Open to the Public Saturdays 9:00am to 5:00pm

Structured Classes

Tailored to support teachers and their curriculum, structured classes at the Ranch are as unique and distinctive as the stories history tells. Each class is TEKS aligned and delivers an incomparable historic experience through hands-on activities, dynamic demonstrations and experiential learning. These classes can be booked from Labor Day through mid-May.

What to expect when you visit the Ranch

For any field trip at the Ranch, please plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled class time and allow 90 minutes for your students to complete each class. Encourage children to dress comfortably for the outdoors, wear closed-toed shoes and plan for plenty of walking. The loop around the Ranch is just over one mile. Please ask in advance about handicapped or special needs transportation if applicable. To help everyone stay hydrated, bottled water is allowed into the Ranch. We also have picnic tables available for lunch.

For more information email education@georgeranch.org or call us at 281-343-0218 x220. 

Fort Bend County Students are FREE with verification of residency!!

Classes for Grades K-2

Little Farmers

Sharecropper Cabin

Explore life on a farm and learn about planting and animal care! Listen to a story about life on a farm and learn how everyone needs to work together to make a farm prosper. Learn how crops grow, get your hands dirty with a planting experience, then meet some of the farm animals and help feed the chickens and hogs.

Classes for Grades 3-6

Pioneers in Texas

Dog Trot Cabin

Learn about pioneer life in pre-Revolution Texas through an exploration of how early English speaking pioneers accomplished the essentials – food, shelter and clothing – in this land new to them. Students will experience an open-hearth cooking demonstration, learn about food acquisition on the frontier, explore log cabin life through spinning and weaving demonstrations, and try hands-on activities such as hand ginning cotton and finger spinning.
Reccomended for grades 3-5

Thriving in Texas

Dog Trot Cabin

Step back in time and discover what life was like for the settlers who thrived in Stephen F. Austin’s Texas colony. Students will survey their homestead site using a compass and basic math, build a ferry crossing like Henry Jones to supplement their farming income, and learn about recycling clothing pioneer style.
Reccomended for grades 4-6

Pasture to Parlor

prairie home

Experience life in Post-Civil War Texas with a visit to the home of Polly Ryon and her husband William. Learn about the lives of all the people who helped to operate this working Ranch after emancipation. Students will discover the day-to-day management of the cattle business, learn about the lives of the black cowboys who rode the trails and explore domestic life at a large ranch.
Reccomended for grades 3-5

Native Americans

Prairie Home

Join us as we discover what Texas and her people were like before European colonization. Students will explore the culture, geography, and history of the Native Tribes of Texas. Learn about communication, the impacts that climate, natural resources, geography, trade and farming had on Native tribes, and how those cultures are preserved today.
Reccomended for grades 3-5

Freedmen and Farmers: Life in Post-Reconstruction Texas

Sharecropper Farm

Experience life as a Sharecropper after the Civil War and discover the short term and long-term effects Reconstruction had on the newly freed people of Texas. Students will learn about the dire financial hardships sharecroppers experienced and how to care for the land and animals included in their labor contracts.
Reccomended for grades 4-6

Texas on the Homefront: George Ranch during WWII

Ranch House

Experience what life was like during WWII and how the George family did their bit for the war effort. Students will learn ways American families supported their soldiers overseas through home Victory gardens, rationing and recycling precious materials, civilian aircraft observation posts, and knitting for victory.
Reccomended for grades 3-5

Strike it Rich

Ranch House

Investigate the natural processes of how oil and gas are created in the Earth and discover how the early development of the Big Creek Oil Field at George Ranch in 1923 mirrors the industry boom that effected the entire Texas Gulf Coast.
Reccomended for grades 4-6

Dirty 30s: Life during the Depression and Dust Bowl

Ranch House

Travel back in time to learn about life during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. Students will explore the impact each of these major economic disasters had on America and experience what daily life was like for the people who lived at the George Ranch. Students will listen to an episode of The Lone Ranger on the wireless, test soil samples for nutrients, discuss why over farming led to soil erosion, and help tend and can vegetables from Ms. Mamie’s garden.
Reccomended for grades 4-6

Classes for Grades 7-12

Gone To Texas

Dog Trot Cabin

Journey back to Stephen F. Austin’s Colonial Texas where pioneers struggled to colonize unsettled land. Participants will be placed in the role of Settlers in this hands-on, student-led introduction to pioneer life. Students will be assigned to pioneer families who will have to take on tasks to ensure the cooperation and survival of the family and community. They will face multiple challenges on the path to success and prosper through strategic planning, resourcefulness, and sheer will. Who will survive and who will thrive?

A House Divided: A Civil War Story

prairie home

Plunge your students into the dramatic and harsh reality of the Civil War era. Participants will assume specific roles as Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, or civilians on both sides of the conflict. Students will go through the training process of their assigned role and experience the complexity of emotions of those about to enter battle for the first time. Who will live, who will die, and what will be YOUR story?

All Grade Levels

Hands On History Tour

All Grades

Looking to customize your Ranch visit to align with your subject content? Hands on History tours may be right for you! Our HOH tours allow you to set your own schedule and travel at your own speed, with the opportunity for hands on learning for your students. Hands on activities will vary from week to week. If you have anything specific you are looking to cover with your class, please mention it during booking. We recommend dividing into groups of 25 or less – especially when touring the historic homes – for the best experience.

days

Fridays Only (September 5, 2023-May 16, 2024);

Tuesday-Friday (May 17- July)

COST

$7 per student.


*Grants available for qualified schools.
Field Trip Request Form

Rodeo Photography Tours

All Grades

Year after year, The George Ranch is a popular place for Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo artists to get inspiration for their next masterpiece. Enhance your visit with this special program designed for student artists. Each group will be provided with a visual guide full of photography tips, unique location suggestions, exclusive time with the cowboys, and more.

COST

$6 per student..


*Grants available for qualified schools.
Field Trip Request Form

download the educator's guides

Dog Trot Cabin Educator’s Guide

Prairie Home Educator’s Guide

Victorian Mansion Educator’s Guide

Ranch House Educator’s Guide