At Historic Odessa, students can step into the 18th century for a fully immersive experience, with tailored workshops that turn preserved homes and landscapes into interactive classrooms for K–12 groups. Students in grades K–2 can join 30-minute workshops, while older visitors explore more complex issues and experiences. School Days introduces learners to quill pen writing, while 18th Century Hearth Cooking lets them prepare period recipes over an open fire. Students can also discover Odessa’s connections to the Underground Railroad by exploring routes and hiding places used by local abolitionists. Standards-aligned activities invite students to walk in the shoes of colonial residents while investigating everyday life, labor, class, commerce and the pursuit of freedom.
What Students Will Experience
Historic Odessa’s greatest strength is the way it turns a preserved historic town into a participatory classroom. Students do not simply hear about colonial work, school, food and social customs—they are asked to try them. The Foundation currently offers nine interactive school workshops, each focusing on a different facet of life in 18th-century Delaware.
In School Days, students experience period-style lessons while writing with quill pens and ink. 18th Century Hearth Cooking takes them into the world of open-fire food preparation using historic tools, techniques and local recipes. During The Wilson Store, students assume the identities of Odessa residents while shopping in a recreated colonial dry-goods mercantile, providing a natural introduction to trade and everyday economics.
Other programs are equally tactile. Children: Chores and Leisure asks students to experience working-class childhood through chores, games and the creation of a historic toy. A Kitchen Garden sends learners searching for herbs before they plant a heritage seed of their own. In Artisan Apprentice, students enter William Corbit’s tannery, sign an apprenticeship contract and make a leather backpack tag.
Social history becomes equally immersive. Indentured Servants takes students behind the scenes of the Corbit-Sharp House into servant spaces, while The Corbits: A Genteel Quaker Family explores the lifestyle and expectations of a wealthy Quaker household. Freedom Seekers places students in the context of Delaware’s Underground Railroad, where they follow routes and investigate hiding places used by abolitionists assisting people escaping enslavement.
Curriculum & Grade-Level Connections
Historic Odessa’s programs were designed with Delaware teachers in mind and address both Delaware State Standards and national Common Core Standards. The workshops are also broad enough for visiting schools from other states, homeschool groups, youth organizations and camps.
The Foundation adjusts programming according to student age. K–2 workshops last approximately 30 minutes, allowing younger students to focus on a manageable hands-on experience. Older students participate in longer and more complex workshops that can involve deeper historical analysis, role-playing and discussions of class, labor, religion, enslavement, abolition and commerce. Teachers can customize a tour by selecting from the nine workshop offerings, allowing them to build a visit around a specific curricular focus.
The site works especially well for elementary social studies because students can compare their own school routines, chores and possessions with those of children in another century. Middle and high school students can tackle more challenging topics such as indentured servitude, class divisions, Quaker beliefs, enslavement and antislavery activity in a border state.
Odessa itself also provides valuable geographic context. Once known as Cantwell’s Bridge, the town was an important grain-shipping port, and the preserved properties help students understand how waterways, agriculture and commerce shaped settlement in Delaware.
Planning Your Visit
School visits are offered by prepaid reservation. Historic Odessa currently schedules guided school tours Tuesday through Saturday at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and Sundays at 1 and 3 p.m. Depending on student age and the selected workshops, a school visit can be a half- or full-day experience.
Although the historic buildings are generally open to the public March through December, the Foundation notes that school and group tours may be arranged year-round by reservation. The Visitor Center and Cantwell’s Tavern are fully accessible, while several historic houses are only partially accessible because of their age and architecture. Teachers traveling with students with mobility needs should confirm specific building access before selecting workshops.
The property covers roughly 30 acres in the historic center of Odessa, so comfortable walking shoes are helpful. Because several programs take students into working gardens, kitchens and historic spaces, groups should also prepare for a field trip that involves movement and participation rather than a traditional seated presentation.
