A lot has been going on at the Kelley House Museum. New exhibits and research, more archival items to care for, and more visitors walking through our doors. With all this going on, we could use some help. The doors can’t be open if a friendly docent isn’t available to answer questions. Could this person be you?
First response to this question we usually hear is, “Oh, I couldn’t volunteer to do that. I don’t know enough about local history.” Let us reassure you, we are not looking for people who are mental encyclopedias of facts about Mendocino! What we hope to find are friendly people who can commit to at least one 4-hour shift a month to introduce Museum visitors to the town of Mendocino and its fascinating coastal history.
Kelley House Board Member and Docent Coordinator Jane Tillis.
Our docents welcome folks, ask them where they are from. Is this their first visit to the coast? Did they have ancestors who lived here? What would they like to know? Docents share the history of the Kelley family and their house and introduce people to the current displays. They invite visitors to enjoy the garden and the view. And if there are questions about specific people or places, the docents can fetch the onsite curator or give them the curator’s card for further information.
There is a wealth of background information available to docents as they wait for visitors to come through the door. Besides the docent training manual, the Museum’s small bookstore offers many interesting books for sale that cover diverse areas of local history. There’s everything from railroads, logging, movies made here, interesting local women, and ship builders to why there are so many water towers in Mendocino. Docents who have browsed these books are ready to say to guests, “Oh yes, we have a book about the history of surfing on the coast! Let me show you!”
We give simple, straightforward training to anyone interested, and the Museum’s experienced docents will shepherd you through your first experiences welcoming folks into the museum. If you’re more comfortable being out and about, our walking tour guides could use additions to their ranks and, again, training and resources are provided.
Cultural institutions like the Kelley House Museum are vitally important to the community, and we would like to continue to serve the public. Being a docent is an easy way to lend a hand to one of our oldest community resources and enjoy learning something new.
For more information contact [email protected] The Kelley House Museum is open Thursday-Monday from April to December and Friday-Sunday January-March, always 11am-3pm. We welcome you to stop by and meet the docent on duty and learn more!
Visit the Kelley House event calendar for a walking tour schedule.