Join us as a volunteer!

We have various volunteer opportunities throughout the year including:

  • Greet and engage with museum guests at the front desk while processing admissions and membership transactions.
  • Research and write about Hennepin County historical topics for possible inclusion on our website and/or social media pages.
  • Assist the museum curator with cataloging, photographing, database management, and research of our collection of 3D artifacts.
  • Assist the museum archivist with various projects in the museum’s archives collection and/or staffing the museum’s Research Library.
  • Support museum events, either on-site as a greeter or helping to set-up/clean-up, or off-site at community events engaging with community members about the museum.

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities in our library and archives, please contact our Archivist Michele Pollard at:

michele.pollard@hennepinhistory.org

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities with our 3D collections, please contact our Curator Alyssa Thiede at:

alyssa.thiede@hennepinhistory.org

For all other volunteer opportunities or general questions, please contact our Manager of Guest Services and Administration, Alex Weston at:

alex.weston@hennepinhistory.org

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Guest Services Volunteer

Position Description

The Guest Services Volunteer is the first museum representative guests meet when they come to our exhibits and research library, thus they are the face of the museum. The Guest Services Volunteer plays an important role in assuring our guests have an informative, enjoyable visit. By creating a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, we can be assured guests will enthusiastically recall their visit to Hennepin History Museum and recommend it to others.

Essential Functions

The Guest Services Volunteer performs the following front desk duties:

  • Warmly greet guests
  • Accurately process admission and membership fees
  • Orient guests to the layout of the museum and describe current exhibits
  • Answer questions about the museum, its collections, research library, and the Christian family/mansion
  • Encourage guests to sign up for monthly emails
  • Offer membership information and show a copy of Hennepin History magazine
  • Distribute postcard(s) of upcoming events
  • Respond in a timely manner to phone calls and staff enquiries

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • High school degree or GED
  • Experience with computers
  • Ability to learn point-of-sale systems
  • Ability to learn customer database software
  • Excellent communication skills (comfortable greeting and talking with the public)
  • Detail oriented
  • Enjoys history

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • Degree (or current coursework) in history, art history, public history, or museum studies
  • Experience with point-of-sale systems
  • Experience with customer database software
  • Knowledge of local history

Shifts available between 10:00am – 3:00pm Thursday/Friday, and 10:00am – 5:00pm Saturday

Working Conditions

Our building is non-ADA accessible; you must be able to climb stairs. There is no central air conditioning. Covid-19 mitigation measures include a safety shield at the front desk, masks available, and disinfectant materials available for guests/staff on every floor of the museum.

Contact volunteer@hennepinhistory.org with questions or to submit resume and cover letter.