Volunteer
The Museum of Natural History has much to offer volunteers who love learning and enjoy working with other people, especially children.



Volunteer activities


Most Museum volunteers serve as docents or tour guides. No experience is required. A variety of training materials is available covering the tour basics, but most people find they learn best just by following more experienced docents on their tours.

Thanks in large measure to volunteers, the Museum is able to offer tours to over 10,000 school children each year.

Other volunteer opportunities include:
  • overseeing the giftshop and answering the phones
  • helping with fundraising crafts and projects
  • exhibit construction
  • behind the scenes upkeep of the research collection
  • bookkeeping and data entry associated with the collection
  • photographing and documenting the research collection
  • web site design


Many Museum volunteers have also recently had the opportunity to go on giant sloth digs!



Volunteer Benefits


Benefits include working with other dedicated, education-oriented volunteers and staff members, serving the University of Iowa and meeting the public. Other perks are:

  • gift shop discount
  • free parking in the IMU ramp
  • opportunity to audit UI classes


For more information, please contact the Education Coordinator, or call 319-335-0606.