The Foss Waterway Seaport always accepts inquires from prospective volunteers. From greeting our guests and leading tours to assisting in our education or collections departments, our volunteers can expect to get involved with a variety of projects. The Foss Waterway Seaport also hosts numerous events throughout the year such as Maritime Fest and Ocean Fest. Volunteers help us ensure that these events run smoothly and reinforce our shared love of Tacoma and the rich maritime history of our region.
If you have a desire to share your time and unique talents at an organization that appeals to your maritime interests, we would love to hear from you. Read more about specific volunteer opportunities below.
Are you a storyteller, a history student, or a lover of all things maritime? Museum docents help bring the maritime history of Tacoma and the South Puget Sound region to life. A docent’s responsibility is to be a resource for visitors to the museum, and provide accurate information about the exhibits and artifacts on display. All training for this position will be provided. No prior history knowledge required!
Some docents also lead group tours of the museum. For more information, visit the group tours page.
If you are interested in volunteering as a docent, email nikola.troup@fosswaterwayseaport.org
Volunteers are the engine that drives the Seaport’s education program. Some education volunteers deliver engaging marine science and maritime history lessons for K-12 students and assist in developing new lessons and teaching tools. Other volunteers help maintain aquariums, generate content for the Seaport’s social media accounts, participate in outreach events, or help with general upkeep and organization of the education space. All training provided.
Internships may be available for students in education, biology, environmental science, or other related fields.
To learn more about our education program, visit the education page.
If you are interested in volunteering in education, use our volunteer registration form below or email education@fosswaterwayseaport.org
Have you ever wanted to see behind the scenes of a museum? Collections volunteers get to do exactly that. They help photograph, catalog, and store items from the collection. They also research artifacts and historical events.
Internships may be available for students in history, museum studies, or other related fields.
If you are interested in volunteering in collections, email nikola.troup@fosswaterwayseaport.org.
The Seaport has a fully functioning Heritage Boat Shop that builds wooden vessels and restores and repairs vessels displayed in existing exhibits or collections. Boat shop volunteers do not need to have prior knowledge or experience in boat building or carpentry to become involved. Training is provided.
Before contacting the Seaport about volunteering in the boat shop, please watch the videos at the link below about proper power and hand tool use. This helps ensure that everyone involved in the boat shop remains as safe as possible.
The Seaport hosts several large events throughout the year which require the assistance of volunteers. These include events such as Maritime Fest, Ocean Fest, our annual auction, hosting cruise ships on our docks, and more!
If you are interested in volunteering for an event, use our volunteer registration form below or email info@fosswaterwayseaport.org
Volunteer registration
Submit your application through the mail or via email. You may submit your forms to info@fosswaterwayseaport.org or mail them to 705 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402.
Volunteer Registration Form
If you are submitting a paper application, please also download and sign a volunteer release form. You must sign a release prior to any volunteer activities here at the Seaport.