Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site offers a variety of programs for students, homeschool groups, adults, and educators. With a focus on the early Colonial period to the American Revolution, visitors of all ages can learn about the confluence of Indigenous, European, and African cultures in New York State and Westchester County.
Philipse Manor Hall offers field trips for groups of all ages. Select a themed program option below to see age range and program details. All programs include museum tour and hands-on activity.
Field trips are $3/student. One chaperone per 10 students gets in free.
Public schools and other educational organizations in a district with a Title 1 school are eligible to apply for a Connect Kids to Parks field trip grant. Field trip expenses may be reimbursed by the program up to $1,000. Click here to learn more.
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is a historic house that dates back to the 1680s, but it is also a state-of-the-art history museum. Students of all ages and backgrounds will learn about the history of early New York - from pre-contact Indigenous groups of the Hudson Valley through to the end of the American Revolution.
The first generation of the Philipse family were heavily involved in the fur trade with Indigenous peoples, including the Munsee and Mohicans in the Hudson Valley and Haudenosaunee/Six Nations in the Albany area. Margaret Hardenbroek and Frederick Philipse I made a fortune in the fur trade, including hoarding wampum.
New York City was once the second-largest slave trading port in the colonies and the colony of New York had more enslavers per capita than any other American colony. Among those enslavers were the Philipse family, who profited both off of the individual labor of enslaved people as well as the slave trade itself. But enslaved Africans and people of African descent resisted slavery at every turn.
Sugar and spices are today part of daily life, but historically they were expensive luxury items. As Dutch merchants, the Philipses traded in spices and later owned a sugar plantation in Barbados. Enslaved and free people were involved in both the production and shipping of sugar and spices, as well as in converting them into yummy baked goods in the American colonies.
Looking to bring students to Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site for a field trip? You may be eligible for field trip grants through the Connect-Kids-to-Parks Field Trip Grant Program (Connect Kids), which is designed to connect students in New York State with nature and history.
Philipse Manor Hall offers in-class and virtual programs for a variety of grades. From pre- and post-visit programs to stand-alone programs, some are led by PMH staff, others can be teacher-led. Select your grade range for more details.
Staff-led in-class and virtual programs are $50/class.
Coming soon! In-class and virtual programs using primary sources related to Philipse Manor Hall to encourage inquiry, historical empathy, and more in-depth understanding of history.
Coming soon! In-class and virtual programs using primary documents including estate records, bills of sale, newspaper articles, court cases, and more to bring history to life.
Coming soon! Using historic court documents, students reenact the drama of the 1741 Conspiracy, which accused enslaved and indentured people of conspiring to murder enslavers and other wealthy White residents and take over New York City.
Philipse Manor Hall offers guided tours of the museum, walking tours, and offsite and virtual talks for adult groups.
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site offers walking tours for the general public of the daylighted Sawmill River and the Yonkers waterfront.
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site offers lectures on a variety of topics to adult groups both offsite and virtually.
Take a guided tour of Philipse Manor Hall! Our skilled interpreters will translate the fascinating and complicated history of the hall for you. Learn about the confluence of cultures - European, Indigenous, and African - from the earliest Colonial period to the American Revolution, and beyond.
Want to learn more about teaching or interpreting hard history? Philipse Manor Hall offers professional development training and resources for educators in schools, heritage organizations, and more.
The staff at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site are looking forward to partnering with our fellow history and heritage organizations.
The staff at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site know that teaching history is anything but easy. That is why we are working with education specialists in Albany and with area continuing education organizations to develop a series of programs specially designed for teachers and educators
