City of Cedar Rapids

Ushers Ferry Historic Village offers educational programs and activities that promote and build community from the historical perspective of a small Iowa town at the turn of the twentieth century. The Village encourages visitors to get involved in history by offering many interactive, hands-on experiences that teachers and students will remember and talk about for a long time to come.

A Day in the One Room School (Grades 3-5)
Take a step back in time as your class (up to 60 students) becomes students at Cherry Valley School in an exciting and informative role playing experience. Students are provided ahead of time with names and character descriptions of the students they will represent. (See One Room School Packet in teacher resources below.) They will experience a day in the one-room school as that person with an Ushers Ferry guide (90 minutes). While going through a typical day, the teacher/interpreter will seamlessly weave in information and history.

During the second half of the tour (90 minutes), students along with their teachers and chaperones will explore the Village by using the One Room School House Journal. (See teacher resources below.) They will have the opportunity to see what life was like in a community at the turn of the 20th century. Students must bring a sack lunch.
Tour Length: 4 hours
Cost: $5 per student

Additional Option:
During the second half of the tour, your students can explore the Business District in more depth with an Ushers Ferry guide (45 minutes) and the Housing District with teachers and chaperones (45 minutes) by using the One Room School House Journal.
Tour Length: 4 hours
Cost: $7 per student

Or, Another Option:
During the second half of the tour, your students can explore the Business District more in depth with an Ushers Ferry guide (90 minutes) by using the One Room School House Journal.
Tour Length: 4 hours
Cost: $9 per student
Contact: Cathy Scanlon, 319-286-5699 or c.scanlon@cedar-rapids.org.

Live, Learn and Play: 3 Station Tour (Grades K-2)
This fun, fast-paced tour for up to 75 students gives them the opportunity to explore what their lives might have been like a hundred years ago. They will have the chance to spend some time in the one-room school with an Ushers Ferry guide, engage in popular parlor games of the past with their teachers and chaperones (teacher resources below), and either visit our business district (Saloon, Print Shop, General Store) or the Village homes (Czech House, Telephone House, Doctor's House) with an Ushers Ferry Guide.
Tour Length: 90 minutes.
Cost: $6 per student
Contact: Cathy Scanlon, 319-286-5699 or c.scanlon@cedar-rapids.org.

Teacher Resources
A Day in the One Room School 2018 Electronic
One Room School Journal Answer Key
2018 One Room School House Journal
Live, Learn and Play

Contact Information
Ushers Ferry Historic Village
5925 Seminole Valley Trail NE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa  52411
Phone: 319-286-5763
Fax: 888-423-2122

Office Hours
Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.