Social Story: What to expect at the McCormick House during field trips

We will start your field trip in the Gold Theater. Please wait for a teacher to check in before you rush down the steps! Watch your step, there is a ramp on the other side of this orange door.

Welcome to the Gold Theater! We start each school visit to the mansion with a short movie that tells you a bit more about the family who lived here. Everyone watches the movie together. If you are part of a large school group, we sometimes ask teachers to make two smaller groups.

Head to the front door to meet your guide. Our tours are all guided by volunteers or staff. They will tell you stories about the people who lived in the house and also the history of some of the objects in the house. They often start with a story in each room and then ask for questions.

Inside the house: Many of the paintings and pieces of furniture are old, so we ask that you not touch them. Your guide may pass out photos or objects and these are okay to touch. If you aren’t sure, ask your guide if it is okay to touch an object.

What do the ropes mean? In many rooms you will notice stanchions (stretchy ropes). They keep visitors from getting too close to our old objects. Our staff has permission to go behind the ropes because they have special training. Don’t push or lean on the stanchions, they might fall over if you push or lean too much.

You will see some different things. Some people like to compare our old newspapers to modern ones. This activity lets them do that. Some objects are in museum cases. This helps us keep them safe and we can also add labels to help people understand why the objects are there.

Sometimes it is okay to touch. Items that are on a stand, but not in a glass case or behind stanchions (stretchy ropes) are okay to look at and touch. Please be gentle. If you aren’t sure if it is okay to touch something, please ask your guide.

Can we sit on the furniture? We ask that you not sit on the old furniture, even if it isn’t surrounded by the stanchions. We do have some modern blue chairs that are okay to use if you need a rest. If you aren’t sure, it is okay to ask your guide.

Do we see the whole house? Most schools plan for a 45 minute tour. This means we only have time to see the first floor of the house. We offer tours on the weekend too, so you can always come back with family to see the rest of the house!