Bring history to Life

Art class, Museum-style

History and culture come to life for students

A budding motorcycle designer

Experiencing the rumble, up close and personal

Students Will Learn About

• Harley-Davidson’s humble beginnings in Milwaukee during the Industrial Revolution
• Harley-Davidson’s contribution to America’s efforts in World War I and World War II
• Engineering and design, from 1903 to the present
• How motorcycles have influenced pop culture
• How an internal combustion engine works
• Inspiring stories of motorcycling pioneers such as Vivian Bales, who rode cross-country on her Harley-Davidson in 1929

Students Will See

• The oldest Harley-Davidson in existence – Serial Number One
• Military, police, and postal-delivery motorcycles
• Early engineering tools and the robots of today
• Imagination and creativity embodied in custom motorcycle designs

Geared for Results

Our specially designed Road Trip Guide offers activities that deliver a fun learning experience while meeting Wisconsin and Illinois state learning standards. The Road Trip Guide activities are designed for elementary and middle school students, and focus on English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies skills.

School Group Admission

Groups of 15 or more from Wisconsin or Illinois State K-12 schools enjoy discounted admission rates of $5 per student. One complimentary chaperone ticket will be provided for every 10 paid student admissions. Additional chaperone tickets can be purchased for $12 each.

Educational Presentations and Programs

• Inspiration in the Gallery: Art Classes

  $2 per student (in addition to admission fee)

• Inspiration in the Galleries: Fairing Folk Art

  In this activity, students will learn a brief history of the folk art movement. Students will walk through the galleries, and visit and learn about two vehicles that showcase motorcycle folk art. They will learn about some of the techniques that artists use to create folk art and have the opportunity to create their own take-home folk art project.

  Students will learn:
  • What makes someone a folk artist, and how this differs from an art student or established artist
  • About collaging and how to use this technique effectively
  • How to create a design by using a repetition of patterns

• Inspiration in the Galleries: Motorcycle Sculpture

  Students follow the journey of a motorcycle from concept to reality by studying the different types of models used in motorcycle prototyping. Students will walk through the Design Lab exhibit, and learn about how motorcycles progress from pencil and paper designs through clay modeling and finally to full-scale models. They will learn about the different lines and shapes that create motorcycle sketches, and use those shapes to make their own take-home motorcycle sculpture.

  Students will learn:
  • The variety of lines found in objects
  • To identify lines that can be used to draw a motorcycle: straight, curving, thick, thin, etc.
  • How to use art supplies such as pipe cleaners to imitate a drawn line

• The Great Color Caper

  Single presentation: $475
  Each additional presentation: $225

  The Great Color Caper is a fun and interactive in-classroom presentation about the science of color – the physics of light, chemistry of pigments, and psychology of optical illusions.

Road Trip Guides

Elementary School Activities

• Finding Your Way in the Museum (PDF)
• Finding Your Way on the Museum Grounds (PDF)
• The First Lady of Motorcycling (PDF)
• Simple Machines (PDF)
• The Hunt for Simple Machines (PDF)
• Be a Museum Reporter (PDF)
• The Ride of Their Lives (PDF)

Middle School Activities

• The Chronicle Sports Reporter (PDF)
• The Marion Chronicle (PDF)
• The Four Stroke Engine (PDF)
• Finding H-D on the US Timeline (PDF)
• The Story of a World War I Picture (PDF)

Story Plans

• Harley and the Davidsons (PDF)
• Hugo’s Motorcycle Rescue (PDF)
• Mike and Maddie’s Black Hills Adventure (PDF)
• Mike and Maddie’s Christmas Book (PDF)
• Motorcycle Police (PDF)
• Motorcycle Song (PDF)
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle (PDF)
• Runaway Ralph (PDF)
• My Daddy Makes the Best Motorcycles (PDF)

For Teachers

• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• Answer Keys (PDF)
• School Group Reservation Form (PDF)
• Field Trip Info Guide (PDF)

Also Worth Exploring

• 

  Motor^® Bar & Restaurant

  Dine with Us

  On-site, indoor dining options include Motor Bar & Restaurant (featuring adult group dining choices from $15 per person and kids’ meals for $5.99) and Cafe Racer (featuring deli sandwiches, frozen custard and coffee drinks). To-go Box Lunches can be arranged upon request. There is ample outdoor seating on the scenic Museum campus for those who prefer to brown-bag it during the warmer weather months.

  View Motor Bar & Restaurant Menu
• 

  The Shop

  Commemorate Your Visit

  The Shop offers unique merchandise to commemorate your Museum visit. Students and teachers can select from a variety of affordable souvenirs to make their visit more memorable.