Opportunities From: The Durham Museum

-Help open the shop and make it ready for guests before we open at 10:00

-Maintain merchandise displays through re-stocking, taking inventory, and notifying staff of merchandise needs

-Complete sales for guests

-Assist guests in finding a special treasure to remember their visit

-Familiarize yourself with all the wonderful gifts in our shop

What to Expect 

- familiarize yourself with our train cars (information/training provided)

- interact with visitors as they stop by the trains providing facts about our cars

- keeping an eye on the treatment of the cars and notifying staff of any concerns/damage

- assist in directing visitors to other exhibits that may interest them

What to expect:

--Welcome visitors to our national historic landmark and share some highlights of our great hall layout

- Collect admission and inform guests about the benefits of becoming a member

- Work with our POS systems and troubleshoot as needed with staff

- Keep the admissions desk area tidy and stocked with museum brochures and other offering materials

- Acting as the center hub of information for guest’s questions, and connect with appropriate staff members to address situations as needed

-Provide exhibit recommendations to new and returning guests

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Historic Schoolroom program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Early Omaha program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

Volunteer as a Gallery Guide for the museum's spring 2026 exhibit, the Negro Motorist Green Book.

Responsibilities

Alert museum staff of needed repairs/issues

Volunteer as a Gallery Guide for Get Building! Bricks at the Durham, a companion exhibit for the museum's spring 2026 exhibit, the Negro Motorist Green Book.

Responsibilities

Alert museum staff of needed repairs/issues

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Pioneer Life program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Native American Life program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here.  

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the All Aboard program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

As a Education Ambassador you will lead a group of students throughout their field trip to each area, where docents will present programming. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- maintaining field trip schedule and timing 

- standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get your schedule for the school group

Help serve food to students, teachers, and families of our three IMI (Inclusive Museum Initiative) schools for their Family Nights at the museum. Schools are Mandela Elementary, Castelar Elementary, and Pine Elementary.

help facilitate the craft table for the Family Nights at the museum for our IMI (Inclusive Museum Initiative) schools. Partner Schools are Mandela Elementary, Castelar Elementary, and Pine Elementary.

Help keep an eye on the gallery during our IMI (Inclusive Museum Initiative) Family Nights here at the museum. Standard gallery procedures apply. Partner schools are Mandela Elementary, Castelar Elementary, & Pine Elementary.

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Great Hall/Union Station program. Microphone can be provided if needed.

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here.  

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

Responsibilities

Alert museum staff of needed repairs/issues

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Neighborhood Store program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Transportation Station program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

We meet on the second Wednesday of every month to stuff envelopes and send out our most recent membership communications. 

Support our membership program by helping us send renewal letters and other important information. 

Duration depends on the amount of mail and how many volunteers arrive in the morning but typically last 2 hours. When you arrive sign-in on the check-in kiosk and proceed to the Library, unless otherwise noted in an email from a Durham staff member. 

We appreciate your time and help! 

What is it Wednesday - This Daily Activity shift is from 10:00 – 12:00.

What to Expect:

- familiarize yourself with an artifact from our collections (information sheets provided)

- interact with visitors as they arrive and give them information on what the object is and some brief history

- keep count of visitor interactions for data collection

- assist in directing visitors to our exhibits level after they have arrived

Come join us for food and a presentation, this time from the museum's Marketing and Communications department on the work they do here at the museum. Will be hosted in the Criss Conference Room on March 12th at 12:00pm. We hope to see you there!

Greeting guests, handing out programs, and if a lecture is very full, helping folks find seats in the Truhlsen Lecture Hall. Likely locations you'd be posted are the elevator, trackside down to the lecture hall, or in the lecture hall itself. Feel free to stay and enjoy the lecture.

Our new Mission Table is meant to be an inviting and informational space dedicated to sharing our museum with visitors. Brochures, handouts, activities, photo archive examples, event signage, and other promotional materials will be displayed in the Great Hall near the Admissions Desk. Volunteers who sign up are expected to have a general understanding of the museum's mission, history, and community offerings.

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Faces and Places program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Homes and Families program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

Read to and interact with museum guests at our various 'Tales for Tots' platform interactives throughout the year.

As a Docent you will lead a group of students through the Lewis and Clark program. 

For details including the school name, grade level, and number of students, click here. 

What to expect: 

- presenting in our exhibit areas about the specified topic (training materials provided)  

- dressing in period accurate clothing to encourage an immersive atmosphere (Costume pieces provided)  

- speaking and standing or sitting for duration of presentation time 

- arrive 15 minutes prior to shift start time to get set-up for the school group

- presenting the program for one or more student groups throughout the shift time 

Help us as the first point of contact for calls to the museum's main phone number. This position includes fielding questions, redirecting calls to specific museum staff, and other small administrative duties.