Prospective volunteers for the following department placements are interviewed by staff members of the departments for which they are being considered.
Department Placements: Main Building
Membership Volunteers
Membership Volunteers staff the Membership Desks throughout the Museum. They sell Memberships and assist Museum Members with information regarding Membership programs and events. These volunteers also serve as hosts at Member Previews for exhibitions and are expected to work on Members-only Shopping Days. They work one five-hour shift per week, year-round, either during the week or on weekends. Volunteers in this program must have strong customer service skills and a broad knowledge of the Museum's collections and resources. Computer proficiency is required and familiarity with a fund-raising database is preferred.
Visitor Services Volunteers
Visitor Services Volunteers serve at Information Desks throughout the Museum to offer assistance and information to the public. Volunteers must acquire a thorough knowledge of the Museum. Candidates with multilingual skills are preferred. Visitor Services Volunteers serve one half-day a week, year-round, during weekdays, evenings, or weekends.
Library Volunteers
Library Volunteers primarily serve in Thomas J. Watson Library and Nolen Library in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education. Watson Library volunteers assist behind the scenes in every aspect of the library, including helping to acquire and conserve material, and updating and managing information files. They work one half-day per week, year-round. Nolen Library volunteers assist with resource management and help users with reference and teacher resource materials. Weekday Nolen volunteers work at least one half-day per week, year-round. Weekend Nolen volunteers work a minimum of one day every three weeks. Library or teaching experience is preferred for Nolen Library volunteers.
Survey Volunteers
Survey Volunteers are the backbone of the Museum's visitor research efforts. They help the Museum gather visitor feedback by conducting surveys and interviews. Survey Volunteers do not have fixed weekly shifts; they work for two to three hours periodically, when surveys are scheduled. Candidates must have a flexible schedule, including availability on weekdays and weekends. No previous survey experience is necessary, as training will be provided, but strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with Museum visitors successfully are required.
Japanese Reading Room Volunteers
These volunteers staff a George Nakashima–designed anteroom to the Japanese galleries. Duties include greeting visitors and organizing the library cart of books on Japanese culture, arts, and history as well as the videos and iPads relating to exhibitions. Volunteers work either one three-hour shift on a specified day every other week, or substitute for regular volunteers as needed (substitutes must be available as many days of the week as possible). Prior knowledge of Japanese art, culture, and language is not required. Volunteers must be familiar with the Museum's collections, particularly the current exhibitions and where they are located.
Department Volunteers
Department Volunteers work individually or in groups, performing a variety of duties in numerous departments throughout the Museum, and are needed for weekday, evening, and weekend positions, year-round. The time commitment varies, depending on the demands of the particular department and position (a typical shift is four to five hours a week on a year-round basis).
Department Placements: The Cloisters Museum and Gardens
Sights & Scents Program
Sights & Scents Volunteers assist the Museum staff who teach this program for visitors with dementia and their care partners. It occurs once a month on Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday. Volunteers arrive an hour before the program, greet visitors, accompany those in wheelchairs who require escort through non-public areas, make and distribute name tags, distribute sketching material during the program, help carry folding stools between galleries, engage with visitors before and during the program, and assist visitors in leaving the Museum. Experience engaging with the elderly or people with dementia is desired.
The Gardens
Garden Volunteers assist horticultural staff at The Cloisters with garden maintenance, including weeding, deadheading, and sweeping paths. These volunteers are required to work half days (three hours) or full days (five hours), with Monday availability preferred.
Applications and Inquiries
Only those who submit an online application will be considered for placement. The application must include a personal statement expressing why you wish to volunteer at the Metropolitan Museum and what interests, skills, and experiences you would bring to the position (maximum 250 words).
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and remain on file for two years. We regret that there may not be opportunities for all qualified candidates. For more information, please call 212-570-3954 or email volunteers@metmuseum.org.
Note: The Volunteer Organization does not accept applications from high school or college students. New York City high school students are eligible to apply for a paid internship. Several internships are offered for college and graduate students.
