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Discover the Best History Classes Near Me
Unpacking the term “history” is a tall task. The lessons today’s adults learned in their social studies classes or college courses only scratch at the surface of the history of the world, let alone the history of unique movements, cultural developments, and wars. Anyone who wants to learn about history has a tall task ahead of them.
Fortunately, those same parties have access to resources that their ancestors didn’t. Today’s extracurricular history classes are available in-person and digitally, making it easier than ever for curious minds to learn more about the topics that interest them. Adults and recent graduates who want to grow their historical knowledge can do so alongside their peers or from the comfort of their own homes.
There are generalized history courses available to students who want to look at history through a broader lens. At higher levels, however, students can dive into the theories that certain historical moments generated as well as those moments’ impact on the culture and events surrounding them.
Why You Should Learn History
Revisiting history lessons after graduation or a long time away from school can feel strange for some adults. The practice, however, has a multitude of benefits. Learning history can help people feel more connected with their roots and communities, thus allowing them to tell the stories that are important to them long after the parties involved in those stories have faded away.
In this way, learning history can have a preservative effort. The longer today’s academic professionals continue to explore America’s history of slavery, for example, the more effectively today’s politicians and communities can address the wrongs of yesteryear.
Learning about history can also connect students with their peers. Adults, for example, who all want to learn about the history of cities like Los Angeles can meet up with one another, exchange their knowledge, and continue to grow that understanding of their city alongside one another. In other words, history students can leave relevant programs as friends while also continuing to learn alongside one another.
Deep-diving into specific historical topics can even help some history students engage in professional networking. Whether someone wants to take the historical information they’ve learned and apply it to a job or if a participant connects with a history-loving peer who can help them advance in their field, the study of history continues to have its uses in today’s professional environment.
5 Ways to Learn History
There are several different ways to break into the study of history as an adult. These practices include the following:
- History taught in a classroom setting
- History taught in virtual classes
- History taught in self-directed videos
- Private history tutoring
- Hands-on historical experiences
History taught in a classroom setting and online puts students in direct contact with field experts who can introduce them to history as both a study of dates and times and a study of a cultural ripple effect.
History taught through self-directed videos similarly puts students in contact with experts, though there are fewer opportunities for those students to ask said experts about the topic in question. That said, the self-directed nature of these courses allows students to deep-dive into a topic that specifically interests them instead of abiding by a predetermined syllabus.
Students who learn history in private tutoring sessions don’t have the benefit of working with their classmates, but they trade that communal learning environment in favor of a semi-self-directed educational program. Tutors can point students toward resources that deep-dive into those students’ personal interests.
Last but not least, students can pursue hands-on historical experiences. Whether this means joining a historical roleplay or reenactment or participating in a city-wide walking tour, these experiences take history out of the classroom and into the real world. Hands-on historical experiences are ideal for students who prefer to directly interact with their history lessons instead of solely learning from a book.
In-Person History Classes
History buffs ready to meet like-minded people can attend any of the following in-person history courses:
Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture, Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College’s “Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture” course marries the study of Los Angeles’ romantic Spanish history with the practicalities of area architecture. Instructor Eleanor Schrader guides participants through two days of classes, the first brimming with historical facts about the Spanish Colonial style and its sweeping impact on the visual stylings of many homes in California. Instructor Schrader also goes into detail when describing the cultural heritage that inspired the Spanish Colonial Revival.
The second day of courses gives students an up-close and personal look at the architecture that’s so captured California’s attention. Students will tour the Adamson House in Malibu as well as the Serra Retreat. Students should note that the cost of entering these properties is not included in the cost of the course. Instructors also expect students to pay for their own parking.
Santa Monica College and its “Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture” instructors only offer this course to California residents. The class caps at ten students and costs $55 to join. Students should expect to take two hours per day to engage with the course’s materials.
Astoria, Queens: Flavors of the World, SusanSez NYC Walkabouts
New York has long served as the United States’ primary melting pot. This port city now serves as home to hundreds upon thousands of immigrants, all of whom have contributed something to the New York City food scene. The fantastic news for lovers of history is that New York’s SusanSez NYC Walkabouts is ready and willing to take advantage of that great diversity of food.
“Astoria, Queens: Flavors of the World” introduces New York City residents and tourists alike to the delicious food being made just down the street from Times Square and Central Park. The Astoria, Queens tour specifically introduces participants to the history of the Colombian, Greek, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian cuisine that populates the area.
These food tours take place on Saturdays and tend to last for three hours at a time. The tour specifically begins in front of the Grand Wine & Liquor Store between 31st Street and 30th Avenue in Queens. Participants pay $75.47, including registration fees, to join a class size of 25. Interested parties can refer to the class’s CourseHorse page to learn more about its availability, which fluctuates depending on the availability of course instructors.
From Sondheim to Hamilton: The History of Musicals, Urban Elective
Many people might think that the pre-eminent elective course on musical theater would be based in New York City. This isn’t the case. Instead, students who want to explore musical theater’s roots can participate in Los Angeles’ “From Sondheim to Hamilton: The History of Musicals,” offered by Urban Elective.
The course explores musical theater history in a way that extends far beyond the meteoric rise of musicals like Hamilton. Participants can expect to dive into the history of operettas and early theater before concluding the course with a closer look at Disney musicals and Broadway’s most popular shows.
Instructor Katie Hemmings runs “From Sondheim to Hamilton: The History of Musicals” out of Los Angeles’ Bluebird Brasserie. Course registrants can expect to complete the course over six weeks, with classes meeting once a week for two hours. The course’s tuition comes in at $129.
What Mad Pursuit?, Think Olio
New York City boasts one of the most beautiful and versatile parks in the world: Central Park. What does Central Park have to do with the study of history, though? The park hosts several courses over the course of the more pleasant months of the year, including Think Olio’s “What Mad Pursuit?”
“What Mad Pursuit?” invites participants to spend a single day exploring the Greek concept of ekphrasis. Students have the opportunity to explore ekphrasis in practice before taking what they’ve learned in this course and creating their own ekphrastic poetry. The course concludes with performances from students in front of Central Park’s Socrates Sculpture Park.
Participants can expect to pay $45 for one day of in-depth exploration of ekphrasis and its poetry. The course runs for two hours.
Virtual History Classes
Are there virtual history courses available for students on the go? Absolutely. Some of the best virtual history programs include the following:
Philosophy of History, Brooklyn Institute for Social Research
The studies of philosophy and history share a fair amount of overlap. The philosophers of old from different cultures have, in many cases, commented on their societal developments and even shaped the growth of governmental bodies, wars, and peace treaties. The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research wants to help interested students explore the relationship between philosophers, philosophy, and history in its course, “Philosophy of History.”
This course focuses both on individual philosophers’ perspectives on history and the philosophy behind the study of history itself. Students should come to this course prepared to read comments from philosophers like Kant, Michel Foucault, Marx, and Walter Benjamin. Instructor Michael Stevenson also anticipates challenging students with questions exploring the purpose of historical studies and the impact of the study of history on the future.
This course costs $350 for virtual students. The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research strives to keep its class sizes small, but students can sign up for the course’s waitlist if their preferred section is no longer available. Accepted students should expect to spend three hours in the evenings on Tuesdays participating in an interactive lecture with Instructor Stevenson and their peers.
The American Revolution, Yale
When it comes to big names in worldwide education, Yale ranks among the best institutions available to the general populous today. Yale generously allows students from around the world to audit its courses, so not everyone has to go through the rigorous application process to enjoy the expertise of Yale’s professors. For example, students around the world today can participate in Professor Joanne Freeman’s virtual course, “The American Revolution.”
Professor Freeman originally taught this course in 2010, at which point Yale recorded it for its Open Yale Courses program. Today’s students can take the course at their own pace, enjoying 50-minute courses from the comfort of their own homes. Students also have free access to all of the course’s material courtesy of a .zip file.
Yale makes it easy for incoming students to access this course’s syllabus and to prepare themselves for each class to come. Fortunately, students do not have to take the course’s exams or write applicable papers for grading. Instead, students only have to listen to Professor Freeman and her students participate in a Socratic-style assessment of the American Revolution and its impact on the wider world.
This course consists of 25 lectures. Students may download the videos associated with these classes as well as the class’s transcript for ease of access. This incredible accessibility and lack of financial barriers make this program, among the others available through Open Yale Courses, one of the best resources for lifelong students looking to foster their love of history.
That said, students should not come to these classes expecting the opportunity to interact with the course’s professor, let alone their fellow students. “The American Revolution” is an isolated experience, making it ideal for independent students on the go but maybe less so for students who thrive on personal interaction.
Convalescence: Sickness, Society, and Resignation, Brooklyn Institute for Social Research
How do today’s instructors define sickness? Is sickness a pandemic, or are there certain political and economic practices that constitute sickness? Instructor Samantha Hill and her students consider these questions in the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research’s “Convalescence: Sickness, Society, and Resignation.”
Hill cites fictional and nonfictional recollections by Thomas Mann, Deborah Levy, and Ottessa Moshfegh in her exploration of illness and its many definitions. This course additionally explores the relationship between illness, its treatments, and class and racial privilege. Instructor Hill also expects her students to engage with secondary readings by philosophical minds like Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin.
This course, like many of the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research’s courses, costs $335 for virtual students. Students should expect to dedicate three hours over the course of four weeks to this program. The course runs on Eastern Standard Time, though it opens its doors to students from all around the world.
Private Group History Classes
In-person and virtual history lessons that force participants into groups aren’t for everyone. Fortunately, there are several private group history classes available today, including the following:
Virtual Trivia: Fake vs Real News
The term “fake news” has risen in popularity over the past decade, but what does it really mean? How can today’s students distinguish between fake and real media? While “Virtual Trivia: Fake vs Real News” isn’t a traditional history course, this program can help curious minds better understand the “fake news” trends and the best ways to distinguish fact from fiction.
CourseHorse’s instructors offer “Virtual Trivia: Fake vs Real News” at a price of $360 for 15 participants. That said, corporations and large groups of friends can request that CourseHorse’s instructors entertain up to 200 participants. CourseHorse charges $10 for each participant above that original 15-person headcount.
This course is available virtually and at the whim of the primary organization. That means that participants can schedule a “Virtual Trivia: Fake vs Real News” game night at their leisure. Participants can even request that CourseHorse instructors create a personalized fake news gambit for them to participate in for a $150 customization fee.
Virtual Private Trivia
Not every private trivia night has to center around fake news. History students who want to deep-dive into their personal area of interest alongside several friends can request that CourseHorse help them host a “Virtual Private Trivia: General” night.
The general private trivia evening allows participants to go up against one another in a game of wits and wisdom. The evening’s host can pay a $150 customization fee to have CourseHorse’s instructors focus on particular eras or historical events in addition to the general topics available in the base game package.
On average, participants can expect these trivia nights to last for 60 minutes. CourseHorse charges $360 for 15 participants. That said, the course’s instructors can entertain up to 200 participants. Each participant above that original 15-person headcount must pay a fee of $10 to join the game.
What Will I Need to Learn History?
Most of today’s live and virtual history courses provide their students with the materials students need to succeed in a particular class, including access to digital platforms like JSTOR or particular historical texts. If a student wants to participate in a virtual course, they will need a computer that can access and maintain a strong Internet connection throughout the course of your lecture. Similarly, students registered for a course that requires them to go on walking tours of certain neighborhoods may also have to purchase good walking shoes and appropriate outdoor gear.
Interested parties should read their course’s syllabus prior to the beginning of the course to determine if there are any special kinds of equipment, software, or other materials they need to succeed in their program of choice.
Is it Difficult to Learn History?
No two people take to learning history the same way. The practice may prove difficult to some students, while others may absorb facts and dates with ease. Students interested in studying history should ask themselves under what conditions they learn best and then search for programs that can let them learn in their preferred environments.
No matter what, though, the study of history requires dedication. Even students who initially find themselves struggling with dates, names, and the other miasma associated with the study of history can master the period of their choosing with practice. In other words, the more time and perseverance a student puts into their study of history, the more fruitful today’s in-person and virtual history courses can be.
