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Program Guidelines | Ranger-Guided Programs | Self-Guided Programs | Reservations

Group Size – Large groups of students limit access to our facilities and therefore diminish the effectiveness of our programs. As a result, we limit each group to a maximum of 35 students per program. If your group is larger we will divide your group accordingly, if our staff permits.

Chaperones – One adult chaperone must accompany 10 students (Grades K-6). While the educational program is the responsibility of the ranger, chaperones will be expected to maintain discipline. Likewise, chaperones must maintain appropriate student behavior while the group explores the park on its own.

Be on Time – Our staff is limited and requests for programs are many. If your group is more than 30 minutes late, your program will be canceled.

Dress – Most programs are presented outdoors and involve walking. Students must be prepared for the weather and the uneven streets and hills of Harpers Ferry. Please prepare your students for the environment.

Check In – Upon arriving at the park, the group leader should check in at the Visitor Center and find out where the program will begin.

RESOURCE PROTECTION:

• Cultural Resources – Ruins and remnants of buildings and walls are found throughout the park. These areas are important, fragile resources. Please do not walk, sit or stand on these areas. Occasionally artifacts (glass, pottery, etc.) are found on the ground. Please do not pick up or remove these items. Notify a park ranger as to the location of the item(s).
• Natural Resources – Abundant wildlife, flora and fauna, can be found throughout the park. Vegetation, although pretty or unusual looking, should be left where it is found. Various wild animal species live in the park. We ask that you remember while some may seem tame; they are indeed wild. Please refrain from feeding these animals or leaving lunch remains/trash where they can get to it.

Lunches – Two areas are designated for school groups. One area, with tables, is adjacent to the Visitor Center. The other, without tables, is along the Shenandoah River in the Lower Town District. Please pack lunches in small lap-size coolers/boxes. If you plan to eat along the river, you may transport small coolers and boxes on the shuttle bus and store them in the Lower Town. Please mark boxes, coolers, etc. with your school name. You may want to bring something to sit on.

Lunch Storage – A secure lunch storage area is located in the Lower Town. (See lunch map) A teacher must check out a key at the Information Center by leaving a driver's license. Secure the door after storing lunches and picking up lunches. Return key to Information Center after lunch.

Following your lunch, we ask that you deposit your trash in the receptacles provided along the railroad trestle (see Lower Town map). Please do not overload cans.

SAFETY:

• Rivers – At times the rivers appear calm and peaceful. This is deceptive, however, as deep holes and swift undercurrents make them treacherous at any time of the year.
• Traffic – The streets are not closed to traffic. Please keep students on designated walkways.
• Restoration – Barricades and roped off areas indicate restoration and construction areas. Please keep students away from these areas.
• NOTICE: Cap Guns – The use of cap guns, etc. is prohibited in the park (36 CFR 2.34). Shops adjacent to the park do sell these items. If your students purchase and discharge them on park property, they will be confiscated.

Chaperones must accompany students on programs.

Incident at Harpers Ferry:
Grade level: 5th-12th; Time: 60 minutes
This program discusses John Brown: his background, reasons for coming to Harpers Ferry, his capture, trial and execution, and the aftermath of his raid on Harpers Ferry.

Under Fire:
Grade level: 5th-12th; Time: 60 minutes
The program discusses the important role of Harpers Ferry during the Civil War. Students learn why Harpers Ferry was important to both the North and the South, the major engagements during the war, the hardships faced by the citizens of Harpers Ferry, and how the devastation suffered during the war changed the town forever.

Harpers Ferry: A Place in History:
Grade Level: 3rd-12th; Time: 60 minutes
This program provides an overview of the history of Harpers Ferry. Topics covered are: Native American use of the area; Robert Harper; building of the U.S. Armory and Arsenal; Transportation; John Brown's Raid; the Civil War and its impact on the community; African American history, including the founding of Storer College and the Niagara Movement; and the preservation of this site as a part of the National Park system.

Marsh Walk:
Grade level: 2nd-12th; Time: 60 minutes; Maximum number: 25
This program explores an often misunder- stood natural resource - the wetland. Students walk along a wetland habitat as they learn about the animals that rely on wetlands as their home, the components that make up a wetland, and the importance of wetlands.

Black Voices from Harpers Ferry:
Grade Level: 5th-12th; Time: 60 minutes
This program explores the lives of African Americans throughout the history of Harpers Ferry from slavery to freedom. Included are the founding of Storer College and the Niagara Movement (early Civil Rights).

Virginius Island:
Grade Level: 5th-12th; Time: 90 minutes
This walking tour (3/4 mile) introduces students to Virginius Island, an industrial community of the 19th-century. Students will learn about the importance of waterpower to these 19th-century industries.

LOWER TOWN:
See our Lower Town Map & Guide for more information about this area.

MARYLAND HEIGHTS:
See our Maryland Heights Map & Guide for more information about this area.

VIRGINIUS ISLAND:
See our Virginius Island Map & Guide for more information about this area.

HARPERS FERRY HISTORY SEARCH:
Retrieve our History Scavenger Hunt (PDF – requires free Acrobat Reader). This short discovery program leads students on a history hunt through the park.

Retrieve our Harpers Ferry History Search (Grades 6-12) (1.13MB – PDF – requires free Acrobat Reader). Have your students fill in the answers as they learn about the unique stories of Harpers Ferry.

Retrieve our Harpers Ferry History Search (Grades 3-5) (1 MB – PDF – requires free Acrobat Reader). Have your students fill in the answers as they learn about the unique stories of Harpers Ferry.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park offers a variety of Educational Programs – both Ranger-Guided and Self-Guided. Ranger Guided programs will help your students gain a greater understanding of the cultural and natural resources of the park. All reservations, Ranger-Guided and Self-Guided, must be made a minimum of three weeks prior to your visit. Openings are filled very quickly, so make your reservations early. In order to make reservations, please follow the steps listed below.

1. Select a program that most closely matches your curricular needs or course of study.
2. Prepare a list of at least 3 possible dates (weekdays only).
3. Fill out our Reservation Form (Acrobat PDF – requires free Acrobat Reader)
4. Photocopy the completed reservation sheet and mail it to the park.

Your reservation will be recorded and a confirmation will be returned to you. If programs are already booked, we will call you.

If you are interested in a self-guided educational visit, follow steps 2-4 listed above. Your reservation will be recorded and a confirmation will be returned to you.