Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
Subject: Art, History
1606 Main St. (PO Box 707)
Baker, LA 70714
(225) 774-1776 | General Information
(225) 774-1776 | Reservations
(225) 775-5635 | Fax
What you need to know!
General Public Hours and Admission Rates: Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 4:00pm; Saturday and Sunday by appointment; Free
School Tour Hours and Admission Rates: Monday - Friday, 10:00am – 2:00pm; Free
- Student to Chaperone Ratio Requested: 10:1
- Advance Time Needed to Make Reservations: Two weeks
- Number of Students per Visit: Up to 60
- Suggested Length of Time for Visit: Up to three hours
- Handicapped Accessible: Yes
- Grade Level Appropriate: K – 12th
- Lunch Facilities: In-door space for brown bag lunches is available on-site, and public picnic area, fast-food, and restaurants are nearby.
- Gift Shop: No
- Bus parking available
Tell Us About It!
How do I fit in? Students may wonder if, in fact, they are a part of history. Of course, they are. They are first a part of their family’s history, then they are a part of their community’s history followed by their state’s history and ultimately they are a part of our nation’s history. The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in Baker is about the American experience. There, permanent exhibits interpret and preserve Baker’s history and show how this history is part of the bigger, national story. The site includes a collection of historic buildings where regional art and local history are on display. Exhibits are changed several times a year. Be sure to inquire what is on display. The collection includes furniture, decorative and folk art, and 19th century memorabilia. As part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, Baker renovated the quaint Victorian Cottage to house this collection. Today, the museum includes 10 buildings, an actual train caboose, and a farm chores area.
What Can We See and Do There?
Docents lead guided tours that include a refreshing cup of tea or lemonade. Their stories offer information in a more nostalgic context. The tour of the collection of buildings gets students doing all sorts of 19th century chores. Kids participate in washday and haul water from the well; they may churn butter, knead bread dough, and carry the firewood. At the Village Bank, students role play cashing checks and making deposits. At the General Merchandise Store students can take in a little rest and relaxation over a game of checkers. Then it is back to work when students learn how to card and spin cotton. Self-guided tours are also available.
How Do We Get There?
From I-110, take Exit 8 North on Hwy. 19 going north to Baker. The off-ramp merges with Hwy. 19 and becomes Main St.
Bad Weather! Now What Do We Do?
Severe weather may impact field trip plans. Call the museum when foul weather predictions may impede the field trip.
Louisiana State Educational Benchmarks and Standards
- K-4th grades: H-1A-E1-2; H-1B-E1-2; H-1C-E1, 3-4
- 5th-8th grades: H-1A-M1-3, 5; H-1B-M14-15, 17; H-1D-M1, 6
- 9th-12th grades: H-1A-H1-2, 6; H-1B-H6-11
What Can We Do In Class Before Our Field Trip?
Look at the museum’s website to help plan the visit. Decide which activities are most suited to your class and request a copy of the orientation video. Bring the video to the field trip and return it at the gift shop counter.
S-T-R-E-T-C-H Out Your Field Trip Benefits
How do I fit in? Ask kids if they have ever been mentioned in the newspaper. Then, discuss how newspapers are primary source materials for historians and other researchers. Using local newspapers, ask students to collect information that they think will be important to future historians. Consider borrowing one of the Exhibit Boxes for a really interesting hands-on lesson back in class. This series of out-reach programs can be checked out at the end of the field trip and brought back to school for post-visit activities. The boxes are called The Ballot Box, The Money Box, The Sewing Box, The Main Box (post office), The Shoe Box, The Hat Box, and The Music Box.
INSTRUCTIONAL CONCEPTS
Louisiana history, local and regional history, American history, domestic technology, decorative arts, material culture studies