Decatur House Tour Guide

The White House Historical Association seeks a part-time tour guide to lead tours of historic Decatur House on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. Decatur House is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and operated by the White House Historical Association through a co-stewardship agreement.

The tour guide conducts public tours on Mondays, and with advanced notice, can be asked to give private tours as well. The tour guide works with and reports to the Historian team within the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History. The tour guide is expected to work collaboratively with other staff members at the Association including the facilities and events teams. Beyond facilitating tours, the Decatur House tour guide is expected to work with the History team to continually improve tour content and quality.

Schedule:

Public tours run at 10:30am and 1:00pm every Monday, excluding federal holidays and the Monday after Thanksgiving. The tour guide is expected at Decatur House from 9:30am to 3:00pm on tour days. Staff schedules will be discussed collaboratively and planned in advance with the designated History team member.

Additional tours may be scheduled as necessary, including those for public programming conducted by the Association as well as private events.

The tour guide will also be required to attend occasional meetings to discuss updates to historic Decatur House, learn new content to be incorporated on the tour, or to participate in department-wide trainings.

Duties:

• Greet and check in visitors arriving for public tours and interact with them in a friendly, professional manner throughout the duration of their visit
• Lead public and private tours of historic Decatur House for up to 15 guests per tour
• Provide general information about Decatur House and the White House Historical Association
• Maintain a daily visitor log

Qualifications:

• An interest in history and/or museum education
• Comfort speaking and interacting with the public
• Ability to retain large amounts of information and interpret the information for a public audience
• Passion for sharing the stories of individuals who lived and worked in the White House neighborhood
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
• Ability to stand for long periods of time and to walk up and down several flights of stairs during a shift
• A completed or in-process undergraduate college degree in a relevant field
• Past tour guide experience preferred

This part-time position will continue indefinitely. Guides will be expected to set a consistent work schedule with the designated History team member who manages Decatur House tours.

Completed in 1819, Decatur House has been used as a residence, rental property, a site of enslavement, boarding house, museum, office, and historic site. During its history as a private home, domestic staff members lived and worked in Decatur House as well as its adjacent service wing. For several decades during the nineteenth century, it was a site of enslavement and courageous demands for freedom. After slavery was abolished, free African Americans and European immigrants were hired to work and reside onsite. The White House Historical Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are committed to telling the full story of Decatur House as a historic site.

To learn more about the history of Decatur House, click here.

Job Details:

• Type: Part-Time
• Compensation: $17.50 hourly, paid bi-weekly
• Location: On-site

Candidates selected for this position must pass a full background and reference check.