COEUR d'ALENE - The hallway outside Kim Yearsley's second grade classroom at Atlas Elementary School became a time travel machine Wednesday.

Yearsley opened the door, and several adult visitors playing the roles of historical figures from five centuries ago stepped into the room.

Christopher Columbus, Queen Isabella, one of Columbus' sailors and a native Indian spent time visiting with the children, answering the kids' questions about their time in history.

"Where is my throne? Where is my throne?" asked Queen Isabella, who was actually Atlas Principal Karen Troxel.

As Isabella of Spain, sponsor of Columbus' voyages to the Americas, Troxel held her head high and answered students' questions in a regal tone.

"It was such an exciting time, because we didn't know what we would find," she said.

Across the room, school staff member Craig Tanya answered questions as Christopher Columbus himself.

"Did you get to have some of the gold that you brought back?" queried student Cooper Hancock.

As Columbus, Tanya said he had a few small pieces.

"My biggest prize was my belt buckle," he told the kids.

In another corner of the room, in the role of one of Columbus' sailors, was Rex Romagnolo, father of a fifth-grade Atlas student and a volunteer through the school's Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) program.

One of the kids asked if he got seasick on the voyage. No, answered Romagnolo the sailor. He had been sailing the seas for a long time before he took off with Columbus for the New World.

Counselor Kitty Chadwick answered questions as one of the Indians that Columbus encountered in the Americas. Chadwick's character didn't think highly of Columbus. Her voice was pained as she spoke of his treatment of her people.

"It was terrible. We were taken in chains," said Chadwick's character.

On another side of the room, Troxel as Queen Isabella explained to the students that she didn't like everything about Columbus either.

"One thing I didn't like was that he took the native people and put them into slavery," said Troxel in her queen-like manner. "It was the one thing I told him not to do."

Teacher Kim Yearsley was pleased her students came prepared with their questions. The project should help the children have a deeper understanding of Columbus, the man, and how his voyages and exploration opened the door for Europe to have a lasting connection with the New World.

"We want to honor what he did while recognizing that not all his actions were worthy," Yearsley said.

Counselor Kitty Chadwick chuckled, noting how many children asked her Indian character why they didn't wear clothes.

"They were completely engaged," Chadwick said.