Volunteer

The Plymouth Historical Museum owes its success to the efforts of its dedicated volunteers who host, greet, and guide guests through the Museum; help to plan and present its activities; create displays; maintain the physical property; and otherwise support the various functions of the institution. Volunteers add great value to the Museum, but they also derive great value from their association with its stimulating environment. Volunteers acquire new skills, interests, and knowledge; develop new friendships; and explore new horizons for personal and professional growth.

Volunteer Opportunities

For information about volunteering at the Museum, contact Volunteer Coordinator Janet Burns. Please call her at 734.455.8940 x 4 or email her at volunteer@plymouthhistory.org. 

Opportunities abound in the Museum for individuals who wish to share in its success. Details described below:

Guides

Guides meet one of the Museum’s most critical needs. They welcome guests, orient them to the building’s layout, and provide information about the exhibits. A friendly disposition and comfort meeting people are the only requisites for the job. Guides who serve in the Lincoln Room have specialized knowledge about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln and of the times in which they lived. Also, some volunteers open and close the Museum on the weekends and assure that everything is in order to receive the public.

Educational Programs

Former teachers, aspiring teachers and others combine to design and present programs for elementary and middle school students using the Museum’s exhibits and artifacts to present American history in an entertaining and engaging way. The Museum’s educational activities attract schools from throughout the metropolitan area. But, don’t let the term “teacher” scare you; anyone interested in advancing the educational goals of the Museum is invited to participate in one of its most important functions.

Archives

The Archives houses the Museum’s collection of written historical materials, (with a particularly impressive anthology of Abraham Lincoln), records of the Museum’s collections and a broad array of manuscripts regarding the Plymouth community, such as census data, old newspapers, photographs and genealogies of Plymouth families. The Archives attracts researchers of every type. 

Maintenance

If you have any mechanical skills or knowledge of a trade, the Maintenance crew just might be the place for you. Members of the team care for the building’s physical structure and its mechanical systems, build displays and other attractions, and otherwise are the Museum’s “jacks-of-all-trades.”  They work Monday and Wednesday mornings.

Exhibits

Have a flair for design or an artistic streak? Put it to use; join the Exhibits group and help conceive and erect special displays and exhibits. This team of creative persons continuously garners high praise from the public for its outstanding work. It meets Wednesdays during the year, but every day during exhibit change-over.

Museum Store

The Museum operates a small outlet that stocks a variety of items such as,books about Abraham Lincoln, books about Plymouth history, old-fashioned candy, and replicas of antique toys. The store is open during the Museum’s normal hours of operation and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

Newsletter

The Museum sends the Museum Memo, a quarterly newsletter (4 times a year) to its members, other museums and professional organizations. The Museum invites anyone with writing ability and editorial expertise to help it prepare the newsletter for publication and mailing.

Accessions

Items that are donated to the Museum have to be acknowledged and cataloged. The process is called “accessioning.” The accessions staff works on Wednesdays to ensure the Museum’s items are properly accounted for and are entered into the Museum software.