally) with history! Teachers or group leaders pick up a rented (refundable $25) trunk full of artifacts and lesson ideas/worksheets/directed research opportunities (a field trip in-a-box) to explore hands-on, primary history resources in their own classroom. The teacher can control and direct the learning or it also allows for a student to do independent learning, as the teacher sees fit.

Families and groups are also welcome to check out trunks too, as they also make great directed thematic learning, compare/contrast, and broad history conversations. Use on your own schedule, get as in depth as your needs and time allow.

1. "History Detectives" allows students to be a museum curator for the day, features 1910's - 1930's artifacts (primary sources) that students work with. We recommend students work in small groups to examine their assigned item, research it and present their findings to you and their class. As the teacher, you will receive a brief guide with a description of each item, its history, and lead questions to ask the students, useful links, and lesson expansion ideas. Kansas curriculum standards this program meets are also included in the teacher's guide.

2. America's Melting Pot - Immigration traveling trunk focuses on Immigration and the many ways and reasons people came to this country, from America’s beginnings to present day. To explore our ethnically diverse country, this program's content also encourages exploring various cultures, keepsakes, and memories, and how all of these factors make America a true melting pot. As the teacher, you will receive a guide with a program overview, props, and discussion prompts which opens up important dialogs into our past and current immigrants, diverse populations, and how America is truly a melting pot of cultures and peoples. It has also been very successful with ESL groups and current students who themselves or their parents are immigrants.

Navigate through our new AWARD WINNING 360º Tour to step into history! Use the menu or just click around to navigate through the Farmstead, Town, and Visitor Center. You can even click on artifacts, videos, and mp3 prompts throughout the tour to learn more about them. Take a ride in our ‘27 Nash, see who got thrown in jail, and even watch us chore the chickens! Click on the Q button to see if you can ace the quiz!

Preview the 360º Tour here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uug7Nb-IN6g&t=43s

Shawnee Town 1929 participated in Virtual Museum Day KC in May 2020.

Enjoy the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJXCvgYzV8s

Historical Hauntings is a real scream! Slither by Shawnee Town Museum on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm for a family–friendly evening of trick–or–treating, tractor hayrides, Farmstead house tours, photo ops, and more!

All activities are free with a $1.00 suggested donation to benefit Shawnee Town 1929’s educational programs. This event draws a very large crowd, so we strongly suggest arriving early and plan for lines! After sundown, temperatures will drop so please dress accordingly. Entrance is through the gates on both sides of the museum. Neighboring parking lots and street parking will be open.

Friday, October 17, 2025

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Homeschool families are invited to join us for an interactive educational program at our historic truck farm and recreated Shawnee Downtown! Families will self–guide through the activity stations across the museum, including favorites like farmstead laundry and grocery shopping along with BONUS activities just for Homeschool Day! Stay tuned for activity announcements on our social media closer to the date.

Pre-paid registration is required for this program. No walk-ups will be allowed. Admission is $6.00 per child age 5-17 and $6.00 per adult. Children under 5 are free. Please call (913) 248–2360 to sign up. Activity areas are open from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, and families are welcome to stay on the grounds after 1:00pm to eat lunch or self-guide open areas. The Museum closes at 4:30pm. Admission does not include a guided tour. Event is rain or shine.

Every Wednesday, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2025

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Kids can kick off their Summer Reading and practice their skills with the very best audience... our chickens! Visit the fine feathered friends at Shawnee Town 1929 Museum FREE every Wednesday morning in July, where kids can pull up a chair and show off their reading skills to our help entertain our flock. They absolutely love meeting your kids! We even have a selection of farm-themed books to read. Arrive anytime from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and read a story or two to our chickens – they can’t wait!

Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 17 – August 7, 2025

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Our favorite summer series is BACK! Bring your family and enjoy a trip back to 1929 with interactive days at our historic truck farm or recreated Shawnee downtown. Experience fan-favorite activities like farmstead laundry and grocery shopping along with special bonus activities and themes featured every week, Tuesday and Thursday from June 17 to August 7. All activities included with your general admission – or get a Friends of Shawnee Town family membership to enjoy activities FREE all summer!

June 17 Family Vacation (Closed Thursday the 19th)

Take the family camping, 1920s style! Explore a real Auto Tent and campsite, plan your family trip, and shop for supplies in town. Don’t forget the games!

June 24 and 26 • Life on a Truck Farm

It’s the busy season on the farm! Time to harvest and wash the vegetables, hang laundry, feed the chickens, and make lunch in the farm kitchen.

July 1 and 3 • It's Party Time!

Get ready for Shawnee’s 1929 annual Independence Day party! Come help decorate the town, practice for the sack races, and more patriotic fun. Visitors are welcome to wear American colors and pack a picnic!

July 8 and 10 • Animal Farm

Learn about animal life on a Shawnee truck farm as we care for all our farm’s residents! Feed the chickens, check on our new baby chicks, and visit the barnyard’s sheep, goats, and milking cow.

July 15 and 17 • Dress To Impress

Time to play dress up! Kids will get to try on 1920s-style outfits around town, pose and recreate real historic photos, and learn about the lives of those real people from Shawnee.

July 22 and 24 • Keep It Clean

Time for summer cleaning on the farm! Let’s grab a bucket and wash the family car, vacuum the house, and get those vegetables washed for market. Don’t forget the laundry!

July 29 and 31 • Get a Job

It’s time to roleplay and step into the shoes of Shawnee’s townspeople 100 years ago! Each visitor gets a surprise identity - will you be a Barber, or a teacher, or maybe the Undertaker?

August 5 and 7 • Time for a Wedding!

Somebody’s getting married! Help recreate wedding traditions from 1920s Shawnee and get the DeCaeny Farm ready to host the reception – that means cleaning house, food, games, and more!

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Explore the amazing science behind farming and technology that changed the lives of people in the 1920s! Visitors of all ages are welcome to enjoy activities on Saturday, May 3 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm while touring the museum grounds. As part of National ReMake Learning Week, all programs feature hands–on learning highlighting science and innovation:

Station 1: Automobiles!

Guided by an expert mechanic, students of all ages will learn the ins and outs of how car engines operate, gasoline pumps, and all the latest technological innovations of 1920s cars inside the recreated Chevrolet Dealership.

Station 2: Farm Agriculture!

Explore STEM concepts and principles through hands–on activities at Shawnee Town 1929's heirloom vegetable garden. Discover pollinators in the garden's landscape, learn about composting, and plan your own summer garden.

Station 3: The Science of Cooking!

1920s adults were the first generation to be raised with scientific knowledge of cooking methods! Visit the kitchen to explore and sample the seasonal food out of the garden, prepared with the latest wood–burning stove technology and combined with modern 1920s store–bought products.

FREE ADMISSION during the program times.