Volunteer Opportunities

The U.S. Naval Academy Museum relies on a dedicated group of volunteers to welcome visitors, assist with various curatorial projects, and work in the Ship Model Shop. No specialized knowledge or experience is necessary. Volunteers must be of high school age or older. Monthly training sessions are offered to help volunteers broaden their knowledge of naval history and the history of the Naval Academy.

Welcome Desk

If you enjoy meeting people, the Museum can use your services at the Welcome Desk. Duties include greeting visitors, orienting them to the museum, directing incoming phone calls, and answering questions about the exhibits. A general knowledge of the Naval Academy and of naval history is helpful, but not required. The Museum staff is available to provide help and answer your questions.

There are two shifts Monday through Saturday from 9:00 - 1:00 and 1:00 - 5:00. Sunday shifts are 11:00 - 2:00 and 2:00 - 5:00. Generally, the Museum needs two volunteers for each shift. Currently we are in particular need of volunteers who can work on weekends. Please contact Dr. Jim McMurtry or call 410-293-5254 to inquire about working at the Welcome Desk.

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Curatorial Department

The U.S. Naval Academy Museum is home to more than 50,000 artifacts and artworks that relate to the history of the U.S. Navy. If you are comfortable handling historic objects, you may wish to offer your services working in the Museum's collections storage area where you will assist with organizing and maintaining the various items that make up our collection. If you would rather work at a computer, volunteers are also needed to perform data entry that is necessary to keep the Museum's collections database up to date.

Some of the current curatorial volunteer projects include:

• Inventorying and storing the museum's historic flag collection
• Organizing the storage area for the Beverley R. Robinson Collection of historic naval prints
• Cataloging rare books
• Creating digital images of museum objects using a computer and scanner
• Entering information from paper records into the computer database

If you are interested in providing your services for these vital museum functions, please contact Rob Doane or call 410-293-3250.

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Model Shipwright Volunteers

The model shipwright volunteers bring a love of fine craftsmanship and appreciation for history to their work. Under the direction of the Curator of Ship Models, the volunteers support the Museum in the maintenance, preservation, and display of its ship model collection. Both civilians and midshipmen are encouraged to join. Meetings are on Thursday evenings from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more information, please contact the Curator of Ship Models, Mr. Donald R. Preul or call 410-293-5260.

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