MOR Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers can dedicate their time to many areas at Museum of the Rockies. They are continually learning new skills and taking on new experiences and challenges. Maybe some of the tasks shown below will catch your eye and interest!
Living History Interpreter – Greet visitors and demonstrate day to day life on an 1890s homestead. Volunteers on our farm work inside the Tinsley house, out in the heirloom garden, or in our blacksmith shop. Volunteers must commit to one 4-hour shift a week. The Living History Farm is open Memorial Day to mid-September. Volunteers must commit to at least one summer and six to eight weeks of annual training in the spring.
Docent – If you are interested in continuing education and would like to give tours to groups of all ages in the museum, then you may wish to become a docent. Docents provided close to 1,000 guided tours for over 13,000 students and teachers annually. In addition to school tours, public and special tours are also conducted daily during the summer months. MOR offers docent lead tours of our many changing exhibits. Permanent exhibits in the Siebel Dinosaur Complex, the History Hall, and changing exhibits all offer highly interesting opportunities for learning. See the expanded explanation of the role of a Docent on the Docent Application form.
Fossil Lab – Volunteers prepare fossils in our Viewing Lab on a set team. Extensive training is required for work in this area. Volunteers are required to provide paleontology interpretation for visitors during work one three-hour shift per week and learn many new skills. These opportunities are very limited and generally filled by MSU Paleontology students.
Education Programs – Early learning programs and Family Days provide many opportunities to work with families and younger children. Family Day Volunteers typically volunteer one Saturday morning a month, helping lead our educational crafts and activities for visitors.
Dinosaur & History Interpretive Cart – Volunteers use carts with hands on materials to provide interpretive experiences for visitors in the Siebel Dinosaur Complex or Montana History Halls. They interpret real dinosaur fossils or artifacts and answer visitor questions. Training and education are provided. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one two-hour shift per week.
Museum Host – Volunteers are often our first ambassadors to the museum. In the summer months and on busy weekends in the winter, volunteers greet visitors, answer questions, and make every museum visitor feel welcome.
Exhibit Host – The time and or physical demands of for Docent work may not fit everyone who wants to participate in continuing education. Our exhibit hosts attend the docent trainings for our changing exhibits and offer on the spot interpretation.
Museum of the Rockies’ Volunteer Program
The Volunteer Program was established at MOR in 1972 in order to expand the museum’s ability to conduct research and educational programs, to assist staff in caring for collections, and to provide improved visitor services.
Volunteers work for the Executive Director of the museum under the guidance of the Volunteer Coordinator, Steve Phelps. Work is supervised by the coordinator or the particular staff member to whom they are assigned. The volunteer’s role is to supplement and enhance the mission of the museum, enabling the museum to provide services that might otherwise not be possible.
Although volunteers are not compensated for their efforts, they are expected to adhere to the same professional standards that apply to paid staff. Volunteers must work towards the betterment of the museum and not for personal gain, other than the natural gratification and enrichment inherent in museum participation. Volunteering for MOR is a privilege and an honor. All adult volunteers must be approved by Museum of the Rockies.
Museum of the Rockies reserves the right to reject an application or terminate the services of a volunteer if the individual’s actions are found to be in conflict with the best interests of the program.
Volunteers are expected to show a sense of responsibility and a professional appearance and attitude. They should be thoroughly familiar with museum policies and procedures. Volunteers are an important part of the museum’s public image since they are in daily contact with MOR visitors.
MOR strives to provide a positive and enriching experience for all active volunteers.
