Volunteer Sandy Charles speaks with visitors in the History Museum, ready to discuss Los Alamos history and answer questions. Courtesy photo
HISTORICAL SOCIETY News:
Have you ever wanted to know the story behind the log cabin near the Memorial Rose Garden? Or have you thought it would be interesting and fun to interact with some of the visitors who come to Los Alamos from all over the world? It is! And now is your opportunity.
The Los Alamos Historical Society and History Museum are seeking new volunteers for a variety of positions. Training will begin with an introductory session 4:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3. Sessions focusing on Los Alamos history, including the Ancestral Pueblo people, the homestead era, the Los Alamos Ranch School, the Manhattan Project, and the Cold War, will follow at 4:30 p.m. on subsequent Wednesdays throughout the month of October.
All sessions will meet in the lobby of Fuller Lodge before heading to training areas such as the museum galleries, Romero Cabin and the historic Hans Bethe House.
Training is provided by subject matter experts. It also includes an emphasis on visitor engagement and customer service throughout the visitor experience. Training is open to the public, registration is not required, and anyone person high school age and above is encouraged to attend.
The training sessions are part of the Historical Society’s volunteer certification program in which volunteers are trained to work in the Museum Shop and the Hans Bethe House, become tour guides, or act as docents in the homestead-era Romero Cabin. More information on how to become a fully certified volunteer will be available at the Oct. 3 meeting.
Docents in the Los Alamos History Museum work one to four shifts a month; shifts are two or four hours. Tasks include greeting and orienting visitors, answering questions about Los Alamos history and the community, and making sales in the Museum Shop.
Hans Bethe House docents help visitors understand the community’s post-war history through the Harold Agnew Cold War Gallery.
Romero Cabin docents share the community’s homestead history with visitors, spending time in the cabin that dates from 1913.
Tour guides lead visitors on 1.5-hour tours that feature a stop inside the Romero Cabin, a visit to an Ancestral Pueblo site, and stories about the giants of 20th century physics who were here during the Manhattan Project as well as post-war Los Alamos.
Volunteers are needed for all positions.
For more information, call Volunteer Coordinator and Museum Shop Manager Todd Nickols at 505.695.5250 or email museumshop@losalamoshistory.org.
