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Get involved at Tempe History Museum

With a small staff and a big mission, the Museum relies heavily on community volunteers and student interns. Whether you’re a teen or a senior, quiet or outgoing, a winter visitor or a longtime resident, there is a place for you here.

 

Recruiting Museum Docents for Fall 2026 Photo of an upstairs bedroom at Petersen House. It shows a wood chair and writing desk with a lamp, books, spectacles, a vintage telephone, a teacup and saucer, and a finished letter.

Are you curious? Do you enjoy working with people of all ages and life experiences?

Through training and hands-on experience, docents become subject matter experts and learn museum education principles that spark imagination in guests of all ages. Docents facilitate learning at historic houses, in the Museum gallery, and at significant sites throughout Tempe.

This position is perfect for lifelong learners of any age who are curious about people, places, culture, and history. Docents can schedule volunteering around work and life commitments because education programs happen on weekdays, weekends, and evenings.

Docent training for museum education programs is self-paced and includes a mix of online modules, readings, and in-person training. Most volunteer opportunities happen from October through April. 

  

Photo of bout twenty museum youth volunteers and staff members stand in from of a decorative wood entrance structure. It has large gears and a sign that reads Tempe Time Machine.

Be a Summer Youth Volunteer at Tempe Time Machine

Are you looking for the perfect summer volunteer opportunity?

Join us on Wednesdays during your summer break to bring Tempe Time Machine to life! This fun enrichment program for kids and families is one of Tempe History Museum's most popular programs. Recruitment happens through the City of Tempe Summer Youth Volunteer Program and starts in April.

Youth Volunteers spend summer working with a supportive team of peers and adults, gaining confidence and expanding their career and life skills. The connection doesn't have to end when Tempe Time Machine is over. Many Summer Youth Volunteers pursue year-round volunteer and leadership opportunities at the Museum!

Learn more at www.tempe.gov/timemachine.

 

A photo showing the exterior of Tempe History Museum at night. A band plays in the space in front of the museum, which is illuminated in pink, magenta and green. Sound equipment is in the foreground.

Volunteer in a Museum Specialty
Do you want to learn new skills or continue using the skills you’ve spent a lifetime developing?

Either way, you can make a difference throughout the Museum! Click on the specialty areas below for more information:

Collections
Events
Exhibits
Research
To learn more about volunteering at Tempe History Museum, check out Tempe Volunteer Opportunities or contact Historic House Coordinator Jen Sweeney at (480) 350- 5140