Surratt House Museum Leaf Education Outreach

Teaching the Past to Preserve the Future

The story told at the Surratt House Museum is one where local events took on national significance. The Surratt House represents a traditional middle-class farm home of 19th century Southern Maryland. Visitors gain an understanding and appreciation of life in Southern Maryland during the middle part of the 19th century.

However there is much more to this quaint structure and much more to the story. This building was once a center of Confederate activity and intrigue. It was also the home of a woman, Mary Surratt, who was arrested, tried, convicted, and hanged by the Federal Government for her involvement in the plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. As we look back on this fascinating story and revisit the facts of the day, Was Mary Surratt guilty or innocent? At the Surratt House Museum we firmly leave that decision in the visitors’ hands.

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Visit the Museum:

The Surratt House Museum offers guided tours of the historic house lead by knowledgeable and experienced docents dressed in period attire. Students are encouraged to participate in the experience by asking and answering questions while on tour. Educational programs are approximately two hours in length and can begin as early as 10:00 am. While visiting the museum, the students will learn:

  • Chronology of events that lead to the assassination of President Lincoln.
  • Guilt or Innocence of Mary Surratt
  • Maryland as a divided state
  • Life in 19th century Prince George’s County
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Educator’s Packet:

To assist in the preparation of students and to make the visit run as smoothly, each teacher is given an Educator’s Packet. Each packet contains:
  • Important Visitor Information for visiting the Surratt House Museum
  • Brief Histories of the Surratt House and Tavern, Mary E. Surratt, John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln
  • Pre and Post Trip Activities
  • The Arts as Primary Source Documents
  • Recommended Readings
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Educational programs at the Surratt House Museum meet the content standards of the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum.

For more information about the educational programs offered at the Surratt House Museum including group size, program fees and other pertinent scheduling information, see School Group Tours. To schedule a program, please call or email Susan Proctor, Education Coordinator, Surratt House Museum, at (301) 868-1121 (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), susan.proctor@pgparks.com.

We look forward to seeing you and your students in the near future.

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