Educational activities for schoolchildren and adults of all ages are organised at the birthplace of Steponas Darius.
Educational activities must be booked in advance.
For school-age students and adults
What did the farmstead where Steponas Darius grew up look like? What can a fence, a yard, and the authentic surroundings tell us about a person’s life?
This educational activity invites participants to explore the birthplace of aviator Steponas Darius, the setting of his childhood, and the local ethnographic traditions that shaped the young Samogitian’s personality and his active involvement in sports, military service, and aviation. Through hands-on activities, participants will learn about the wisdom of their ancestors, their way of life, and the region’s distinctive technique for building half-timber fences.
Integrated subjects: history, civic and social education, ethnography, and technology.
For school-age students and adults
Every flight has its own story. And the story of the “Lituanica” is still full of unanswered questions.
In this educational workshop, participants are invited to become researchers of the “Lituanica” story, learning about Steponas Darius’s preparations for the flight, the design of the legendary aircraft, the circumstances of the transatlantic journey, and what happened during the final leg of the flight.
By analyzing the museum’s exhibits and the facts of the flight, participants will seek answers to questions that continue to spark interest: Why did the “Lituanica” choose this particular route? To what extent did weather, technology, and human decisions contribute to the flight’s success? What might have happened during the final hours of the flight?
Integrated subjects: history, geography, civic and social education, engineering, physics, technology, and English.
For students in grades 6–10, families, and adults
Steponas Darius’s character was shaped at his ancestors’ old homestead, surrounded by a loving family and ancient trees, where he grew into a person devoted to his homeland and ready to sacrifice himself for others. What shaped his choices, and what can we learn from Steponas Darius’s character?
The hands-on portion of the session will develop students’ ability to discuss and think critically. Through active exploratory activities at the museum, students will learn about the history of aviation in independent Lithuania and develop an understanding of the impact that Darius and Girėnas’ flight across the Atlantic Ocean in the “Lituanica” had on Lithuania.
Integrated subjects: history, geography, civic and social education, technology and physics, and Lithuanian language and literature.
For school-age students, families, and adults
The story of Steponas Darius is not just the story of a flight across the Atlantic. It is the story of a man whose life was shaped by migration, sports, military service, the emerging Lithuanian state, and the rapidly advancing field of aviation.
During this educational session, participants will explore the museum’s exhibits, historical photographs, documents, and other visual materials to learn about the most important stages of Steponas Darius’s life—his childhood in Lithuania, his emigration to the U.S., his athletic career, his service in World War I, his return to Lithuania, military aviation, and his preparations for the “Lituanica” flight. In hands-on activities, participants are invited to make their own decisions, analyze historical situations, collaborate, and justify their choices, thereby gaining a better understanding of how his environment and experiences shaped Steponas Darius’s personality and his decisions.
Integrated subjects: history, geography, civic and social education, technology and physics, Lithuanian language and literature.
To mark the 130th anniversary of Steponas Darius’s birth, the Lithuanian Aviation Museum has launched the project “Steponas Darius: Athlete, Soldier, Pilot.”
The new exhibition reveals lesser-known aspects of the pilot’s life: it offers a captivating account of his family, athletic pursuits, military service, public life, and personal stories. The exhibition complements the museum’s permanent collection and offers visitors the opportunity to discover S. Darius not only as the pilot of the legendary transatlantic flight, but also as a man of many talents and pursuits.
EXHIBITION TOUR – STEPONAS DARIUS
Suitable for all age groups
Steponas Darius—the pilot of the heroic flight across the Atlantic—but he was more than that. What lies behind one of the most prominent Lithuanian figures of the 20th century?
During the tour, participants will explore the exhibition at Steponas Darius’s birthplace and learn about the life journey of this extraordinary individual: his childhood in Samogitia, his emigration to the U.S., his battles on the battlefields of Europe, his contribution to the liberation of Klaipėda, the development of Lithuanian aviation and the sports movement, and his preparations for the legendary “Lituanica” flight. The guide’s narration will help reveal S. Darius not only as an aviation hero, but also as a versatile leader, visionary, and patriot of Lithuania.
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