We just finished recruiting docents and are currently not accepting applications, please check back in the Fall of 2025.
Are you interested in American history, biography, and visual art? Do you like meeting new people?
If the above questions pique your interest, consider becoming a volunteer docent at the Portrait Gallery! Our volunteer docents are a group of dedicated people who work with visitors in our galleries. The only prerequisite is an enthusiasm for sharing knowledge and working with people! Volunteer docents are trained to facilitate both virtual and in-gallery tours for the museum.
We are now recruiting volunteer docents to lead guided tours of our collection on both weekdays and weekends. Docents make our history come alive for diverse audiences, helping them to fully experience the faces of our past, present, and future. The Portrait Gallery welcomes volunteer docents of all backgrounds and those who speak different languages, especially Spanish.
This Volunteer Docent opportunity is posted through the main Smithsonian volunteer page at https://www.si.edu/volunteer. Choose “Volunteer Opportunities” and use “Portrait Gallery” as a search option, which will lead you to the application.
You may also use one of the links below to fill out an application.
- If you are a new applicant for Smithsonian volunteer opportunities, please use this link: Volunteer Application (long term) (si.edu)
- If you are an existing Smithsonian volunteer please use this link: New Application (existing profile) (si.edu)
If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact NPGAdultTours@si.edu.