Traveling Trunks

Looking to bring hands-on fun into your classroom? Our themed Traveling Trunks are available to rent for two-week spans. All trunks include a mixture of real and replica artifacts for students to interact with as well as digital supplementary materials and suggested activities/lesson plans. Traveling Trunks are perfect for teachers and homeschoolers who need more flexible options to experience museum fun.

Trunks are new to 2026. We hope to expand our theme offerings in future years.

Early to Rise Themed Trunk: Children’s Work and Life in the 1870s

This trunk, based on our popular onsite program named for Benjamin Franklin’s maxim “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,” explores the daily life of children growing up in San Jose in the 1870s.

This kit includes the items your students will need to understand what life was like for children living 150 years ago:
-Chalk and slate
-A sample primer
-Washboard, basin, clothespins, and period clothes
-A period shoe and buttonhook
-An iron
-A chamber pot

As well as digital assets that take you through our real 1870s farmhouse and one-room schoolhouse at History Park.

The Early to Rise Trunk is excellent for homeschoolers and students too young to attend our in-person programming, and it can easily be modified for teachers exploring a 100 years ago theme on their 100th day in class.

Head to our registration page to book your trunk.

Book Here

    Picking Up and Returning Your Trunk

    Our traveling trunks are rentable for 2-week spans. Rental cost is a fee of $100 and a refundable deposit of $50. This deposit will be returned pending the safe and timely return of all items in the trunk.

    Trunks may be picked up from History Park (635 Phelan Ave, San Jose) on the first day of your rental any time between 9am and 4pm. If you let us know when you intend to come, we will do our best to meet you and hand off your trunk in person. If no staff is available, trunks may be picked up on foot from the lobby of the Pacific Hotel unless otherwise specified in writing. We cannot mail or ship trunks at this time.

    Each traveling trunk consists of a road case measuring approximately 30in x 14in x 16in plus the height of multidirectional rolling casters. Trunks will fit easily into hatchbacks and backseats but may need to be laid on their side to fit into the trunks of smaller cars. We definitely recommend emptying your car before pickup.

    When you’re ready to return your traveling trunk, plan to return it to your pickup point between 9am and 4pm. If returning before your two weeks are up, please reach out to education@historysanjose.org to let us know. Once we’ve confirmed all items are present and intact, we’ll begin processing your deposit refund check. For full payment and refund policies, please visit our payment policy page.