The Maritime Museum of San Diego begins the next Docent Volunteer Training Program to newcomers beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.  The Maritime Museum is the 501c3 non-profit waterfront destination with an international reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic landmark vessels, including the world’s oldest active sailing ship, Star of India.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego experience includes admission to a world-class collection of historic sailing ships, steam-powered boats, and a submarine, each offering entertaining and educational exhibits. Maritime Museum of San Diego is ranked as one of the world’s top museums and visitor attractions offering self-guided tours, docent-guided group tours, tall ship charters, San Diego Bay history cruises, Naval history bay tours, year-round public events, award-winning educational programs, and a distinctive venue for corporate/private events.

Recently the Maritime Museum of San Diego expanded its docent tour group offerings to include VIP, custom and Wednesday group tours, creating experiences perfectly fitted for history and maritime enthusiasts, community and civic organizations, traveling tour groups, conference attendees, small-to medium-sized interest groups and senior living centers. For these new offerings, the museum also needs new docents to conduct the tours. Docents bring history to life through informative storytelling for guests. Tours typically encompass visits to several vessels, including Star of India, H.M.S. Surprise, San Salvador, the Victorian-era steam driven ferryboat Berkeley, and the Edwardian-era yacht Medea. Time will also be spent in their galleries and exhibits focused on a wide variety of maritime topics and displays associated within the collection of vessels.

Individuals interested in unique volunteer opportunities and the history of maritime exploration, plus engaging in enhanced social interaction with museum volunteers, the public, and guiding groups throughout the museum are urged to attend the training program. Functions may also include educating guests while underway on the water during day-sails offered most weekends aboard the galleon replica San Salvador or the official tall ship of the state, the topsail schooner Californian. According to Jim Cassidy, docent training director for the Maritime Museum of San Diego, “The docents add immense educational and entertaining value to the visitor experience. Their knowledge and friendliness make an impression for all ages and assist in creating a memorable experience when guests tour the Maritime Museum of San Diego fleet, below-deck exhibits and participate in our widely popular on-the-water activities.”

Docent volunteers will learn about maritime history with a special focus on the 16th through 21st centuries represented by the vessels and artifacts in the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s collections. Docents will engage with museum visitors, answer their questions and sharmi knowledge that enriches the guest’s experience. Training is conducted through a series of lectures, readings, and walking tours.

Aspiring docents are invited to attend the 2025 training series of lectures and ship tours beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21 at the Maritime Museum of San Diego on the upper deck of the ferryboat Berkeley. Interested members of the community must register online in advance of training at sdmaritime.org/get-involved/. Additional questions about the docent training program may be directed to the docent training director, Jim Cassidy at [email protected] or (661) 406-0605.

Training sessions include formal lectures on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Classes include a 45-minute walking tour of the ships and cover a comprehensive variety of topics pertaining to the historic ships at the museum. Volunteers interested in the program but unable to attend the Tuesday morning training classes can participate in the museum’s special mentorship program whereby docent recruits collaborate one-on-one with an experienced docent to build the necessary skill set. Membership in the Maritime Museum of San Diego is required to participate in the docent training program.