Hermitage Looking for Volunteers

The following release was sent by representatives of The Hermitage Museum:

Have you always wanted to learn more about history? The docent program at The Hermitage is a great way to learn, meet new people, and share the historic house museum with visitors of all ages.

The Hermitage is looking for volunteers to join our fun and energetic group of docents.

Docents lead tours of The Hermitage historic house museum in Ho-Ho-Kus, help with events, and provide visitors with a positive experience at the museum. Docents are at the forefront of the museum’s mission to preserve The Hermitage, its stories, and its collections as an educational resource to engage and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds in the exploration and understanding of their past.

Interest in learning about local history and sharing it with the community are the primary qualifications for becoming a Hermitage docent. Prior teaching or public-speaking experience and comfort interacting with diverse groups of people are a plus. Docents must be at least eighteen years old; must have transportation to and from the museum; and must be able to climb stairs. Because we work with children, all Hermitage volunteers are asked to provide references.

The Hermitage staff helps new docents by explaining the process of giving a tour and partnering them with experienced members of the docent group to observe and learn interactively. The museum provides instruction and resources on the history of The Hermitage and the larger contexts in which that history is situated. Formal docent training classes are offered at intervals, with one in preparation for this fall.

The Hermitage is open to the public for tours Wednesdays through Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Docent scheduling is flexible and at the volunteer’s discretion. We do request a commitment of one to two three-hour shifts per month. For those who want to give more time or are interested in a greater level of participation, many volunteer opportunities are available.

Through volunteering at The Hermitage, you will enter a world rich in history. For more information about becoming a Hermitage docent, contact Education Coordinator Diane Knispel at (201) 445-8311, ext. 33, or dknispel@thehermitage.org.

The Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the nation’s outstanding examples of domestic Gothic Revival architecture. The historic house incorporates a stone structure that was visited during the Revolutionary War by George Washington and was the site where Aaron Burr met and married Theodosia Prevost. The house’s architectural appearance dates to the 1847 remodeling and enlargement designed by the architect William H. Ranlett. Today, the historic house’s furnishings reflect the late Victorian lifestyle of the Rosencrantz family.

The Friends of the Hermitage, Inc., a nonprofit membership organization, manages The Hermitage, a New Jersey State Park. The Friends offer tours of the historic house, exhibitions based on the collections, and diverse educational programming. For information about The Hermitage, contact Friends of the Hermitage by mail at 335 North Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423; by phone at (201) 445-8311 between (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday); or visit our website at www.thehermitage.org.