Volunteer
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’ve been volunteering with Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites for some time now. I’ve worked with some wonderful people who have become friends, and I’ve really come to appreciate our local history and beautiful historic buildings. I’ve had the opportunity to create amazing crafts that are tied into skill-making from the past. It’s a wonderful organization, and they’ve done a nice job preserving our past.
— Sue A.
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. 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.
— Georgia T.
I have been volunteering now since September, 2024, and as expected, this has been a very rewarding experience. Being a longtime devotee of Bethlehem history and heritage, it has indeed been an honor to be included among the group of excellent and well-informed guides who have nurtured me along over the past half-year. I have learned so much that I never knew, which enriches my own experience in visiting this beautiful town, and it is such a joy to share that new-found information with guests and local citizens who participate in the guided tours. I have yet to experience a tour in which the participants are anything but overwhelmed by the story of the Moravians and the buildings they left behind.
— Tony S.
Longer-term Volunteering Opportunities
Museum Teachers
Museum Host
Docent/Tour Guides
Kids' Craft Volunteer
Saturdays at Burnside
Burnside Colonial Gardener
Museum Shop Volunteer
Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe Volunteer
Goundie House Welcome Center Volunteer
Office Administrative Volunteer
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.
Museum Shop Volunteer
Do you have a passion for art and locally made goods? Welcome visitors to the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and provide basic information about the museum. Process merchandise and ticket sales in the gift shop.
Time Commitment: Mondays and Thursdays, 11 AM-4 PM, shorter shift available upon request
Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe Volunteer
Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe is a charming store inspired by the town’s original dry goods store, which was owned by John and Maria Elizabeth Schropp in the mid-1800s. Volunteers assist staff to ensure customers receive high levels of care and service and have a welcoming experience in the shoppe.
Volunteers are needed Mondays – Thursdays, 10 AM – 5 PM and Fridays – Sundays 10 AM – 6 PM in the Spring & Summer. Hours will increase during the Fall/Holiday season. Shifts are typically 3-4 hours no more than 2 days a week.
Responsibilities:
- Greeter/Sales Floor Volunteer
- Check-Out Volunteer
Goundie House Welcome Center Volunteer
Welcome Center Volunteers serve as the first point of contact for our guests to Historic Bethlehem; welcoming guests to town, informing them on current HBMS offerings, and ensuring a positive experience in the Welcome Center.
Volunteers are needed Mondays – Thursdays, 10 AM – 5 PM and Fridays – Sundays 10 AM – 6 PM in the Spring & Summer. Hours will increase during the Fall/Holiday season. Shifts are typically 3-4 hours no more than 2 days a week.
Responsibilities:
- Call and Outreach Volunteer
- Greeter/Sales Floor Volunteer
- Tour Check-In Volunteer
Office Administrative Volunteer
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is seeking a detail-oriented volunteer to support our office team with general administrative tasks in the Administrative Suite (74 W Broad Street, Suite 310). This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys organized, behind-the-scenes work that helps keep operations running smoothly.
Responsibilities:
- File and organize paperwork and records
- Assist with data entry and basic record keeping
- Prepare mailings, materials, or informational packets
- Support staff with light clerical tasks as needed
Qualifications:
- Comfortable with basic computer programs (Word, Excel, email)
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Reliable, punctual, and detail-oriented
- Prior office experience helpful but not required
Commitment
Flexible scheduling; typically a few hours per week, days/times to be arranged with the office manager.
Signature Event Volunteer Opportunities
Vintage Market
We’re looking for volunteers to set up and help in many capacities during the event, including assisting with children’s activities, serving desserts, and assisting in the tavern.
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.
Community Heritage Day
Do you enjoy history, fun, and festivities? Join us for Community Heritage Day! We’re looking for volunteers to help in many capacities throughout the day, including assisting with craft activities, the Old Fashioned Bake Sale, and assisting in the tavern.
Volunteers receive an HBMS t-shirt and dessert coupon.
Rooms to View House & 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.
Email Beth Beatty for more information on this opportunity
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.
Heritage Volunteer Corps
Do you enjoy history? Would you like to learn more about your community and share that knowledge with others? If so, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites Heritage Volunteer Corps is for you!
This new volunteer group will support events like Community Heritage Day and Blueberry Festival by helping with living history activities that you can share with others. Fun, hands-on training provided. Step back in time with HBMS and help us share the unique stories of our community with visitors. Period attire welcome but not required.
For more information, please complete the form below, or contact Beth Beatty or Charlotte Filiciotto.
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.
