Bring Your Group to North House
Custom Programs at North House
We offer custom programs for groups in every month of the year. Whether it's a tour of campus and introduction to folk school history, or a day-long workshop complete with abundant wood chips, contact us to explore the world of traditional craft while simultaneously building your community. All groups are welcome—whether that's a school group, college course, alumni organization, extended family, scout troop, or tour group. Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind:
- Reviewing the list below is the best way to understand what we might be able to offer. We are not able to customize any catalog offering for a private group.
- Choices of topics and dates is a function of classroom and instructor availability.
- Class sizes vary, but a good estimate is 6-15 people per program.
- Age guidelines vary by program.
- Tuition is approximately $65-$95/student for programs of a half day or full day in length plus materials fees. Additional customization will result in further charges.
Questions and inquiries are welcome throughout the year and can be directed to Program Manager Sarah Beggs at (888) 387-9762 or sbeggs@northhouse.org. Please peruse the custom course offerings below to get an idea of what can be scheduled. Early inquiries and flexibility of scheduling will maximize the range of opportunities available for each group.
Below are custom courses that are typically arranged for groups:
Tour our Campus
See our classrooms, learn about student projects, and discover the magic and history that make up our inspirational story. This is the most popular way for a group to visit us. You’ll learn what we teach, how we teach, and what makes us a folk school!
Instructor: North House Staff
Length: 1 hour
Suggested start times: 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.
Tuition: $75 per tour for up to 25 people. For groups larger than 25, an additional $3/person will be charged.
Minimum: 6 people
Maximum: 50 people per tour
What to bring: walking shoes, camera, and lots of questions
Please call 218-387-9762 to inquire. Calling over a month out is appreciated. Getting in touch early will give us a better chance to align the tour time with your schedule.
Taste of North House
Receive a guided tour of our workshops and discover our treasured harbor-side wood-fired brick oven. This is a great opportunity for groups to have a hands-on learning opportunity with results that everyone loves: PIZZA! In a picnic-style environment, participants will craft Italian-style wood-fired pizzas (personal size: 12”-14”) in our outdoor wood-fired oven. We provide the dough, the heat, and the oven. Your group provides toppings (sauce, cheese, vegetables and anything else they desire) and additional condiments, beverages and side dishes.
Instructor: North House Staff
Length: 2 hours
Suggested start times: 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.
Available: May through October
Tuition: $30/student
Materials: $5/student
Minimum: 15 students
Maximum: 40 students
What to bring: toppings (sauce, cheese, vegetables, etc.) for the entire group, beverages and side dishes as desired, clothing for baking (aprons if desired) indoors and out, a healthy appetite and willingness to learn
Carving with Green Wood
Try your hand at wood carving with hand tools in this full day introductory course. With a seasoned wood carver to facilitate your experience, learn to release an object from the wood surrounding it. Let your imagination and creativity guide your hands as you practice carving. The course will cover knife safety and different tools for carving, in addition to plenty of time to try your hand at carving—a useful and ancient pastime.
Instructor: Mike Schelmeske
Length: Full day, 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. with a midday lunch break
Tuition: $95/student
Materials: $5/student
Minimum: 6 students
Maximum: 6 students
Ages: Adult groups or intergenerational groups are welcome with participants as young at 15
Felt Your Own Slippers
Keep your feet warm! Create your own pair of colorful booties for your feet by applying heat, water, and agitation to wool. Even though the tradition of felting predates spinning and weaving, felting is a wonderful expression of contemporary styles that's both playful and fun. These might be the warmest pair of slippers you've ever owned. Using washed and carded wool, you will prepare batts and then use a washboard, hot soapy water and a lot of elbow grease to make a pair of felted booties.
Instructor: Elise Kyllo
Length: Full day, 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. with a midday lunch break
Tuition: $95/student
Materials: $30/student
Minimum: 6 students
Maximum: 10 students
Ages: Adult groups or intergenerational groups are welcome with participants as young at 13
Basics of Baking
Spend a day learning to bake bread with brick oven builder and baker Caleb Mattison. Work in teams to learn the ins and outs of a few types of breads: bake scones in the morning, make sourdough pizza in the wood-fired oven for lunch, and finish the day with a simple unleavened bread: crackers. The unique experience of baking in a masonry oven will be paired with ideas for baking fresh, flavorful bread in your home.
Instructor: Caleb Mattison
Length: Full day, 9 am-4 pm
Tuition: $95/student
Materials: $40/student
Minimum: 6 students
Maximum: 12 students
Age: Adults or intergenerational groups are welcome with participants as young as 13 years old
Morning of Guided Birding
Colorful spring warblers; American Bitterns in the pond; Bobolinks and Sandhill Cranes in the field; singing birds of the Northwoods: whether you are a beginning birder or hoping to add a northern Minnesota bird species to your life list, enjoy a morning outdoors with guide Ann Russ. Ann has led numerous naturalist activities for all ages in all seasons and considers annual bird migrations one of life’s joys. Destinations will be based on your group’s interests.
Instructor: Ann Russ
Length: Half day
Available: typically May, June, and early July; some options exist for fall migrations.
Tuition: $65/student
Minimum: 6 students
Maximum: 8 students
Ages: All ages are welcome
What to bring: binoculars if you have them