Volunteering at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda

Volunteering at the Museum

Do visions of carrousels dance in your head? Do you enjoy meeting new, interesting people? Would you like to preserve local history and contribute to the community?
Then we have a wonderful opportunity for you in one or more of the following areas:

Ride Operator: Run both the full-size 1916 carrousel and the 1930s kiddie carrousel. Ensure an educational and safe ride for all visitors. 1916 #1 Special Carrousel operators must be 18 or older. Kiddie Carrousel operators must be 16 or older. Run the 4 rides in our new Kiddieland Testing Park exhibit. Helicopter operators must be 18 or older; operators for the other 3 rides must be 16 or older.
Docent: Guide tours for children and adult groups and interact with walk-in visitors throughout the museum to interpret the factory’s history.
Special Events: Assist various events as Halloween Spooktacular, Lantern Tours, Santa on the Carousel, Birthday parties and other events.
Maintenance Crew: Help the museum with upkeep and maintenance activities, including carpentry and painting. Mondays and Fridays 9AM-1PM.

Do You Need Volunteer Hours for School?

You have to be 16 or older to operate the Kiddie Carrousel, boats, car ride, and pony carts.

You have to be 18 or older to operate the big carrousel or the helicopters.

We will take volunteers under 16 for special events, such as Halloween Spooktacular and Santa on the Carrousel, as long as the volunteer is accompanied by an adult. For volunteers under 16 please speak with Director Ian Seppala at [email protected] or 716-693-1885.