NPS Photo/G. Purifoy General Information About Ranger-Led School ProgramsValley Forge National Historical Park offers ranger-led, curriculum-based education programs for students in grades 3 to 12 in the form of in-park field trips. Registration InformationUPDATED August 2025: Eating Lunch in the ParkIf your group is planning to visit Valley Forge over the lunch hour, we suggest packing a picnic lunch as there are no full-service concessions on the premises nor indoor dining facilities. The Wayne's Woods and Varnum's picnic areas are best suited to accommodate school groups because they are both situated along the main tour route. Help protect the ecosystems and habitats at Valley Forge by practicing Leave No Trace principles. If a garbage can is full, please take your trash with you to dispose of properly outside of the park. Make Your Field Trip a Green Field TripBring reusable bottles, lunch bags/boxes, and food containers. Water filling stations and water fountains are available throughout the park. Print visit materials double-sided or use electronic copies — recycle whenever possible. Review and share the seven principles of Leave No Trace with students. Bus idling is prohibited. Additional Self-Guided Educational ActivitiesSelf-guided educational materials can be found on the Lesson Plans webpage and the Self-Guided Homeschool Activities page. Watch the 19-minute park orienation film online If you don't want to lead a self-guided tour of the park, you may also reach out to our partner, The Encampment Store, at Private Tours at Valley Forge National Historical Park (encampmentstore.org) to book a private tour. In-Park Field Trip ProgramsRiding Through HistoryGrades: 6 - 12 Park Rangers will lead students in discussions and debates as they Ride Through History at Valley Forge. Your bus will stop at the Muhlenberg Brigade Huts, the National Memorial Arch, and Washington's Headquarters as rangers help the students discover how history impacts their lives. The school is responsible for providing a bus for this program. Rangers will board the bus at the Visitor Center at Valley Forge, ride with the students for the duration of the program, and will be dropped off back at the visitor center at the conclusion of the program. You and your class are welcome to eat lunch in the park at one of our picnic areas after the program. Meets Pennsylvania State Standard:
Meets Common Core Standard:
*Exceptions to the class size requirements may be granted to special needs classes. Soldier LifeGrades: 3 - 6 Join the Continental Army to learn about Valley Forge through hands-on interactive activities exploring the diversity, sacrifice, and perseverance of the encampment's participants. Park rangers dressed in period clothing will take students on an exploration of the landscape, people, and history of Valley Forge. Students and teachers will join the ranger on a .25 mile walk from the visitor center to the reconstructed huts at Muhlenberg's Brigade. Meets Pennsylvania State Standards:
*Exceptions to the class size requirements may be granted to special needs classes. Register OnlinePick from a selection of programming options and dates and book a field trip for your class today! |
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Last updated: August 20, 2025