No matter the time of year, there is always something going on at the Abbe Museum!
K-12 School Programs
The Abbe Museum specializes in the use of objects and student-guided exploration to create memorable experiences to enhance your students’ learning about the Wabanaki tribes, past, and present. Available in-person at the Museum or in a digital format, our current programs include:
In-Person Guided Tours
We can accommodate a maximum of 50 students at one time, and require at least 1 chaperone for every 10 students. Larger groups can be arranged with staggered start times.
Visiting The Abbe: Wabanaki Heritage, Living Cultures, and Homelands
Visitors are led through a guided tour of the museum’s exhibits at our downtown location. We will examine our core exhibit, People of the First Light, which shares more than 12,000 years of history, conflict, adaptation, and survival in Wabanaki homelands and changing exhibitions that highlight Wabanaki living cultures and art.
Can be tailored to suit all grade levels.
What is Sovereignty? An Introduction to Wabanaki Self-Governance
Join us for a civics lesson over 12,000 years in the making that’s currently featured in the news. This tour invites participants to learn about the concept of sovereignty, as well as Wabanaki Nations’ self-determination and intergovernmental relations over time. It will touch on pre-contact diplomacy, relationships with the US federal government, and how state and federal policy affect the Nations today.
This tour complements social studies classroom learning about civics, government, and history, and is is suggested for 6th to 12th grade.
Living in Harmony: Caring for Land and Waters
Learn about environmental responsibility through Wabanaki world views of inter-relatedness. Through place-based knowledge, traditional stories, and examining contemporary efforts, visiting groups will learn how, throughout time, Wabanaki peoples’ environmental stewardship practices sustain the land and waters for future generations.
This tour is complementary to environmental and earth science learning, and can be tailored to suit all grade levels.
Digital and In-Person Programs
Layers In Time: Wabanaki Material Culture and Technology
During this interactive program, students will not only learn about who the Wabanaki are, but also will look at examples of Wabanaki material culture and technology and how it relates to the four things that all cultures need to survive. Students will discover how the environment of Maine was and still is utilized to meet the needs of the Wabanaki people. We will discuss how traditional Wabanaki tools and technologies are still used today and how they have been innovated.
Suggested for 2nd to 5th grade.
Deconstructing Stereotypes: Confronting Misconceptions in the Americas
During this interactive program, Abbe Museum educators examine and explain stereotypes commonly held about Native Americans or Indigenous Peoples of North America. As a group, we define what a stereotype is and explore our initial thoughts when we hear the word “Native American.” Through discussion, students will have the opportunity to directly address stereotypes of Native American culture they may have encountered. We also compare and contrast what are examples of appreciation versus appropriation of Indigenous culture.
Suggested for 7th to 12th grade.
Rates & Policies: Additional fees will be charged for reservation requests scheduled outside of standard operating hours*, for reservation requests made within 7 days of the requested date ($50.00), and for any alterations to reservations without advanced notice ($25.00). Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before the scheduled time. Cancellations within 48 hours and no-shows will forfeit their deposit. We reserve the right to alter, adjust, or cancel reservations if necessary. Fifty Percent (50%) of your payment is due upon signing of the agreement. The rest of the payment is due upon arrival unless otherwise arranged.
*Fees will be dependent on type of program requested, date, and time of request
For more information or to make a reservation, please contact us at [email protected] or submit a school program request using the button below.
Group Tours
Self-guided groups can be scheduled for our current hours of operation.
Seven-day notice is appreciated for all self-guided groups (please note: groups of 20 or more must make a reservation). Advanced reservations are required for all guided tours. For more information about group tours or to make a reservation, please contact us at [email protected] or submit a tour request using the button below.
Rates & Policies: Additional fees will be charged for reservation requests scheduled outside of standard operating hours*, for reservation requests made within 7 days of the requested date ($50.00), and for any alterations to reservations without advanced notice ($25.00). Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before the scheduled time. Cancellations within 48 hours and no-shows will forfeit their deposit. We reserve the right to alter, adjust, or cancel reservations if necessary. Fifty Percent (50%) of your payment is due upon signing of the agreement. The rest of the payment is due upon arrival unless otherwise arranged.
*Fees will be dependent on type of tour requested, date, and time of request
Group Programs
Abbe educators will create a customized 1-hour program for groups of 5 or more participants. Two weeks of advance notice is required for booking. Prices start at $35 per person. Please inquire at [email protected] or submit a tour request using the button below.
Rates & Policies: Additional fees will be charged for reservation requests scheduled outside of standard operating hours*, for reservation requests made within 7 days of the requested date ($50.00), and for any alterations to reservations without advanced notice ($25.00). Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours before the scheduled time. Cancellations within 48 hours and no-shows will forfeit their deposit. We reserve the right to alter, adjust, or cancel reservations if necessary. Fifty Percent (50%) of your payment is due upon signing of the agreement. The rest of the payment is due upon arrival unless otherwise arranged.
*Fees will be dependent on type of tour requested, date, and time of request
Educator Resources
The Abbe offers a variety of free resources to help educators teach about the Wabanaki. Teacher workshops, free online curriculum material, lists of recommended resources, and our educator discounts in the Museum Shop are just a few of these resources.
Learn more in our Educator Hub >
