NPS Photo Overview for Educators and KidsNational Parks are America's largest classrooms. We offer several programs for educators and kids at the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. The current options are listed below with more details provided in the collapsible sections.
The Educational Programs We Offer
A field trip to the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site includes a ranger-guided tour of the Hyde Park mansion and a guided walk of the grounds. To schedule a field trip, please follow the steps listed below. Tours of the mansion are limited to 30 participants, including students, teachers and chaperones. Groups larger than 30 will be split into smaller groups that rotate through the mansion and grounds. Schools may bring a maximum of 90 participants per day. Groups larger than 90 should plan to schedule their visit over multiple days.
Step 1: Secure Your Date Go to our school group bookings calendar to see available field trip dates at the following link: MBC-Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites On-site Field Trips are available every day of the week. We offer a morning session starting as early as 9:00 AM, and an afternoon session starting as early as 1:00 PM. On the Bookings calendar, pick the 9:00 AM slot if you wish to visit in the morning, or choose 1:00 PM if you intend to arrive in the afternoon. In step 2, you will be able to request an exact time for your arrival and departure other than the two listed. Step 2: Complete Registration Forms Once you’ve booked your date, complete the official, required NPS request form at the following link: Field Trip Request Form - Vanderbilt Mansion NHS Step 3: Wait for Confirmation After completing steps 1 and 2, a member of our park staff will contact you to confirm details of your trip and send you an official confirmation email. If you have any questions, contact our staff at ROVA_Education@nps.gov.
The Vanderbilt Mansion NHS has a Junior Ranger program designed for children ages 6-15. The handbook and badge are available at the front desk of the Pavilion Visitor Center upon request. This activity is free for all ages! Please email the education division at ROVA_Education@nps.gov for a downloadable Vanderbilt Mansion Junior Ranger book.
The Ranger In A Classroom program can send a National Park Service Ranger to your classroom to teach a lesson on the National Park Service, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Students will learn about important parks around the country such as the Vanderbilt Mansion and get an in-depth look at Eleanor Roosevelt's humanitarian efforts which expanded on her husband's vision for the United Nations. This program is available to all 4th and 5th grade classrooms. The visiting NPS ranger will bring a digital presentation and a video to share with the class.
Ranger programs are available by reservation only. Requests must be received 2 weeks prior to the intended visit. To make a reservation for the Ranger In A Classroom program, please fill out the following form: Ranger In A Classroom - Request FormEvery Kid Outdoors allows U.S. fourth graders and family members free access to over 2,000 federal lands and waters so you can discover our wildlife, resources, and history. Every Kid Outdoors creates crucial connections to public lands and inspires a future generation of stewards for America's spectacular national parks and other public lands.
Due to a generous grant from the National Park Foundation, the Vanderbilt Mansion NHS may be able to cover transportation expenses to our site from your school. If you are an educator for a school within a 50 mile radius of Hyde Park, NY, this grant could benefit you. Please contact the education division at ROVA_Education@nps.gov for more details.
Occassionally, rangers will provide special programs with family-friendly content highlighting the grounds and stories of the Vanderbilts. These unique programs will beadvertised on our social media accounts. Please keep a watch on our Facebook and Instagram accounts at the following links: |
Last updated: August 19, 2026