Volunteer Opportunities

Give tours to visitors or work behind the scenes. Operate the Difference Engine. Restore vacuum tube computers. Catalog unique, rare artifacts. Participate in one-of-a-kind events with computer industry notables. Share your passions with others. Meet friends. Have fun.

Be part of computing history.

Flexible Time Commitment Whether it is for 4 or 40 hours a month, we want your help. Weekday, weekend, and evening opportunities are available.
No Special Knowledge Required You do not need to know anything about computers, old or new. Extensive training is provided in artifact handling, archiving and cataloguing, and giving tours.
Unique Environment Join others who have a passion for sharing and preserving the artifacts and stories of the information age. Learn more about the computer revolution. Help bring the history of Silicon Valley to life.

Docent demonstrating Charles Babbage's Difference Engine #2

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Docent preparing for a special event

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Staff and volunteers working on re-housing archival material

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteer examining an artifact during a special volunteers-only presentation

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Archival boxes

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteers constructing archival boxes

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Exhibit cleaning

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteers participating in a special artifact presentation

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteers celebrating Victorian computing, Babbage style

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Front of House
Greeters
Docents and Demonstrators
Help with
Lectures
Collections
Restorations
Artifact Cataloguing and Archives

Preparing to greet visitors

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Introducing visitors to the Museum's exhibits

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Answering visitor questions

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Welcome visitors to the unique experience that is the Computer History Museum. Help with Gift Shop sales.

Giving a tour of Visible Storage

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Celebrating Charles Babbage's 218th Birthday

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Preparing for demonstrations of the DEC PDP-1

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Sharing a printout from the IBM 1403 printer

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Docent sharing about Charles Babbage and his calculating Engines

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteer cranking the Difference Engine

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteers admiring Babbage's "Beautiful Fragment"

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Volunteers, Staff and visitors caroling with the PDP-1

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Introduce visitors to the Babbage Difference Engine #2 or SpaceWar! Provide visitors with an in-depth experience of a single artifact through stories of the machine's creation, operation, and history or lead a guided tour experience through computer history.

Lecture featuring influential author Lawrence Lessig and CHM President and CEO, John Hollar

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Helping with book sales

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Lecture registration

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Lecture camera set-up

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Usher guests to their seats, conduct book sales, or help videotape the program.

Testing the PDP-1

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Restoring a vintage Teletype

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Working on the IBM 1401 restoration

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Performing maintenance on the Babbage Difference Engine

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Help bring vintage computers back to life.

Volunteers and staff arranging archival material according to the Museum standards

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Preparing to move large artifacts

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Cataloguing slide rules

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Photographing artifacts for inclusion in the Museum's internal and online databases

Photo by Marcin Wichary

Assist the Museum's Collections staff with cataloguing incoming artifact donations.

Current Volunteer Needs

Become a docent. The Computer History Museum is currently looking for committed volunteers interested in leading tours and discussions for diverse groups of people. Docent trainees will participate in an extensive training program that will provide the essential foundations for docent knowledge. Participatory seminars will focus on educational theory and techniques, experiential and object-oriented learning for viewers, learning styles, and practical docenting skills.

Volunteer Application is available online.

For More Information

TELEPHONE	EMAIL
650-810-1889	Jim McClure

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