Volunteer Opportunities

The National Building Museum, created by an act of Congress in 1980, is America's premiere institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning. Through engaging exhibitions and education programs, including innovative curricula for school groups and stimulating programs for teens and adults, the Museum is the forum for exchanging information and ideas about such topical issues as managing suburban growth, preserving landmarks and communities, and revitalizing urban centers.

The Museum is currently recruiting dedicated volunteers who are eager to explore the world we build for ourselves. We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities working along the side of staff or directly with our visitors. Here is a list of current openings:

Behind-the-Scenes

The National Building Museum's behind-the-scenes volunteer program offers a variety of opportunities for those who seek challenging alternatives while working along the side of staff and other volunteers. Behind-the-scenes volunteers who contribute their time and knowledge in this area volunteer both part-time and full-time depending on the selected project. As opportunities and projects become available, the listings below will be updated. Requirements: weekday availability. Our current behind-the-scenes opportunities are as follows:

Collections: Cataloging the Museum's Architectural Toy Collection

The National Building Museum recently acquired a toy collection which relates to building and architectural themes. The collection consists of over 2,100 artifacts dating from the late 19th-century to the present, including toys and accompanying items of ephemera. Toy collection volunteers will focus on assisting with the full documentation and cataloging of objects in the toy collection.

Docent Program

Docents teach visitors to analyze and interpret various aspects of the built environment by leading tours of the building, our ground breaking exhibitions, and discovery carts.

Information Desk

Our information desk volunteers are often the only representatives from the Museum with whom visitors have contact. Volunteers at the information desk orient visitors on Museum exhibitions, programs, events, and our surrounding neighborhood. Our volunteers also promote our daily activities such as tours and our family-friendly offerings.

Membership

Membership volunteers help promote Museum membership at lectures, family programs, festivals, and other events.

Museum Shop

Shop volunteers have an opportunity to work in one of Washington's most recognized and distinctive museum shops—recently voted as "Best Museum Shop in the DC area"—shop volunteers assist Museum visitors by answering questions and ringing visitors up at the register.

A young girl receives instruction on hammering at the Miller & Long nail driving competition.

Outreach Programs

Youth programs at the NBM inspire students to examine the people, processes, and materials that create buildings and places. Outreach programs are seeking volunteers for each of the Museum’s multi-session design-based teen programs: CityVision, Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP), Investigating Where We Live (IWWL). Volunteer faculty members take on important instructive roles in outreach programs. While developing student design sensibility and helping participants to assess and manage the parameters of the project, volunteer mentors will also teach technical skills and assist the participants in preparing their final projects. To learn more about the specific programs, visit the Teen and Young Adults pages.

Public Programs

The museum's public program volunteers help facilitate the Museum's popular daytime and evening lectures. Volunteers assist with on-site registration, visitor services, and occasionally lead question question & answer sessions for programs.

Placement and Training

Volunteer placement is determined by matching volunteer qualifications, backgrounds, knowledge, interests, and availability with project and program requirements.

All volunteers undergo a personalized orientation session. Docents participate in a one to three-month initial training program consisting of two to four hours of training per week. Docent training hours vary depending on the selected docent program.

Ongoing training occurs throughout the year with curatorial overviews of new exhibitions, enrichment trips that are mission related, as well as volunteer continuing education, which occurs once a month.

Commitment

Volunteers are an integral part of the National Building Museum's daily operations. In fact, the Museum began as a volunteer organization, and through these efforts the Museum continues to grow. Volunteers collectively contribute each year the equivalent of approximately six full-time staff members. In 2007, the Musuem's volunteers contributed a total of 15,076 hours.

Volunteering at the National Building Museum requires a commitment of time, enthusiasm, and interest. All applicants must be willing to commit to two shifts per month, or a minimum of 20 shifts per year (for most assignments), one annual training session, and at least one year of service.

Benefits

Volunteers receive a variety of benefits, including:

Complimentary individual membership (includes subscription to Blueprints quarterly journal, the Calendar or Events, invitations to exhibition openings, and a discount in the Museum Shop and cafe)
Free admission to public programs
Educational opportunities such as monthly enrichment trips, monthly volunteer continuing education, and curatorial overviews and tours
Annual volunteer appreciation dinner and awards ceremony
Access to the Museum’s volunteer lounge and library
Bi-monthly volunteer newsletter, Capstones

Additional Requirements

The National Building Museum requires all paid staff and volunteers involved with the museum's youth programs to undergo a DC criminal background check and be tested for Tuberculosis. Employment and involvement is subject to the successful passage of such checks. More information about the process for both of these requirements will be available upon acceptance of your application. An interview is also required.

To Apply

Please review the volunteer opportunitites listed above before submitting your application. You will be contacted within two weeks upon receipt of your application.

Please click here to apply.

Questions? Contact the Volunteer Manager at 202.272.2448, ext. 3302 or e-mail volunteer@nbm.org.