Interpretation & Visitor Services Volunteer

*** Positions to utilize the park RV pads are now open! Apply today! ***

In the fall of 1863, Union and Confederate forces locked in a struggle over the railroad town of Chattanooga, known as the "Gateway to the Deep South." Two armies totaling more than 130,000 soldiers clashed together in the woods and farmlands of north Georgia in September in the Battle of Chickamauga. The Confederates were victorious at Chickamauga, however renewed fighting in Chattanooga that November provided Union troops victory and control of the city. Preserved in 1890 as the nation's first national military park, commemorating the actions and bravery of both sides, Chickamauga & Chattanooga NMP now manages over 9,000 acres with stories stretching back 12,000 years and forward to the present day.

Interpretation & Visitor Services Volunteers assist with staffing the main information desks at Chickamauga Battlefield and/or Lookout Mountain Battlefield. The information desk serves as the park’s main point of contact with visitors, offering visitors their first taste of the park and its stories. Volunteers working the information desk meet a wide variety of visitors from around the world, offering information about the park and fielding questions about a wide variety of history including the Civil War, American Indians, the history of the nation's first national military park, and more!

Duties include:

• Greeting visitors and providing information about park programs, exhibits, audio-visual shows, and orienting visitors to the park driving tour
• Educating visitors about the historical significance of the park
• Informing visitors about the policies and regulations that allow for the protection of the park’s cultural and natural resources
• Operating the public address system and working audio-visual equipment
• Answering incoming phone calls and directing them appropriately
• Operating both National Park Service and Eastern National cash registers as necessary and as trained by appropriate staff

Requirements:

• Minimum age: 18
• Minimum commitment of 96 hours per year, or an average of two 4-hour shifts per month (A weekly or bi-weekly commitment of one 4-6 hour shift is preferred)
• Wear the provided uniform shirt and name badge
• As representatives of the National Park Service, volunteers must act in a courteous and professional manner
• Possess good communication and interpersonal skills
• Basic knowledge of local area and Civil War history is required
• Interest in learning about the park’s resources, programs, trails, and regulations in order to share this information with the visiting public

Please contact the volunteer coordinator, Will Wilson, at the number listed above for questions. We hope to hear from you soon!