Autry National Center

Volunteer

A great way to make a difference at the Autry is to volunteer your time and skills at our events and exhibitions. Or you can choose to work behind-the-scenes or up front at the Visitor Services Desk. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are a vital part of the success of the Autry, and some of the ways you can participate are listed below. To learn more, please contact our Susan DiCato at 323.667.2000, ext. 237, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Autry membership is required to volunteer.

High School Volunteer Program

Student volunteers assist the Education Department with a variety of summer events. Typical responsibilities may include helping prepare arts and crafts materials for family activities, helping museum teachers with family activities including crafts and games, and/or assisting museum visitors in our Trails West Gold Panning experience or with our Hands-On carts. Candidates for the volunteer program must be in 9th – 12th grades with a mature, positive attitude and a strong work ethic. The time commitment can range from two to four hours per week, with periodic weekend work possible as well. Volunteer hours will be documented and may be submitted for school-based community service credits.

• Volunteers must be available to work from June 18 through August 9, 2013.
• Attend scheduled interview and orientation session.
• Commit to a minimum of 10 hours.

Download High School Volunteer Program Application

Greet Visitors

Join the friendly and informative Autry staff in welcoming and guiding museum visitors. You can volunteer during regular museum hours, at special events like Sizzling Summer Nights and the American Indian Arts Marketplace or at our big fundraisers, the Annual Gala and the Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale. Helping at the Visitor Services Desk or the Membership Desk gives you the opportunity to attend events and interact with visitors and staff.

Become a Docent

Love the West? Teach the West! History buffs and Western enthusiasts are invited to participate in this year’s summer docent training courses. Join scholars, curators, and educators in exploring the American West through history and artifacts. Then enjoy the rewards of passing along your knowledge to museum visitors as a tour guide.

Assist Children and Families

If you love children, you’ll love volunteering with our Education Department. The Autry holds monthly family programs, as well as festivals and other occasions for volunteers to tell stories and assist children and families in fun arts and craft projects and other hands-on learning activities.

Help With Programs

Volunteers who love to be in the middle of the action love to help with our public programs. We need the most assistance with our big festivals—everything from directing visitors to the event locations and escorting performers backstage to staffing booths and organizing other volunteers. Smaller programs may call for taking tickets and checking RSVP lists. You can choose from theatre and music performances, lectures, festivals, food and film series, and Autry Store sales.

Work in the Library

Would you like to work with one of the nation’s most comprehensive book, archival, and artifact collections on Native American cultures and the history of the American West? If you volunteer in the Autry and Braun Research libraries, you can help preserve and provide access to these collections. Volunteers will work closely with librarians and archivists. Projects might include re-housing archival materials such as business papers, personal correspondence, financial papers, and photographs in acid-free folders; creating custom boxes for fragile materials; conducting inventories; writing scope notes and content notes for archival collections; or cataloging 20th-century books or Spanish-language books and documents. If you like detail-oriented work, please consider giving your time to the Autry’s libraries and research collections.

Help in the Autry Store

The Autry Store provides a wonderful shopping experience for young and old. It sells everything from books, films, and music to clothing, jewelry, and art. Volunteers are helpful year-round by interacting with visitors, tidying up after the school tour rush, polishing jewelry cases, and even organizing beautiful displays.

Work With the Autry Collection

For those with experience working with objects and artifacts, a more specialized area of volunteering at the Autry includes working directly with our vast collection. This exciting venture gives you access to the secure collections area where artifacts are studied, housed, and conserved. Volunteers in this area may help with inventory, cataloging, condition reporting, exhibit preparation, and photographing objects.

Perform Administrative Duties

For those who prefer a desk assignment, there is plenty to do behind-the-scenes in the administration offices. Database entry, letter-writing, and mailings are big tasks for the Autry staff. Each department has a different need, and volunteers can earn great work experience by choosing a specialized area such as marketing, graphic design, or membership. Those who can work in a fast-paced office environment are a welcome asset.