Field Trip to the CSS Neuse Museum
Program Objectives
1. Students should understand the importance of the CSS Neuse and how its story fits into the overall story of the Civil War in eastern North Carolina.
2. Students should understand the importance of the technological advancements of the mid-nineteenth century regarding the advent of rifled artillery and the development of ironclads.
3. Students should have a basic understanding of what life was like in Kinston, North Carolina, during the Civil War, for the soldiers and sailors stationed there and for the civilians living in this area.
Field Trip Registration and Pre-Visit Activities
1. Teachers may use some of the supplemental lesson plans at the bottom of this page as a pre-visit activity or a stand-alone classroom lesson.
2. Check out some of the videos on our YouTube channel.
On-Site Activities
The core on-site program lasts 1.5 hours and is customizable. Generally, groups will begin by watching the orientation film, followed by a grade-level-appropriate scavenger hunt, and then engage in one to two activities, depending on the time and size of the group. Please allow time for bathroom breaks, gift shop sales, and transitions between stations in your planning. Every effort will be made to satisfy your requests. However, staff reserves the right to alter planned programming due to unanticipated staff shortages.
1. CSS Neuse Orientation Film – This film is 10 minutes long and gives an overview of the history of the CSS Neuse from design and construction through the recovery in the 1960s.
2. Scavenger Hunt- Each scavenger hunt is colorful and full of graphics. The suggested K-2 scavenger hunt has items or images that the students must find in the museum. Our other scavenger hunt requires each group of students to read, answer questions, complete a word search, and more! Most groups spend 25-30 minutes completing the scavenger hunt.
3. Activities- Please review the Educator’s Toolkit to decide on the activities you would like for your students to participate in during their field trip. Most teachers select one to two activities, depending on the time and the size of the group.
Suggested Visit Schedules
When scheduling a field trip, if multiple classes are participating, please allocate between 90 minutes and 2 hours for the duration of the trip. Ensure that the number of activities selected corresponds to the number of classes attending. For instance, if you are bringing 120 students or six classes, you should choose six activities that align with your designated time frame.
45 minutes- Small groups with less than 30 students.
Orientation film, “Brown Water Ironclad”. (10 minutes)
Age-appropriate scavenger hunt (20 minutes)
1 short activity (12 minutes)
- Sailor life
- Soldier life
- 19th Century Toys and Games
- Rope Making
60 minutes- Groups with no more than 50 students.
Orientation film, “Brown Water Ironclad”. (10 minutes)
Age-appropriate scavenger hunt (20 minutes)
2 (10-15 minute) activities or 1 (30-minute activity)
90-120 Minutes- Groups with more than 80 students will need to watch the orientation film prior to the field trip. The video link is in this packet, but also on the CSS Neuse YouTube channel.
Orientation film, “Brown Water Ironclad”. (10 minutes)
Age-appropriate scavenger hunt (20-25 minutes)
Activities - the number of activities will depend on how much time you have, the number of classes, and the teacher's interest.
All Things Homeschool
Homeschool Families- The section below is specifically for homeschool families. This school year, there will be separate registration for all homeschool field trips.
On-Site Activities
The core on-site program lasts 1.5 hours and is customizable. Generally, groups will begin by watching the orientation film, followed by a grade-level-appropriate scavenger hunt, and then engage in one to two activities, depending on the time and size of the group. Please allow time for bathroom breaks, gift shop sales, and transitions between stations in your planning. Every effort will be made to satisfy your requests. However, staff reserves the right to alter planned programming due to unanticipated staff shortages.
1. CSS Neuse Orientation Film – This film is 10 minutes long and gives an overview of the history of the CSS Neuse from design and construction through the recovery in the 1960s.
2. Scavenger Hunt- Each scavenger hunt is colorful and full of graphics. The suggested K-2 scavenger hunt has items or images that the students must find in the museum. Our other scavenger hunt requires each group of students to read, answer questions, complete a word search, and more! Most groups spend 25-30 minutes completing the scavenger hunt.
3. Activities- Please review the Educator's Guide to decide on the activities you would like for your students to participate in during their field trip. Most teachers select one to two activities, depending on the time and the size of the group.
Homeschool Day Program Information
The CSS Neuse Museum offers monthly homeschool day programs from September through April each year. Programs run from 10:00 to 11:30 am. Pre-registration is required. The activity fee is $2.00 plus tax per student. Ages 3 and under are free. If you cannot attend one of the homeschool day events but would still like to schedule a field trip to the CSS Neuse Museum, please email Randi at randi.shaw@dncr.nc.gov.
Activities: Please review the Educator’s Guide for the activities offered for each monthly theme.
September 2026-April 2027 Homeschool Day Programs
Join us for CSS Neuse Museum Homeschool Day programs for the 2026-2027 school year! After everyone has registered, our team will assign each student to a group for the field trip. Please ensure that you include the Co-op or group you would like to be with on the registration form. You can register for all the homeschool day programs at once or every month.
Dates and Themes:
- September 17- Espionage
- October 15- North Carolina Ironclads and Civil War Weapons
- November 19- Blockades and Economy
- December 17- Victorian Christmas
- January 21- WWI in the Trenches
- February 18- WWII in the Foxholes
- March 18- 19th Century Medicine
- April 15- TBD
For each of these programs, staff from other NC Historic Sites, other state agencies, volunteers, and nonprofit organizations will help create engaging and memorable experiences for your homeschool student(s). We're excited to include lots of hands-on activities to make learning fun. Each station will be around twelve minutes long, giving families a chance to explore several stations in organized groups.
The activity fee is $2.00 plus tax per student. Admission for parents, chaperones, and guardians is free, but everyone must still register. Ages 3 and under are free.
Registration link
Registration will close on the Monday preceding the event date, allowing staff to organize groups and distribute the list by email. Registration will reopen after each homeschool day program is finished. If you have any questions, please email Randi at randi.shaw@dncr.nc.gov.
Additional Homeschool Family Opportunities
Homeschool Prom - The Friends of the CSS Neuse Museum organize and host an annual Homeschool Prom. March 2026 will mark their fifth year of hosting a homeschool prom, which attracted 277 homeschoolers from across North Carolina. Details for the March 2027 prom will be posted in fall 2026.
Homeschool Graduation - The Friends of the CSS Neuse Museum plan and host an annual homeschool graduation ceremony.
May 29, 2027: Homeschool Graduation Registration Coming Soon!
Outreach Information
We offer off-site visits for festivals, summer reading programs, special events, and more! When our team attends an event, we bring themed giveaways that match the event and hands-on activities. If you are interested in discussing outreach options, please email Randi at randi.shaw@dncr.nc.gov or Rachel at rachel.kennedy@dncr.nc.gov, or call 252-526-9600, ext. 223.
Examples of past outreach events include:
- Earth Day at Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center
- Freedom Festival at the State Capitol
- Earth Day and 30th Anniversary event at Neuseway Nature Park
- Juneteenth Community Event
- A250 Summer Reading Program at the Onslow County Library
- Homeschool Resource Hub at the Onslow County Library
Documents
This page was last modified on 07/27/2026