The most visible of our volunteers are our docents. What exactly is a docent?

            DOCENT
a person who acts as a guide, typically on a voluntary basis, in a museum, art gallery, or zoo.          

Simple enough. A guide, someone who directs our visitors around the museum, and answers the visitors’ questions.

What are we looking for? We welcome guides of all ages to help us out. No worries, we won’t put you out there all alone. We have a training manual to help you – after all, we started out as rookies, too!

As Curator, I have been a docent for two years and I still don’t know everything. I have learned as much from our visitors as I have from the training manual. As individuals, we learn and present history in our own way.

Age is no limitation to volunteer as a docent for the Parma Hilton Historical Society. In fact, we encourage our Parma and Hilton community to make it a family affair. Individuals, couples, family’s with teenagers – all are welcome to join us on a Sunday.

Why? Our Assistant Curator got the history bug from his father, who was a docent at a local museum in Vermont. Continuing the legacy, our Assistant Curator’s son is now following the same path, volunteering as a junior docent.

The docent hours from 2 pm until 4 pm on a Sunday. During our summer season we strive to schedule our guides no more than three Sunday’s total. Our docents will have further opportunities by supporting other Parma Hilton community events such as Experience Parma and the Summer Parks Opening – both of which are a great way to meet more of your community’s neighbors.

There are no qualifications to being a docent. Whether you have an interest in history – especially in Parma and Hilton history – or not, you are qualified and we’d love to see you.

If you think this is something you would like to do, contact me, Curator Ken, or stop by the museum Monday mornings between 9 am and noon. The coffee is on, and we will make you welcome.

Ken Freeman, Curator
585-392-9496