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. 
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
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 an IBM 026 Key Punch
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.
To become a docent, you must be 18 years of age and willing to commit to one four-hour shift each week, for two years. The next training class will begin in April, 2010 and will run until December, 2010. If you are interested in becoming a docent, please attend an information session on January 27th or February 9th (7 – 9 pm).
Volunteer Application is available online.
For More Information
| TELEPHONE | |
| 650-810-1027 | Jim Somers, Museum Services Manager |
