Volunteer Role Description: Museum of Natural History Architecture Tour Guide
About Architecture Tours
The Museum of Natural History’s neo-Gothic building is as important to Oxford’s
heritage as the collections within it. Built using highly experimental techniques and
decorated with beautiful stone and metalwork, its architecture underpins a Victorian
ideal of art and religion reconciled with science. The volunteers’ role is to draw
attention to the building and to highlight some of the colourful personalities, new
technologies, and wider influences that helped to shape it.
 Free public tours happen every Friday at 2.30 and 3.15 pm. Volunteers need
to arrive early to ensure that they are ready to start on time.
 Volunteers are trained to deliver tours focussing on the building’s history and
architecture. The focus will not be on the collections.
 Tours last approximately 25 minutes and are run on a drop-in basis.
 Tours are advertised on display boards on the day and in the Museum’s
events programme.
 Tours are aimed at the adult general public, with a recommended maximum
of 15 people per tour.
 Volunteers will initially work in pairs to deliver tours but may work individually
later on.
 The team is administered by Museum Education staff with the support of the
Joint Museums Volunteer Service.
Commitment
We recruit and train volunteers for this role periodically. Once they have joined the
team, volunteers can expect to deliver tours on average once every 4 - 6 weeks –
although the rota is flexible.
About the Tour Guides
 Enthusiasm is more important than expertise. Volunteers will receive plenty of
information during training.
 Volunteers will enjoy and be confident in presenting to a diverse audience
and in managing groups of people in a museum setting. We will support
volunteers in this as they get started.
 This role requires moving through the Museum, including going up and down
stairs.
Training
Prior to joining the team, volunteers will attend a training course: currently 3 - 5 pm on
Fridays for six weeks. The course is designed to build knowledge and confidence step
by step, and by the end of the course, volunteers will have delivered a full tour to
their peers. Volunteers will become active guides by mutual agreement with staff
following the training.
Why you might enjoy this role
The opportunity to:
 join a friendly, enthusiastic, supportive team of volunteers
 contribute to the Museum’s public education and accessibility remit
 interact with the general public and inspire visitors
 share your passion for art, architecture, or history
 develop and improve presentation and communication skills
 improve your knowledge of the building and its collections