The Museum welcomes volunteers of all ages and skills. Described below are some volunteer opportunities, but whatever your background or interests, please do call the Museum (413) 528-6888 or email bidwellhouse@gmail.com to discuss how you might help.

Events – Special events at the Museum are organized by volunteer committees. Many skills are needed: planning, greeting, ticketing, photographing, set-up and clean-up, parking attendants, and more. Museum events are great fun and a wonderful way to support the Bidwell House. Learn more about our upcoming events HERE.

Trail Maintenance – Spring jobs include trail work and general yard work such as raking leaves. These jobs require little experience and a lot of enthusiasm! The Museum’s 192+ acres of woodlands are laced with a system of six miles of hiking trails that require work as needed throughout the year. Fallen branches and trees must be cleared, trail markers updated, and more. Learn about our trails HERE.

Tour Guide – The job of tour guide, or docent, is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who loves American history and likes to meet visitors from all over the country. Tour guides are trained in the art of historic interpretation. They accompany visitors through the Museum and tell the story of the house, the Bidwell family, and the collections. Tour guide volunteers can work one day a week, or once a month, or be available as needed and their schedule allows. Learn more about tours HERE.

Gardens – The Bidwell House gardens are cared for by a head gardener, but we could always use help with weeding, pruning, etc.  All levels of gardening expertise are welcome. This is a great opportunity for the novice gardener to gain experience and knowledge. Garden work takes place from April through October. Learn more about our gardens HERE.

Office Work – There are many office tasks available throughout the year. This work involves preparing for fundraisers, updating the membership records, helping with mailings, and more. Computer knowledge can be put to good use.

Most nonprofit organizations could not exist without volunteers. Time and expertise donated by volunteers provide valuable help, which keeps these organizations operating. Usually running on a very tight budget, nonprofits often cannot hire enough workforce to accomplish all the tasks needed. In come the volunteers, sometimes literally with their shovels and hammers, to get the work done.

Volunteering is a win/win situation. The nonprofit wins by getting a workforce without straining their limited budget. The volunteer wins by gaining satisfaction in helping a community resource, i.e. help for the greater good of all. Additional advantages are the social benefits of meeting and working with other generous and interesting people; also, volunteering can often act as on-the-job training, which can sometimes lead to a new career in the nonprofit field.