Volunteers & Interns

You can make a difference! Join the 700-member volunteer corps and the many interns who dedicate time and expertise throughout the museum, garden, and library. The selection of opportunities—whether for volunteers or unpaid interns—varies and in some cases can be tailored to the applicant.
 

Benefits Include

• Free admission to the garden, Galleries, and most tours
• Free admission to special events and continuing education lectures
• Discounts in the retail stores and restaurants
• Outstanding training and educational opportunities
• Social and professional contacts
• Participation in National Volunteer Month (April)
• Lots of fun!!

Current Highlighted Opportunities

• Visitor Service Volunteer: you will greet visitors as they enter the Galleries Reception Area. You will orient them and assist with their visit while they are in that area. Your four-hour shift (10:30 am–2:30 pm) may require standing. Sometimes we have iPod tours available; volunteers help with iPods on weekends 11:00 am–3:00 pm.
   
• Membership Desk: you will sell memberships to our visitors at the Visitor Center and help Members with tickets, tours, and upgrades as needed. This is an excellent opportunity for multi-taskers with good computer skills. You will manage a cash drawer and balance it at the end of your shift. The shifts are 10:00 am–2:00 pm, Tuesday–Sunday.

• Gallery Walk Guides: we will be training volunteers to give guided gallery walks in the Common Destinations: Maps in the American Experience exhibition ( April 20,2013 through January 5,2014).  Please contact Margaret Jenkins at mjenkins@winterthur.org 302.888.4784 as soon as possible.

• Visitor Center Information Desk: this desk serves as an information desk and express membership desk. Computer knowledge and use of the internet will be required. The desk shift is 12:00 noon–4:00 pm, Tuesday–Sunday (and seven days a week during Yuletide). Training is provided.

• Administrative Volunteer Administrative work in Marketing Communications department directly assisting Winterthur’s Senior Marketing & Advertising Manager. Duties include: filing, organizing, database entry, mailings, and other small projects as needed.

• Garden Volunteers: we are looking for volunteers to assist our garden team in our nearly 1,000 acres. You could help with updating plant records using data entry, digital photography and storage, and plant labels. Garden volunteers also help with our children’s vegetable garden and the Farmstand.

• Point to Point Volunteers Over 200 volunteers are needed to help run this annual fundraiser. This year it is on May 5, 2013. Work a few hours and enjoy the event with friends and families. Opportunities are widespread from helping with children’s activities to assisting the jockeys and everything in between.
   

• Historic Automobile Hosts We have Historic automobiles at Winterthur every Saturday in May. The hosts help watch over the cars and share information about the cars and Winterthur to our guests.

• Truck and Tractor Day: we are looking for volunteers to assist at this new event on Saturday, October 5, 2013, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Volunteers will greet visitors, assist with crafts, and join in on the fun of the day.
   
• Delaware Antique Show: we are looking for volunteers to assist with this annual event, taking place on November 8-10, 2013 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. Volunteer for a few hours and then enjoy the show. Assignments needed are greeters, floor hosts and hostesses, coat check, ticket sales, lecture greeters, and much more. Contact Ellen Hughes at ehughe@winterthur.org or 302.888.4871.

Ongoing Opportunities

• Special events such as Point-to-Point and the Delaware Antiques Show
• Volunteer Interpreter Program (house tours, gallery walks, and garden walks)
• Family Programs such as Enchanted Summer Day, Terrific Tuesdays, and Breakfast with Santa
• Library
• Membership
• Visitor Service
• Conservation 
• Museum Collections
• Garden
• Information Systems

To apply, please complete the online volunteer application. 

For additional information, please contact Volunteer Manager Margaret Jenkins at 302.888.4784 or Volunteer Assistant Janice Crawford at 302.888.4616 or e-mail volunteerinfo@winterthur.org.