Museum Department Volunteers

Museum Department Volunteers work individually or in groups in virtually every department of the Museum.

These volunteers provide assistance in a range of activities, including research and cataloguing, greeting and escorting visitors, clerical work, library duties, reading room reception, costume restoration, and staffing Membership and Information Desks.

Most Museum Department Volunteer positions are weekday; however, there are also opportunities for weekend volunteers. Prospective Museum Department Volunteers are interviewed by staff members of the departments for which they are being considered. The time commitment varies, depending on the demands of the particular department and position.

Prospective candidates may apply for more than one volunteer position, but will be accepted in only one.

Membership Volunteers

Membership Volunteers staff the Membership Desks in the Great Hall, the 19th-Century Galleries, and in Burke Hall in the Uris Center for Education. These volunteers sell memberships and assist Museum Members with information regarding membership programs and events. They serve as hosts at membership previews for special exhibitions. They work one five-hour shift per week. Membership volunteers work year-round, during the week and on weekends. Volunteers in this program must have the ability to deal successfully with the public and develop a broad knowledge of the Museum's collection and resources.

Information Services Volunteers

Information Services Volunteers serve at Information Desks throughout the Museum to offer assistance and information to the public. Many of these volunteers are multilingual; a thorough knowledge of the Museum is necessary. These volunteers serve one half day a week, year-round, weekdays as well as on weekends.

Library Volunteers

Library Volunteers serve primarily in Nolen Library in the Uris Center for Education and in Thomas J. Watson Library. In Nolen Library, volunteers assist with collection management and on the weekends help users with Reference and Teacher Resource material. Weekday Nolen Library Volunteers work one day per week, while weekend volunteers work one day every three weeks. Library or teaching experience is necessary for weekend work. In Watson Library, volunteers are behind the scenes assisting in every aspect of the Library, helping to acquire and conserve material and to update and manage information files. Watson Library volunteers typically work one half shift per week year round.

Education Volunteers

The Museum currently offers nine different types of Education Volunteer positions, which are described in more detail below. These positions follow the academic calendar. New volunteers for weekday education programs are required to attend a yearlong training course that is held on Mondays. This rigorous course covers the history of art as it applies to the Museum's collection, as well as presentation skills and research techniques. (See also Weekend Guided Tours.) Please note that candidates for the International Guided Tour Program must be proficient in English in addition to the language in which they will be conducting tours.

Prospective candidates may apply for more than one volunteer position, but will be accepted in only one. Download the application (PDF).

The Cloisters Museum and Gardens

Education Volunteers at The Cloisters Museum and Gardens conduct tours that emphasize the art and culture of the medieval period—such as "Medieval Stories and Legends" and "Medieval Journey"—for students. These tours are given at The Cloisters, which is the branch of the Museum located in Fort Tryon Park, from October through mid-June. Volunteers are trained in teaching techniques and have the opportunity to expand their own knowledge of medieval art. A background in medieval studies, history, art history, or teaching is desirable. Volunteers work in the galleries one day a week, attend meetings and trainings on Mondays, and do independent research.

Learn more about The Cloisters Museum and Gardens.

First Views

Students in first through third grade are introduced to the Museum through thematic tours that develop observational and descriptive skills and enable them to discover connections between different cultures, and foster an appreciation of the arts. These tours also include sketching in the galleries. Each First Views Volunteer attends general and specialized training sessions and is responsible for the research, preparation, and presentation of one tour a week during the school year. Volunteers are required to attend training sessions.

Learn more about School Groups.

Elementary and Junior High School Program

Elementary and Junior High School Program Volunteers lead a variety of tours for students in grades four through eight. The tour may provide an introductory survey of the Museum's collection, or it may focus on a specific collection or theme such as "American Art;" "Ancient Egypt;" "Ancient Greece and Rome;" and "Music and Art." Volunteers attend general and specialized training sessions and are responsible for the research and preparation of their own weekly tours. A teaching background is desirable. All training is mandatory.

Learn more about School Groups.

High School Program

High School Program Volunteers offer tours to students in grades nine through twelve: "Ancient Greece and Rome;" "Medieval Art;" "American Art;" "European Art;" "Exploring Art," and "Modern Art." Every effort is made to divide the students into small groups in order to foster a lively exchange and discussion. Volunteers are required to attend general training sessions as well as additional program-specific sessions. Please note that extensive reading and research is required.

A select group of High School Program Volunteers offers thematic tours—spanning four thousand years of history—from ancient Egypt to twentieth-century America. For these tours, every effort is made to divide the students into smaller groups.

Learn more about School Groups.

Special Education Services

Volunteers for Special Education Services are devoted to meeting the needs of all students, including those with sensory, developmental, emotional, or physical disabilities. Seven tours are currently offered: "Exploring Art: A Variety of Art from the World's Cultures;" "Ancient Egypt;" "American Art;" and "Greek Mythology: Gods, Heroes, and Monsters," "The Ancient World;" "Modern Art;" and "A Look at Animals." The ratio of students to volunteers is usually nine to one. Volunteers are required to attend general training sessions as well as additional training in the art of helping students with learning differences. Volunteers are required to research and prepare their own weekly tours.

Learn more about Programs for Visitors with Disabilities.

Community Programs

Community Programs Volunteers present illustrated talks in the Museum followed by tours in the galleries for visitors from community centers, community colleges, centers for continuing and adult basic education, public libraries, residences, and workplaces. Occasionally, these illustrated talks are given at sites throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Art-related discussions via telephone are provided for those who are homebound. Community Program Volunteers are trained by staff educators and must perform a substantial amount of individual preparation. Knowledge of PowerPoint is required.

Learn more about Community and Workplace Programs.

Guided Tours

Volunteers in this program conduct regularly scheduled tours throughout the Museum, Tuesday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., during the academic year. Hour-long Highlights tours are designed to introduce the public to the Museum and to provide the visitor with an overview of its vast holdings; Collection tours focus on a particular department. Volunteers undergo extensive training by members of the curatorial and Education staff. These tours are audited by the Collections or Highlights Tour Chairman, or the group's respective Captain and staff liaison, and are evaluated for content and presentation. In addition, all tours undergo peer review every three years.

International Guided Tours

International Guided Tours are designed to introduce international visitors to the Museum's collection through sixty-minute tours in their own language. These tours are offered in nine languages (French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish), Tuesday through Friday and on weekends (see "Weekend Guided Tours" below). Please note that candidates for this program must be proficient in English in addition to the language in which they will be conducting tours. (Training is conducted in English.)

Weekend Guided Tours (Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday)

The Museum offers guided tours of the galleries on Friday evenings, Saturday, and Sunday in a variety of subjects, including international-language tours. Weekend volunteers are required to lead a minimum of two tours a month and are available for additional tours as needed. Volunteers initially prepare a Highlights Tour; subsequently they may prepare a tour of a particular department. Attendance is required at a minimum of four training sessions on Friday evenings throughout the academic year. Additional time is required for independent research in the libraries and galleries. During the first academic year, new Weekend Volunteers receive intensive training every other Saturday morning, with one session per month lasting until early afternoon. Attendance at these training sessions is mandatory. All Weekend Volunteers are expected to stay informed on the Museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions.

Inquiries and Application

A PDF of the volunteer application is available. Please follow these three steps to submit your application:

1. Select what type of volunteer application you would like to submit: MUSEUM DEPARTMENT or EDUCATION. Download the application (PDF)
2. Print out the application. Museum Department applicants should fill out only pages 1 and 2. Education applicants should fill out only pages 1 and 3. Please note that Education applicants are required to submit a writing sample.
3. Mail the completed application to: Volunteer Office, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10028

Inquiries and applications for volunteer opportunities are handled by the Volunteer Office. The time commitment required of all Volunteers is substantial. This must be carefully considered when making an application to volunteer.

Volunteers are accepted into the Museum's Volunteer Organization only as vacancies in programs or departments arise. Great care is taken to select from the large number of applications those individuals who are best suited to work in education programs and in the curatorial and administrative departments.

Prospective Education Volunteers are invited to interview in the spring for positions in the training program beginning the following fall. Applicants are interviewed by a Program Chairman, a member of the Executive Committee, and volunteers active in that program. For these programs, flexibility is an important consideration; the time commitment required of all volunteers is substantial.

Applications are kept on file for two years and are reviewed periodically.