Visit Us
Walk through history as we guide you to things to learn, places to discover, and events that help connect us to our rich heritage.
Help us to bring history to life!
Give back to your community and become a volunteer at Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites!
We offer a variety of short and long-term volunteer opportunities that will allow you to share your talents and join a vibrant community of like-minded people. See the opportunities below or contact us with your own volunteer project idea. Hours are flexible.
I have been a volunteer with Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites since December, 2014 after reading an article about their needing help with the Festival of Trees exhibit. Since then I have been a greeter and gallery watcher at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts for the special exhibitions as well as the yearly Festival of Trees. My most enjoyable experience is guiding visitors through the museum to see the beautiful Christmas decorations and trees which have a different theme each year. A side benefit for me is to spend time in a Victorian setting among beautiful artifacts and the company of other volunteers and staff.
Georgia T.
For me, volunteering my time and talents is very rewarding. I get to meet new people and enjoy the festivals—all while helping HBMS preserve Bethlehem’s Moravian History.
Volunteer Benefits
- Free museum admission for you and a friend
- 10% off Museum Store purchases
- Discounted Walking Tour tickets
- Invitation to Exhibition openings and other social events
Become a volunteer today!
Complete the form below and a staff member will contact you. Under the age of 18? Complete the form, have it signed by a parent or guardian, and bring it with you to your first shift. Underage volunteers MUST have a complete form to volunteer.
Volunteer Application
Seasonal volunteering opportunities
Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe Volunteer
✓
Assist staff to ensure customers receive high levels of care and service and have a welcoming experience in the Shoppe.
Greeter/Sales Floor Volunteer
- Greet guests at the Schropp Shoppe and offer information
- Suggests items for purchase in the store and offers information about products and consignors
- Keeps sales floor clean and restocks when necessary
Check-Out Volunteer
- Assists staff at check out by helping wrap and bag items carefully and efficiently
- Ensure tissue paper, bags, and boxes are fully stocked at the counter
- Assists staff with pick-up merchandise and dessert orders
- If comfortable, complete sales transactions when lines become long
Goundie House Welcome Center Volunteer
✓
Welcome guests to town, inform them on current offerings, and ensuring a positive experience.
Call and Outreach Volunteer
- Answer phone inquiries about offerings, tours, and general information
- Process over the phone tickets sales
- Complete outgoing phone calls to customers with upcoming dessert and ticket orders
Greeter/Sales Floor Volunteer
- Greets guests and offers information
- Suggests items to purchase
- Keeps sales floor clean and restocks when necessary
- Aid in directing visitors to the check-out counter or the start location of their tour
Tour Check-In Volunteer
- Assist in checking in tour ticket holders
- Assist in guiding visitors to the start location of their tour
- Assist staff with daily operations
Gallery Guide
✓
Gallery guides monitor the museum space while ensuring a positive experience for visitors.
Volunteers provide guidance through the museum space for self-guided groups and share information about HBMS offerings during the Christmas season.
Longer-term volunteering opportunities
Museum Teachers
✓
Museum Teachers provide a positive learning experience for school groups by delivering high-quality education programs at our museums and historic sites. Museum Teachers are responsible for learning and presenting program information in a way that makes it easy for students to understand and enjoy their visit and are responsible for facilitating hands-on learning activities to ensure that programs match curriculum expectations.
Museum Host
✓
Donate your time to become a museum host. Engage museum guests while ensuring that the buildings, artifacts, and grounds are treated with care.
Docent/Tour Guides
✓
Are you a museum enthusiast? Are you eager to learn and share more about Bethlehem’s culture and history? If so, this is the perfect fit for you! Volunteers interested in being trained as docents will undergo site-specific training to provide guests with engaging tours of the permanent and changing exhibits.
Kids’ Craft Volunteer
✓
Do you enjoy expressing your creativity and working with our younger visitors? If so, this is the perfect fit for you! Volunteers assist with kids’ crafts and activities during Free Sundays at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, held the first Sunday of most months.
Saturdays at Burnside
✓
Want to spend more time in the great outdoors? Join us for our monthly program at Burnside, our very own Farm in the City during Saturdays at Burnside. Volunteers are needed the first Saturday of each month, May through October. Positions include docent, greeter, Summer Kitchen demonstrator, and kids’ activity volunteer.
Burnside Colonial Gardener
✓
Do you have a green thumb? Join the Colonial Gardeners at Burnside, and help with planting and tending this wonderful historical colonial garden. The garden is planted with heirloom seeds and plants and everything is grown organically, as would have been done in the colonial period. Plants, seeds, and compost are provided at no cost and gardeners share fresh produce from the garden.
Signature Event Volunteer Opportunities
Rooms to View House and Garden Tour
✓
Are you interested in the decorative arts? Do you enjoy house and garden tours? We’re looking for volunteers to set up and help the day go smoothly.
Blueberry Festival
✓
Do you like food, fun, and festivities? Join us for the sweetest festival of the Summer! We’re looking for volunteers to set up and help in many capacities throughout the weekend, including assisting with children’s activities, serving pie, helping with blueberry contests, and assisting in the tasting tent.
Volunteers receive a Blueberry Festival t-shirt and dessert coupon.
Apple Days
✓
It’s autumn on historic Burnside Plantation! Celebrate the bounty of the season at Apple Days festival and Market to Go.
We’re looking for volunteers to help set up and assist throughout the weekend, including in the hay bale maze, with kid’s crafts, serving sweet fall treats, and helping out in the Tavern!
Volunteers receive an Apple Days t-shirt and dessert coupon.
Turkey Trot
✓
Join us the day after Thanksgiving for the Historic Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Walk. We’re looking for volunteers to help with set up, bib pick-up, refreshments, race marking, and more throughout the race day.
Interested in joining an HBMS committee?
Volunteers who are interested in event planning and administration can become special committee liaisons.
Committee Members attend meetings and assist with the planning and implementation of Historic Bethlehem’s special events.
The following committees are currently seeking new members:
- Collections & Programming
- Marketing
- Festival (Blueberry Festival & Apple Days)
