Volunteer - Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum has only one paid staff position, we rely on volunteers for everything else! There are many ways you can make a difference with just a small commitment.

We have created a volunteer survey (that takes less than five minutes to fill out, promise!) in order to learn more about our amazing community of current and future supporters. Have a look and see if any of the activities listed interest you, or you see skill sets that you would like to exercise in service to the museum community:

Volunteer Survey

Student Volunteer Survey

Tea Volunteer Interest Survey

The Road to Becoming a Docent

Thank you for your interest in the docent program at the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum!

Here’s a quick guide to how we train docents:

Get a tour with one of the experienced docents. They will point out all the relevant information about the permanent exhibits at the museum.
Check out any of the materials/books/booklets we have available in the workroom. We provide a selection of historical accounts, from books about the Murphy Family to the history of Sunnyvale, plus a detailed description of the cross-country trek the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party took to come to California. You can borrow them to read at home.
Shadow as many docents as you can – each tour is different, each docent has a different way of presenting the material. There are many angles how the material can be conveyed.
A very good way to learn is reading all the explanatory panels (and the ring binder books in the introduction room) throughout the exhibits. They provide a lot of information.
As you explore, write down any questions you might have and then ask senior docents.
There are several ring binders at the docent desk with additional information, including the Murphy family tree. Leaf through those when you’re waiting for guests….

Let us know when you think you’re ready to give tours on your own. Don’t be afraid of questions to which you don’t have the answer – try to look them up/ask another docent. We can’t know everything!

Working as a docent is a very rewarding activity! You delve deeply into the history of our city and the Murphy family who owned most of the land the city was built on. Engaging with visitors is great fun – there are many different kinds of guests, and many decline a tour*, but others ask questions, show their delight at recognizing artifacts, and tell you their own stories/memories, which is a priceless experience.

*We always ask visitors when they come in and sign the guest book if they’d like a tour or explore on their own. If they choose the latter, it’s a good idea to occasionally check in on them to see if they want to engage, after all.

You are always paired with another docent, and we often have student docents on a Sunday, so you are never on your own.

Volunteer Positions

Victorian Teas

Behind the scenes workroom

Help keep local history alive by volunteering for one of the numerous opportunities covering a broad range of duties and skills:

Become a docent and take visitors through the exhibits and talk about Sunnyvale’s past. Training and materials will be provided.
Join the Museum Store staff and help customers select one-of-a-kind items from the new or vintage treasures, books, games, and other choices available.
Join the School Program and guide groups of local third grade students in a hands-on experience of Sunnyvale history (training and scripts will be provided).
The two annual Seasonal Teas need bakers, servers, kitchen helpers, tea makers, clean-up crews, as well as volunteers to set the tables with vintage china.
The many artifacts on display and in the museum’s collections need cataloging and archiving. Every few months, a new exhibit is set up that needs volunteers with presentation skills to display the individual items. You could be part of that team.
The SHSMA hosts several annual events, such as Speaker Nights, as well as bigger affairs such as a community festival/event. The opportunities for supporting the planning and organizing of these events are endless.
Assistance with IT and everyday office work is always greatly appreciated.
And many more….

Student Volunteer Opportunities

The Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum welcomes student volunteers from age 16 years and up! There are perfect opportunities for teens to fulfill volunteer service hours and enhance their college resumée in a fun and interactive way!
Students may volunteer in various ways. For instance, they can serve as assistants in the Museum Store, as docents, doing clerical work, helping with events, and in other capacities.
Volunteering at the museum provides real work experience. The students explore local history and are involved with community outreach while working on building their public speaking, presentation, and customer service skills. Volunteering will enrich their life experience.
Join Us and fill out a student volunteer form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDy8kFAcexzXkYfLktpyqf-EJjVUKaJ7iWZE8BU6g4SWruRw/viewform