Join Our Team!

VOLUNTEER with WDS: Our community is stronger when we work together. We’re always looking for volunteers for programs and events and to work in our beautiful Colonial Revival Garden. Have a special skill that you’d like to put to good use – let us know and we might have a role for you! Inquire at info@wdsmuseum.org.

Note: volunteering can entail working in a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions, long periods of standing, climbing stairs, and lifting objects.


OPEN POSITIONS | Museum Guide

The Museum Guide serves as a knowledgeable and welcoming ambassador for the Webb
Deane Stevens Museum (WDS), engaging visitors with the stories, collections, and historic
spaces of the WDS campus. Museum Guides lead interpretive tours for diverse audiences,
provide front-of-house visitor services, and support public programs and daily museum
operations.

As a Museum Guide, you’ll be on the front lines helping visitors discover new ways of
looking at the past and the present. From thinking carefully about the lives of people who
shaped the American nation to examining historic architecture and how different
generations have changed or preserved it over time, Museum Guides bring national, state,
and local history to life.

This position reports to the Guest Services Manager and Director of Preservation &
Collections and works on a variable part-time schedule according to museum needs.
About the Webb Deane Stevens Museum

Situated in the heart of Old Wethersfield, Connecticut’s oldest largest historic district, the
Webb Deane Stevens Museum has celebrated the rich and diverse legacy of the American
spirit and its impact on Connecticut since 1919. The 8-acre campus includes historic
gardens and 10 structures, three of which are nationally significant houses built between
1752 and 1789. The Joseph Webb House served as George Washington’s headquarters in
1781, when he met with the French General Rochambeau to plot the campaign that ended
the Revolutionary War at Yorktown. Beside it, the Silas Deane house was home to the
United States’ first foreign diplomat, who negotiated French support for the War.
Throughout the houses and in galleries inside our state-of-the-art Holcombe Education
Center, WDS teaches visitors about American decorative arts and craftsmanship through
our collection of objects and artworks. Lectures and performances, both indoors and
outdoors, engage visitors year-round, and the historic Webb Barn and panoramic
Waterman Room are available to community members for rental.

Primary Responsibilities

Guided Tours & Interpretation

  • Complete required initial training and participate in ongoing learning.
  • Lead accurate and engaging guided tours of the 1752 Joseph Webb House, 1773
    Silas Deane House, 1789 Isaac Stevens house, and 1711 Buttolph-Williams House,
    as well as orientation tours of gallery exhibitions.
  • Present content based on room-by-room interpretive plans and research provided
    by museum staff.
  • Adapt tours for a variety of audiences, including adults, school groups, families, and
    special-interest groups.
  • Maintain tour lengths within established guidelines (generally one hour).
  • Support a high-quality visitor experience that reflects the museum’s mission and
    interpretive goals.

Visitor Services & Front-of-House Operations

  • Welcome visitors in a courteous, professional, and inclusive manner.
  • Facilitate admissions and Museum Shop transactions in accordance with
    established procedures.
  • Answer phones, respond to inquiries, take messages, and provide general visitor
    information.
  • Assist patrons with reservations for programs and special events when necessary.
  • Promote museum programs and offerings in a positive and knowledgeable manner.

Museum Operations & Safety

  • Open and close the museum following established procedures and complete daily
    checklists.
  • Maintain visitor attendance records and demographic data.
  • Assist with monitoring the safety and security of visitors, buildings, collections, and
    grounds.
  • Respond calmly and professionally to emergencies and report incidents or unsafe
    conditions promptly.

Programs & Additional Duties

  • Assist with the delivery of public programs and special events as assigned.
  • Conduct research or work on museum-related projects between tours, as directed.
  • Complete additional duties as assigned to support museum operations.
    Schedule & Work Environment
  • This is a seasonal position, with regular work available from May through October
    and December.
  • Limited hours may be available on a reduced basis during the off-season,
    depending on museum needs.
  • Hours are scheduled monthly and may include weekends and holidays.
  • Work includes standing for extended periods and navigating historic buildings with
    stairs and uneven surfaces.

To Apply: Send Cover Letter and Resume to info@wdsmuseum.org | Subject Line: Museum Guide Position