Volunteer Gallery Guide

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Join the California Historical Society as a Gallery Guide Volunteer! The California Historical Society is looking for enthusiastic volunteers for upcoming exhibitions. We seek passionate, dedicated individuals who care deeply for California history and will engage in our exhibitions help facilitate learning for our guests. We rotate exhibitions every six to ten weeks and each exhibition brings a new topic related to the state at large. Gallery guides enhace guest experience by becoming experts on one or two pieces in the exhibition. They offer further context and learning opportunities for guests visiting the exhibition. Gallery guides also answer guests’ questions and assisting with welcoming and wayfinding in the museum. This is a perfect opportunity for a candidate interested in increasing their public speaking experience, but who does not have the time to commit to a full docent schedule.

Founded in 1871, the California Historical Society is a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and empower people to make California’s richly diverse past a meaningful part of their contemporary lives. We hold one of the richest collections of primary and secondary materials in the state on California’s social, cultural, economic, and political development.

Exhibitions on display:

Overland to California: Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad

Overland to California draws from the California Historical Society's vast archival and photographic collections to consider the railroad's impact on the industry and culture of California. Featuring photographs, stereocards, historical objects, and ephemera, this exhibition explores how rail access to California contributed not only to population growth and industrial development, but also to the construction of the state's enduring mythology as a tourist destination and land of opportunity. Overland to California will also examine the railroad's complex labor history, taking into consideration the immigrant populations who built its infrastructure, as well as the scandals surrounding the monopolistic practices of the so-called "Big Four": Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins.

Coming Soon! Selections from the California Historical Society Collections:

The California Historical Society will be showcasing some of our beautiful historic paintings. These paintings of San Francisco and the Bay Area transport the viewer back in time through a variety of painting mediums and techniques.