Field Trips

Bring your classroom to Fort Necessity!

As of April 2024, school groups are required to fill out an informational sheet for site visits each time. Please find the form here. This form must be submitted to the park no later than a week before the visit. This is a new policy, so if you are a repeat school who has visited before you will need to complete the form.

Visiting Fort Necessity

This a great way for your students to learn history. Your class can attend one or more of the following stations. Groups larger than 30 students should be divided. You will need at least one station for each group of 30 students. Then the groups will rotate through the selected stations.

• Introductory film about George Washington, the Battle at Fort Necessity and the National Road (20 minutes) and self-guided time in the exhibits and/or bookstore
• Guided program Soldier's Life program at the reconstructed fort by a Living History interpreter.
• Guided program on the American Indians and how they related to the British and French through fur trade
• Self-Guided tour of the 1830s stagecoach stop, the Mount Washington Tavern, which is now a furnished museum (May 1 to October 31) *

* Please note: The Mount Washington Tavern is 0.4 miles by road from the Visitor Center.

The park has a picnic area where students may eat lunch. We also have two satellite sites, Braddock's Grave and Jumonville Glen. These areas are generally self-guided and may have restricted parking.

Logistics of Planning a Field Trip

Below are some helpful tips for visiting Fort Necessity National Battlefield

• Beginning your Visit: You should begin your visit at the Visitor Center. You may also like to arrive a little early to use the restroom.
• Check In: Please check in with the park staff when you arrive. There is no fee for this program. The staff will collect information on the number of students, teachers, and chaperones. If for some reason you need to cancel your field trip please call [phone] to let us know as soon as possible.
• Buses: If you plan to visit the Mount Washington Tavern your bus might be needed to transport the students from the Visitor Center to the Tavern. It is a 0.4 mile walk by road, but by trail it is slightly shorter but a walk up a large hill which may be muddy at any time of the year.
• Weather: This program will be offered rain or shine. The students will be walking to the reconstructed fort and taking part in outdoor activities there. All participants should dress appropriately. Also, remember it is often a few degrees cooler in the mountain areas. Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Restrooms: The public restrooms are located at the Visitor Center.
• Lunches: The Visitor Center has a covered picnic shelter with picnic tables available for use by the students. If you plan to eat lunch on site we can provide indoor storage of your lunches, however, no refrigeration is provided.
• Conduct: Park rangers will direct the group, however, the teachers and chaperons are responsible for discipline. Teachers and chaperones are expected to stay with the group. Inappropriate conduct may lead to the termination of the field trip. Food, drink, gum, and candy are only allowed in designated areas of the Visitor Center.

Guided and Self-Guided field trips are offered at Fort Necessity throughout the year for free for all education groups. Please call 724-329-5805, e-mail the Chief of Interpretation or a park ranger to inquire about availability or to make a reservation.

Things to Consider

Pre-Visit

Consider exploring our website and working through some of the curriculum available here. We can offer programs on "George Washington: Becoming a Leader" and "The National Road", in addition to "The French and Indian War". Please specify if there is anything in particular you want covered in your reservation form. Otherwise, we will cover general Fort Necessity history.

Day of the Visit

• Name Tags - Name tags are very helpful. They allow the park rangers to call the children by name. They are also extra litter your group may drop and leave in the field.
• Allergies/First Aid - Keep in mind the group will be outside! That means there is a possibility of exposure to wildlife, including bees. Know if anyone needs an epipen or medications. We have an AED and basic first aid kit available in the Visitor Center.
• Restrooms - The only restrooms are in the Visitor Center!
• General Public - The fort and grounds will be open to the general public as well as your group. They may join the ranger led programs or the movie, and will likely be wandering the grounds at the same time as your group. Please be respectful.
• Museum Behavior - This is a museum and a battlefield. While we want you to enjoy your visit with us, it is important to remember there are certain behaviors that are expected while in our exhibit areas. Walking, not running or skipping. Using inside voices. Only touching things that are allowed to be touched, and touching them gently. (especially the exhibit buttons!)

If your group is unable or unwilling to follow the rules,
your group may be asked to leave.

Post-Visit

Our website and curriculum materials may help with this. Of course it was fun to spend the day somewhere other than the classroom, but what were some take aways of your visit? What did you learn about George Washington? What parties were involved in the conflict? What were the effects of this war? We'd love to hear some of the things your group found interesting.