G & A's Gift Shop interior

Volunteer

History San José Volunteer Positions Available

Making History Park great starts with our Volunteers! History Park has been fortunate to benefit from the talents of artists, architects, engineers, teachers, historians, history enthusiasts, reporters, community leaders and political activists who donate their time and expertise to bringing the history of San Jose alive. We wouldn’t be who we are without all these helping hands!

History San José is a great place to share your love of history while meeting interesting people and building friendships. Volunteers will receive specialized training in order to fulfill their responsibilities.

Sign Up Now! Volunteer Application Form

History Park Host/Exhibitions Docent

Would you describe yourself as a welcoming person? Do you enjoy engaging strangers in conversation? Are you interested in telling little-known stories about Santa Clara Valley history?

We have a number of museums and exhibitions throughout History Park. Yet we can only open them to the public when we have someone to open the historic building to visitors. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to learn about these incredible snapshots of history and provide the public with a warm welcome and historical information.

Skills We Like to See:
Friendliness
Public Speaking
In/Formal Teaching Experience
Love of Parks and Community
Reliability & Promptness

Availability:
Usually Sat-Sun Noon-4pm
1+ shift a month
1-year minimum

Apply

Tour Guides

Are you an engaging storyteller with a passion for history? Do you have a thirst for knowledge and a flair for interacting with museum audiences of all ages?

History San José tour guides deliver insightful and engaging tours of History Park and the Gonzalez/Peralta Adobe-Fallon House Historic Site (downtown San José). Tour guides’ jobs are not just offering visitors information but rather encouraging curiosity and meaningful connection with the past. 

Skills We Like to See:
Friendliness
Public Speaking
In/Formal Teaching Experience
Love of Parks and Community
Reliability & Promptness

Availability:
Usually Thu-Sun Noon-4pm
1+ shift a month
1-year minimum

Apply

School Programs Docent

Do you enjoy helping kids learn and discover new things? Can you put on an exciting show to engage school children ages 7-12? Do you like immersing yourself and others into thematic history programs?

Our school programs explore life and culture within Santa Clara Valley. Our programs include Adobe Days, Early to Rise, Westward Ho, Victorian Days, Valley of Heart’s Delight, the Immigration Experience, and more.

Skills We Like to See:
In/Formal Teaching Experience
Lots of Energy
Team Player
Reliability & Promptness
Ability to lift 25 lbs. and work on your feet for 3+ hrs.

Availability:
Usually Mon-Thu 8am-1pm
August – June
2+ shift a month
1-year minimum

Apply

Gardener

Do you take pride in a beautiful space? Does being outside working with nature bring you satisfaction no desk job could ever supply? Do you pride yourself on not killing your plants?

History Park is a 14-acre campus, and we are looking to build a rock star team of gardeners to tend to our lovely grounds. Our guests spend more time outside than inside, and we want to create beautiful and engaging spaces for them to relax and play in that also help them learn a little more about Santa Clara Valley’s histories.

Skills We Like to See:
Gardening Experience
Ability to Bend and Kneel Frequently
Friendliness
Love of Parks
Self-Motivated

Availability:
Mon-Fri 9am-4pm (flexible shifts)
2+ hours a week

Apply

Retail/Gift Shop Volunteer

Are you the kind of person customer service people dream of hiring? Do you think old-fashion ice cream parlors are super fun? Are you good at juggling multiple tasks with a good attitude? Do you enjoy making people’s day brighter? 

O’Brien’s is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and candy store. The G&A Gift Shop offers visitors the opportunity to take Santa Clara Valley history home with them. Retail/Gift Shop Volunteers greet visitors, sell retail items, help with directions within History Park, scoop ice cream, and create a fun and exciting atmosphere at History Park.

Skills We Like to See:
Positive, Can-Do Attitude
Reliability
Friendliness
Multi-Tasking
Cash Handling

Availability:
Sat-Sun 11:30am-3:30pm
2+ shifts a month
1-year minumum

Apply

Special Events/Public Programs Assistant

Do you enjoy helping others learn and discover new things? Do you enjoy arts & crafts and special projects? Are you the person others rely on to get things done?

History San José offers visitors different public and family programs and special events throughout the year. As a special event/public programs assistant, you would get to meet and help our diverse communities engage with fun, hands-on activities. You will help us promote and prepare for the programs, assemble supplies and materials, and provide general assistance during programs.  

Skills We Like to See:
Friendliness
Creativity
Flexibility & Patience
Reliability & Promptness

Availability:
Usually Sat-Sun 11:30am-3:30pm
Year Around
1+ shift a month
1-year minumum

Apply

History Park Handyperson

Are you a natural problem solver? Do you enjoy fixing up old buildings? Can you identify issues within a structure, create a plan to resolve it, and then resolve it? 30 historic houses are a lot to maintain, and we’ve got plenty of projects to do! We’re looking for trained handypersons of all sorts to help preserve the history here onsite.

Skills We Like to See:
Experience with a Trade
Ability to Lift 50 lbs.
Team Player
Flexible Problem Solver

Availability:
Mon-Fri 8am-2pm (flexible)
Schedule depends on the project
6-month minimum

Apply

Trolley Motorperson

Have you ever dreamed of driving a real-life trolley? Are safety and following proper procedures something you adhere to without question? Do you enjoy engaging with the public and find satisfaction in knowing your work made them smile? We need reliable people to operate our historic trolleys! We take great pride in our working trolleys and want to share this historic mode of transportation with the public! During the week our trolleys are operated for school programs, and on the weekend the trolley is free to the public to ride.

Skills We Like to See:
Safety-First Attitude
Good with the Public
Responsible
Team Player

Availability:
Mon-Fri 9am-12pm (set shifts),
Sat-Sun 10:30am-5pm (set shifts),
4+ shifts a month
1-year minimum

Apply

Research Library Volunteer: KNTV Indexing Project

This is a one-time volunteer position to help complete a film inventory project. You will be working at the Research Library & Archives in History San Jose’s Collection Center, under the supervision of the Curator, 2-3 hours a week, one day per week. We have a large collection of 16 mm films in 115 banker boxes for which we are creating an inventory using a spreadsheet. You will be opening each box, sorting the films by date, entering information for each set of films into the spreadsheet, then repacking each box. If you are interested, please contact the Research Library directly at research@historysanjose.org. We will only be taking on one volunteer at a time, and once the project is completed, there will likely not be more opportunities.

Skills required/Schedule:

  • High tolerance for tedious work
  • Attention to detail and accuracy
  • Familiarity with Google docs/spreadsheets
  • Good vision (you will be reading handwriting on film cans)
  • Ability to work quietly on your own
  • Relatively fast typing speed
  • 2-3 hours/week (1 day/week)
  • Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday
  • 1-year maximum