Walking Tour Guide

Position Description

Walking Tour Guides will act as welcome center staff and deliver existing tours. You will assist visitors with information and tickets, and guide them along the C&O Canal, teaching them about stops along the way. This is a great opportunity to engage families, adults, students, and special audiences with the history of the Canal in Georgetown! Perfect for a background in history, education, theatre, museum studies, or outdoor recreation!

This position is anticipated to be seasonal (24-32 hours per week/ weekend work required) through October/November while walking tours are operational.

Responsibilities

• Deliver daily walking tours Wednesday – Sunday:
  • Using the provided tour outlines and materials, learn the content of the tour and be able to deliver it to a wide-ranging audience, and make in-the-moment adjustments as needed.
  • Facilitate engagement with audiences.
  • Answer visitor questions about the tour content, the C&O Canal, and Georgetown
  • Ensure visitor safety and comfort during tour
• Deliver pop-up interpretive programs such as boat tool show-and-tell, lunch-and-learn, and others to be developed with the Executive Director and NPS staff
• Staff the Visitor Center:
  • assist visitors via phone, online, or in-person
  • ensure visitor center is clean and tidy
  • oversee visitor center volunteers
• Coordinate with National Park Service staff on issues related to Visitor Center or towpath access/safety
• Provide daily reports to the Executive Director
• May have the opportunity to work additional evening hours to support special events
• May have the opportunity to work with GH and NPS staff to develop additional tours and programs

Qualifications

• Experience, training, or interest in history, education, and/or the arts
• Previous experience delivering tours or other public speaking is preferred
• Customer service experience, including familiarity with POS and/or ticketing systems is preferred
• Ability to operate a computer, tablet and smartphone
• Must be reliable & punctual, able to commit to work shifts (8 hrs. per day, 4-5 days a week, weekends required) and dedicated to excellent customer service.
• Must possess physical capabilities to conduct walking tours:
  • being outdoors for most of the day including in inclement weather
  • walking up to 2 miles per tour on unpaved trail surfaces and going up multiple flights of stairs
  • lifting up to 40 pounds
  • Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.
• Must consent to and pass a criminal background check
• Must have proof of COVID-19 Vaccination, and maintain up to date CDC vaccination requirements