Volunteer tour guides

TRAININGS IN APRIL

 

Position Summary

Volunteer Tour Guides host public visitation at the Moon-Randolph Homestead. As a Tour Guide, you’ll get to share this special place with curious visitors, helping them get oriented to the site, learn about its history, and share in its many wonders. There is often downtime between visiting groups, during which you’ll also get to savor your afternoon at this unique ranch and historic site.

Qualifications 

  • Tour guides connect with visitors of all ages and communicate well with the public;

  • are on-time and reliable;

  • demonstrate enthusiasm and curiosity for Montana history and the Moon-Randolph Homestead;

  • are comfortable outdoors, in a rustic setting, and in all types of weather; and

  • are capable of navigating hills, 1-2 steps, and uneven terrain in former pasture fields.

Requirements

  • Public visitation occurs between 11am – 5pm on Saturdays from the beginning of May to the end of October. Tour Guides are responsible for hosting 2 - 6 Saturdays in that timeframe.

  • Tour Guides will arrange with the Homestead Caretaker for a ~2 hour interpretation training (typically in April).

  • As a Tour Guide, you will familiarize yourself with the history of the site (by reading/studying the tour guide manual, a small chapbook about the site called Butterflies & Railroad Ties, and the Randolph Ranch Historic Register nomination).

  • Other tour guiding opportunities may be available during field trips, camps, and private groups, as homestead needs & Tour Guide interest allows.

Benefits

  • Tour Guide training will provide you with professional experience in historical interpretation methods, storytelling, and strategies to orient and engage a small group of visitors.

  • You’ll get a Moon-Randolph Homestead t-shirt and ball cap.

  • You’ll also receive an invitation to our Volunteer Appreciation Bonfire at the end of October.

  • You’ll get to savor your time on site—noticing new things each visit and getting to know the homestead’s rhythms.  In a day you might observe the light change and the birds shift. In a season you’ll watch the garden sprout and ripen, you’ll smell the grass green up and dry out, and then in the fall, you’ll hear the apples fall again as they have for the last 130 years.

  • UM students may be able to earn one internship credit for 45 hours of service including tour guiding, training, and practice. If interested in this option, please let us know in your cover letter.

  • NOTE: This is an unpaid position.

To Apply

Send resume or CV with cover letter to Katie Nelson at moonrandolph@gmail.com. Trainings occur in April and occasionally as needed.