Volunteers and Donations

Make a Gift to the Kenosha Public Museums Foundation

Be a part of a vibrant future and the continued educational and cultural enrichment of our community by supporting the Kenosha Public Museums. Your contributions, whether large or small, ensure a strong foundation for all three Kenosha Public Museums.

Call the development coordinator at 262-653-4428 for more information.

Cash and Other Donations

Cash gifts of any amount directly support exhibit enhancements and new exhibitions. Gifts of securities and stocks are also welcome. Call the development coordinator at 262-653-4428.

Estate Gifts and Bequests

An estate gift ensures the future of the Kenosha Public Museum for generations to come and leaves a personal legacy which enriches the Kenosha community. Call the development coordinator at 262-653-4428.

Donate an Artifact

Over 95 percent of the Kenosha Public Museums' current collections have been donated to the Museums by individual collectors. You may have a treasure that you would like to share. Call the curator of collections at 262-653-4439.

Make a Donation

Here are a few ways you can support the Kenosha Public Museums.

Buy a Commemorative Brick

Honor a veteran or soldier by adding his or her name to the Veterans Memorial Terrace at the Civil War Museum, adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Gallery. Each brick is 4x8 inches and can be purchased for $200.
> Commemorative Brick Form

Buy a Boulder

Your name, or that of someone special, can become a lasting part of the Kenosha Public Museum simply by making a gift of $100 to $499. Select a specific boulder in the Museum's Glacial Till Wall, and it will be recorded on a unique computer monitor display.
> Donation Form

Have a Name Etched on a Glass Tile

Contribute $500 or more and your name, family's name or the name of someone special will be etched on a glass tile on the Museum's recognition wall in the Friends Gallery. Tile sizes are commensurate with the contribution amount.
> Donation Form

Become a Volunteer

Share in the excitement of welcoming and educating visitors to the Kenosha Public Museums. Volunteering at the Museums is an opportunity to learn, share and experience the art, history and culture of the Museums. Much of our strength lies in the dedication of Kenosha Public Museums volunteers.

There are many opportunities available, depending on your interests.

Greeters: Greeters explain Museums' exhibits, programs and services. Greeters also orient groups that visit.

School Programs: Lead programs for school groups that visit the Museums. Programs are tied-in with school curricula and standards.

Public Programs: Assist with weekend events, exhibit openings, and other programs offered by the Museums. Guide children through craft and game activities or provide hospitality services at events.

Resource Center: Answer visitors' questions about the Civil War Museum's Resource Center. Direct patrons to various reference materials.

Dino Digs: Help kids become junior paleontologists as they eagerly search for fossils. Dino Digs occur at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum from 1pm to 3:30pm on Saturdays when volunteers are available.

Field Station: Welcome visitors to the hands-on discovery room and assist with a variety of activities such as exploring art, anthropology, meteorology, ornithology, and more.

Museum à la Cart: Share Museum specimens and artifacts with visitors and give them a better understanding of Museum exhibits.

Trading Post: Talk to visitors about goods traded in the 1700s and 1800s and dress in period clothing.

Mascot: Dress as a mammoth, an eagle, or a T-rex at special events.

Public Relations: Assemble press kits, assist with special events, assemble mass mailings.

We ask for a commitment of a minimum of one year. We will contact you upon receiving your application. Please allow a couple of weeks for processing.

Museum à la Cart Training and Opportunities

Museum à la Carts (MAC) are simple cart-based hands-on activities in the exhibits that provide a one-on-one experience for visitors in the exhibits. Each activity, depending on the interest level of the visitor, can last 5 to 15 minutes.

Staff schedules training over three dates, and it includes training for 11 different MAC activities. Volunteers may attend training sessions for one or more sessions, but it is not necessary to attend training for all three.

Scheduling is flexible and done in conjunction with the volunteer coordinator based on the volunteer's availability and the Museum's needs (big school groups, Sunday Fundays, school vacation days, anytime during the summer) throughout the week.

Volunteers may schedule themselves to present an MAC for two or more hours.

Volunteer Instructors Needed at Dinosaur Discovery Museum

The Dinosaur Discovery Museum needs instructors to conduct standards-based school group programs and tours. Programs and tours are offered on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings between 9:30am and 11:45am. We will provide instructor training and classroom methods.

Volunteer Greeters Needed at Dinosaur Discovery Museum

The Dinosaur Discovery Museum needs volunteers to serve as weekend greeters at the Museum. Greeters serve as ambassadors of the Museum, welcoming visitors and distributing maps. Greeters volunteer for one shift a week. Shift times are Noon-2:30pm and 2:30-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Museum staff provides training and orientation for volunteers in advance.

Volunteer Application Procedure

For more information or an application, contact the volunteer coordinator at 262-653-4139. You may also print, complete, and mail an application form.

We ask for a commitment of a minimum of one year. We will contact you upon receiving your application. Please allow a couple of weeks for processing.