Volunteer Opportunities at Rippon Lodge

Volunteering with Prince William County's Office of Historic Preservation is an opportunity to follow a passion for history while helping out in your community!

Rippon Lodge Historic Site is the last 40 acres of an early plantation along Neabsco Creek in what is today Woodbridge, centered on the 1747 Rippon Lodge house. Today it strives to show the continuum of county life from before European arrival to the modern day. There are many different positions for volunteers available at Rippon that might appeal to your interests.

Rippon Lodge also handles volunteers for historic tours of Neabsco Creek Boardwalk and the Kings Highway Historic Sites located nearby.

Interpretive Guide

A visitor experience focused position, interpretive guides are a rewarding position for someone passionate about history! Working with site staff, you will conduct guided tours of the Lodge during events or regularly scheduled tour days. This requires knowledge of Rippons stories, or a desire to learn them, so you can engage visitors in discussion and answer their questions. Guides can also help staff with activities for field trips throughout the year.

Materials to get started will be provided, and special trainings are conducted once a year. Staff will also provide feedback to help develop public speaking and historical interpretation techniques.

Events Assistant

In this position, you assist with special events by providing visitor information services, assist site staff with activities, and event set-up and cleanup. These tasks may include physical labor, administrative assistance, and working with the public. Volunteers must follow directions from staff to help make our events a success. Special events assistants will be needed weekends and evenings throughout the year. They will also have the opportunity to help with public programs through living history and special tours.

Gardener

Gardeners help to maintain the interpretive kitchen (vegetable and herb) garden on site, as well as landscaping by weeding, planting, and caring for flower beds based on the historic 1920s Colonial Revival gardens of Mrs. Dessie Ellis. A great opportunity if you like to work with plants, or outdoors in general. Gardeners assist with periodic site clean-up days and new garden area development.

Group and Service Projects

While everyday maintenance work is done by Parks & Recreation staff, trail maintenance and improvement, plus viewshed restoration, are often undertaken by volunteers. If your group is seeking a service project outdoors, contact us for more information!

Junior Preservationist (13-18)

Are you interested in volunteering at Rippon Lodge? Are you between the ages of 13 and 18?Click this link to our Junior Preservationist programand specify Rippon Lodge when you respond!