Benares Historical House

School programs at the Museums of Mississauga

Make history meaningful!

Come to the Museums of Mississauga for a field trip experience designed to enrich and enhance classroom learning. We offer interactive, hands-on experiences for students to explore topics in Canadian heritage, including Indigenous and Black history, with authentic local connections.

View a copy of our latest brochure. Information in this brochure was current at the time of printing and is subject to change.

We also offer programs for Guide and Scout groups.

Duration and cost

Programs are 1.5 hours in length for Pre-K to Grade 1 and 2 hours for Grades 2 to 12. 1.5 hour programs cost $6.39 per student and 2 hour programs cost $6.64 per student. Up to 6 adults may attend the program for free. Additional adults will be charged the program fee, plus tax.

Book a school program

School program descriptions

Explore the daily life and customs of the Bradley family and the Ross family (early Black settlers) in 19th century Upper Canada and learn about relationships between Early Settlers and the ancestors of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Location: Bradley Museum
Dates available: September to June
Grades: 3
Subject: Social Studies

Explore what we know and don’t know about the history of early Black settlers in Peel Region, and discover how we learn about the experiences of people who lived in the past.

Location: Bradley Museum
Dates: September to June
Grades: 6 to 12
Subject: Social Studies

Discover how levers, pulleys, inclined planes, and screws made everyday tasks easier for Early Settlers in the early 1800s through a series of hands-on activities.

Location: Bradley Museum
Dates: September to June
Grades: 2
Subject: Science and Technology

Explore traditions and customs of celebrations at home and around the world. Compare how you celebrate with how families celebrated 100 years ago.

Location: Benares Historic House
Dates: September to June
Grades: JK/SK to Grade 3
Subject: Social Studies

Learn about the ways communities in Canada developed through migration by exploring the impact of early settlers on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the arrival of black settlers in Mississauga and the daily lives of the Harris family of Benares Historic House and their servants.  Learn why people chose Mississauga as their home, how they migrated here and how they experienced community between 1850 and 1914.

Location: Benares Historic House
Dates: September to June
Grades: 6 to 12
Subject: Social Studies/History

Explore the experiences of Canadians on the home front and the war front during World War 1. Learn how those experiences were different for Black and Indigenous communities at home and at war.

Location: Benares Historic House
Dates: September to June
Grades: 6 to 12
Subject: Social Studies/History

Learn about the history of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in Mississauga and explore what Truth and Reconciliation means and how we all can contribute to the process.

Location: Bradley Museum
Dates: September, October, May, June (outdoor activities)
Grades: 4 to 12
Subject: Social Studies/History

Compare how Christmas traditions have changed and stayed the same from the 1830s to today.

Location: Benares Historic House
Dates: November and December
Grades: JK/SK to Grade 6
Subject: Social Studies

Discover how maple syrup is made from start to finish and compare the maple sugaring traditions of Indigenous communities, Early Settlers, and modern maple sugar bushes.

Location: Bradley Museum
Dates: Mid-February to Early April (includes outdoor activities)
Grades: JK/SK to Grade 8
Subjects: Science and Technology, Social Studies, History and Geography

More information

Learn about the urban wildlife and native pollinators that live in Mississauga and how we can protect our shared environment.

Location: Benares Historic House
Dates: April to June (outdoor activities)
Grades: 1 to 8
Subject: Science and Technology, Social Studies, History and Geography

Explore how games of coordination, imagination, cooperation and memory helped prepare early settler children with the skills they needed at home and school.

Location: Bradley Museum
Dates: May and June (outdoor activities)
Grades: JK/SK to Grade 6
Subject(s): Social Studies