We Want You – To join the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association’s Volunteer Corps!
- Do you want to help preserve history and have fun while doing so?
- Do you have a have a passion for history that you would like to share with young and old alike?
- Are you looking for an opportunity to socialize with others and contribute to a worthy cause?
- Does the opportunity to learn new things and instill a love of history in others excite you?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Museum and Constance D. Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum is the place for you!
Founded in 1972, the 401(c)(3) not-for-profit Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association manages, maintains, and interprets two of Volusia County’s most historic properties including the Ponce De Leon Inlet Light Station which earned the prestigious designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1998, and the 19th-century Pacetti Hotel which was acquired by the Association in 2019 and placed on the National Registry of Historic Properties in 2020.
The Association relies on its dedicated corps of volunteers to achieve its important mission of preserving the maritime and social history of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Pacetti Hotel by assisting museum staff, leading informative museum tours, serving as lighthouse ambassadors within the local community, and facilitating meaningful educational workshops and activities for the general public and K-12 school groups both onsite and throughout the local Florida region. If you are interested in helping a local non-profit and donating your time to a worthy cause, then the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Pacetti Hotel Museum are the perfect places for YOU!
Volunteering at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum and Constance D. Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum is not all work and no play. Our docents are also provided ample opportunity to socialize with each other throughout the year during monthly training sessions, scheduled luncheons, off-site field trips, and the Association’s annual volunteer award dinner. As a bonus, all volunteers are provided with free annual membership as a show of appreciation for their generous contributions in support of the Association’s efforts.
We are always looking for talented individuals who are interested in joining the ranks of our dedicated corps of volunteers and helping the museum meet its growing educational programming needs. Previous docent or teaching experience is not required, and complete training is provided to all volunteers.
Current Volunteer Opportunities with the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association
Museum Ambassador- Museum Ambassadors represent the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum and Constance D. Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum both onsite during special events and offsite within local schools, libraries, civic centers, and other locations during community outreach events.
K-12 School Tour Guide- The museum provides guided tours of both the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum and Constance D. Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum to K-12 school groups throughout the academic year and relies heavily on volunteer docents to provide this important service. Tour Guides provide K-12 students with a complete tour of the Light Station and/or Pacetti Hotel specifically designed for their age/grade level. Training is provided for all tour guides. The normal length of the tour is one to three hours and requires the ability to walk/stand for an extended period (it is not necessary to climb the tower). K-12 School Group Tour Guides must be reliable, enthusiastic, and friendly. Good public speaking skills, a love of history, and a desire to teach and interact with children is a must.
Museum Staff Support- The museum is always looking for people with special skills to help out behind the scenes. Examples of volunteer museum staff support opportunities include maintenance department assistants, curatorial department assistants, educational program development assistants, event coordinator assistants, and college interns majoring in the field of museum studies.
Educational Workshop Facilitator- The museum offers a wide variety of award-winning educational workshops for K-12 school groups, youth groups, adult special interest groups, and the general visiting public. These important educational opportunities are provided both onsite during specially scheduled events and at various locations within the local Volusia County region through the Preservation Association’s educational/community outreach program. Volunteers interested in serving as an educational workshop facilitator are always needed.
Public Tour Guide- In addition to its K-12 Educational School Tours, the Preservation Association also provides museum visitors the opportunity to participate in private and public tours of both the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Constance D. Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel throughout the year and on specific dates when special onsite events are scheduled. Public guided tours are designed for people of all ages. Tour Guides provide visitors with a complete tour of the Light Station and/or Pacetti Hotel. Training is provided for all tour guides. The normal length of the tour is one to three hours and requires the ability to walk/stand for an extended period (it is not necessary to climb the tower). Tour Guides must be reliable, enthusiastic, and friendly. Good public speaking skills, a love of history, and a desire to share their knowledge with others is a must.
Tower Monitors- Educate visitors about the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station from the top of Florida’s tallest lighthouse! Monitors should be friendly and possess good public speaking skills, a love for history, and a desire to share their knowledge with others. Tower monitors need to be in good physical condition and able to climb 203 steps to the top of the Lighthouse. Standing for extended periods of time is required for this position.
Living History Interpreters- Bring history to life as historic reenactor! Dressed in period costumes, living history interpreters provide visitors the rare opportunity to interact with significant historic figures from the past. Volunteers need an outgoing and friendly demeanor, a love of history, good public speaking skills, and the ability to “ham it up” with museum guests. Living History Interpreters must be willing to commit the time needed to thoroughly research and develop their characters and play them at special events.
Apply to Become a Volunteer
Applying to become a Volunteer Docent with the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association is easy. Simply fill out a Volunteer Application (see link below) and submit your completed application form to the museum’s Programs Department at education@ponceinlet.org to start your volunteer journey.
Those wishing to learn more about becoming a volunteer at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum and/or the Constance D. Hunter Historic Pacetti Hotel Museum are encouraged to review the Association’s Volunteer Recruitment Brochure which can be accessed by following the link below. Please contact Programs Manager Zach Hopple via email at zhopple@ponceinlet.org or by phone at (386) 761-1821 ext. 18 for additional information. Thank you.
