1840’s at Garfield Farm Museum Camps

CAMPTON HILLS, IL:     Children ages eight to fifteen years old will have a chance to discover what life was like in the 1840’s at Garfield Farm during two three-day camps this summer. The first session runs from June 18th thru 20th and the second session runs from July 23rd thru 25th. Both sessions start at 9am and end at noon each day. The cost is $75 per session. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting the museum at (630) 584-8485 or info@garfieldfarm.org.

          In the mid 1800’s, most Americans lived on farms and everyone was needed to help with the daily chores and farm operations. Children were considered a valuable source of labor and would be expected to help out whenever needed. Farming was hard work and families had to make do without many of the simple things that we take for granted today, like electricity and running water.

During the camps, children will experience farm life through guided tours of the museum’s historic barns and 1846 brick inn. They will begin each day by helping to feed the museum’s farm animals. These include rare heritage breeds of chickens, turkeys, geese, sheep, hogs, and oxen.

The children will also take part in hands-on activities and witness demonstrations of everyday activities from the mid 19th century. Possible demonstrations include; blacksmithing, butter churning,  candle dipping, carding wool, contra dancing, cooking demonstrations, corn shelling, cutting hay, flailing wheat, vegetable gardening, gathering eggs, old fashioned games, ox driving, scrubbing laundry, shelling beans, and spinning wool.

Garfield Farm Museum is a 370 acre historically intact former 1840’s prairie farmstead and teamster inn that volunteers and donors are preserving as an 1840’s living history museum. The museum is located 5 miles west of Geneva, Illinois off ILL Route 38 on Garfield Road.