Volunteer Docent

Save to Favorites

Department: Member and Visitor Services

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms has immediate openings for our Docent Program.

Who We Are: The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms (SMCF) is a National Historic Landmark and historic house museum, located on the campus of Craftsman Farms in Parsippany, New Jersey. Built by Gustav Stickley between 1908 and 1917 as the most complete expression of his "Craftsman" style, the campus of Craftsman Farms provides an unmatched opportunity to experience Stickley’s ideas about the impact of architecture, design, and landscape on a meaningful life. The museum works to interpret, preserve, and protect its original landscape and buildings, including the Log House, which remains the heart of the property. Now in its 36th year, the Museum is dedicated to serving its neighboring community, history and heritage tourists, and design, craft, and architecture audiences from the across the United States and abroad.

Our Docent Program: Volunteer docents give guided tours of the Log House, the central building at Craftsman Farms, lasting 1-1.25 hours. Docents should expect to be at the museum 2.5 hours total when giving a tour, to accommodate updates from staff, pre-tour assistance with visitors, the guided tour, post-tour questions with visitors, and wrap-up with staff. The Log House Tour tells the story of the history of Craftsman Farms, and how the Stickley family lived while residents. The Log House furnishings and architecture help tell the story of Gustav Stickley’s rise as a leader of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Docents additionally help facilitate Open House days and specialty tours including Children and Family Tours, school tours, and private group events. Docents adhere to SMCF policies and procedures while facilitating a safe, positive, and engaging experience for museum visitors.

This is a volunteer position with the amount of volunteer commitment ranging from once a month to every week. This position will facilitate visitor engagement, connecting visitors to the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms’ collections and encouraging visitors to explore and discover more about the history of the early 20 th century, decorative arts, the Arts and Crafts Movement, and Gustav Stickley.

Volunteer Docent Skills and Responsibilities:

- Effective communication skills, patience, and approachable nature.

- Completion of The Stickley Seminar, consisting of four weekly, 2 hour sessions, held on site at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms.

- Additional research and reading on off-time, including familiarizing self with collections items via the online collections database.

- Adherence to SMCF volunteer policy and procedures handbook.

- Willingness to stay current on new information about tours and collections items on display.

Location: 2352 State Route 10, Morris Plains, NJ 07950

Mission Statement: The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms’ mission is to develop, demonstrate, and deepen connections between history, design, lifestyle, and the natural environment, through the preservation of Craftsman Farms and the presentation of the ideals of Gustav Stickley and the Arts and Crafts movement in America.

Land Acknowledgement: The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms acknowledges that it is situated in Lenapehoking (homelands of the Lenape) on land that is within the traditional territory of the Munsee Lenape. The Lenape were the first farmers, artists, makers and caretakers of this land and we honor and respect their past, present and future.

DEAI Statement: The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms values and celebrates the unique qualities, perspectives, and attributes inherent in everyone. We strive to be a museum that is welcoming and accessible to all who visit, work, or volunteer here. Because diversity and inclusion are drivers of institutional excellence, at every level of the organization we endeavor to create an environment that fosters diversity of participation, thought, and action. Our goal is that our staff, members, partners, key stakeholders, and audiences reflect and embrace these core values.