A trip to ... Locust Grove Estate
Click here for printable version
2683 South Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845-454-4500 • lgny.org
Open every day from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Grounds are free; guided tours are $11/adults, $6/kids
The historic Locust Grove Estate includes 15 buildings on nearly 200 acres of gardens and grounds and is a great place for parents and kids to enjoy the natural environment of the Hudson Valley, and learn about Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph and Morse Code.
Before you go:
Visit Locust Grove’s website to check out their ongoing educational events. You can also check out books about Samuel Morse and the history of telecommunications. Recommended titles include:
• Suitable for 8-12 years
Samuel F.B. Morse (Discovery Biography) by Jean Lee Latham
Samuel Morse by Mona Kerby
Samuel F.B. Morse: Artist With a Message by John Hudson Tiner
• Suitable for high school and older
The Telegraph: A History of Morse's Invention and Its Predecessors in the United States by Lewis Coe
“The American Leonardo” by Carleton Mabee
“The Story of Telecommunications” by George Oslin
“The Accursed Life of Samuel Morse” by Kenneth Silverman
“The Victorian Internet” by Tom Standage
• Books on Morse as an artist
Samuel F.B. Morse (Library of American Art) by William Kloss
Samuel F. B. Morse (Cambridge Monographs on American Artists) by Paul J. Staiti
For your outing you will need:
A map of the estate grounds; pick a free one up at the museum shop.
Vocabulary to know while visiting:
• Morse code: An alphabet or code in which letters are represented by combinations of long and short signals of light or sound.
• Telegraph: A system for transmitting messages from a distance along a wire, especially one creating signals by making and breaking an electrical connection.
• Telegraph key: A telegraph key is a general term for any switching device used primarily to send Morse code. Similar keys are used for all forms of manual telegraphy, such as in ‘wire’ or electrical telegraph and ‘wireless’ or radio telegraphy.
Learning in action:
Horticulture scavenger hunt:
Look for the “In Bloom this Week” display outside the museum shop, and locate each flower in the historic flower gardens.
Science scavenger hunt:
Find the following in the Morse Exhibit Gallery:
• Telegraph patent model
• Atlantic Telegraph Cable Section
• Wet-cell Battery
• Morse Code Robot
• Morse Code flashlight
History scavenger hunt:
Take a guided tour of the historic mansion and see if you can find:
• Bird bouquet (in the Drawing Room)
• Gas chandelier (in the Music Room)
• Dumb waiter (in the Butlers Pantry)
• Edison home phonograph (in the Billiards Room)
• Burglar alarm (in the Upper Hall) • Gas iron (in the Laundry Room)
• Dog bowl (in the Kitchen)
Return to fieldguides.hvparent.com