Local museums team up for History Detectives Camp this summer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The History Museum and the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend are teaming up to host a History Detectives Camp this summer for kids ages 8-12.

The camp will run for a total of three days and there are four different sessions for parents and kids to choose from.

The four sessions are:

• June 18-20 (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
• June 25-27 (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.)
• July 16-18 (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
• July 23-25 (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.)

Pre-registration is required for the camp that will cost $90 for members of the public and $80 for museum members. All campers will receive a detective’s hat, curator’s gloves, and journal.

Organizers say that financial needs-based scholarships are available, and those who wish to apply for those scholarships should apply by contacting Stephanie McCune-Bell at [email protected]

The three days of the camp are broken down below.

Day 1: “Hit the Road” - Did you know that Studebaker was once the largest vehicle maker in the world? The small blacksmith shop of H. & C. Studebaker started by shoeing horses and building wagons and carriages by hand. Campers can learn what life was like in the 1800s and how everyday people moved from place to place before the invention of the automobile. Through playing games, exploring the exhibits, and engaging with real period artifacts, including horse-drawn vehicles, campers can don their investigator cap and travel back in time to develop their observation skills, teamwork, and creativity.

Day 2: “A Tale of Technology” - Did you know that the Oliver Mansion has 50,000 artifacts? Campers will use clues to search for technology-related artifacts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They will have the opportunity to handle and examine artifacts, allowing them to use their senses, develop questioning and problem-solving skills, strengthen their understanding of technology’s advances over time, and empathize with people from the past.

Day 3: “Mastodon Bones and Other Fossils” - Did you know that on July 1, 2022, the American mastodon became Indiana’s first state fossil? Mastodons are the most common Ice Age fossil found in what is now the Midwest and have been found in nearly every Indiana county. Campers will examine the differences between Mastodon and Mammoth fossils, learn about different owls and dissect an owl pellet, as well as examine crinoids and other sea specimens.

For more information on the camp contact the Studebaker National Museum at (574) 235-9714 and/or The History Museum at (574) 235-9664.