Ushers Ferry Historic Village is an open-air, living history museum whose mission is to interpret life in a small Iowa town at the turn of the twentieth century. To accomplish this, we believe in getting people involved in history. That is why we have many interactive, hands-on experiences. We know you and your students will find an Ushers Ferry experience to be one that will be talked about and remembered for a long time to come. Contact the village for field trip prices and availability. Contact information is at the bottom of this page.

Bringing History To Life: Ushers Ferry School Tours

Role Playing Tour in the Old Cherry Valley School

For More Information about the Ushers Ferry One         Room School Program at Abbe Creek, call Darrin Crow at 319-286-5763 or email d.crow@cedar-rapids.org

Take a step back in time as your students become students in a 1908 Country School in an exciting and informative role playing experience. The Ushers Ferry Cherry Valley School may be closed due to the Flood of 2008, but our favorite one-room school program is still up and running thanks to the generosity of the Linn County Conservation Board, who has allowed us to bring the Ushers Ferry role-playing program to the Abbe Creek School, near Mt. Vernon!

Students are provided ahead of time with names and character descriptions of the students they will represent. Then, at the school, they will experience the school day as that person. While going through a typical day, the teacher/interpreter will seamlessly weave in information and history. This is a very interactive experience that students will learn from and remember for a long time to come. This program is available to students throughout the school year.   

The Abbe Creek program offers a mix of traditional Ushers Ferry role-playing families and real Abbe Creek school and history. Download the Abbe Creek School Packet to prepare your students for the interactive role playing tour. For a full day experience, download the Self-Guided Abbe Creek Grounds and Cemetery Journal to complete with students on your own.

Ushers Ferry Abbe Creek School Tour

Abbe Creek Grounds & Cemetery Journal.pdf

This is a four part program brought directly to your school or classroom that takes students on a exciting journey through the world of folk tales. The program fits particularly well with the sixth grade unit of folk tales, but can be tailored to many grade levels. Stations include: Ballads and Song Stories which takes students back to the times of the bards and moves up through the ballads of the Civil War; Fairy Tales and Legends which takes a look at both our well-known fairy tales as well as the heroes of the uniquely American Tall Tale that were told around the fire a hundred years ago. Cedar Rapids Stories focuses on the early days around Linn County and features early heroes like Judge Greene and Robert Ellis as well as a good share of local scoundrels.