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Map of
515 Shaw Ave
Ferndale, CA
95536

The Museum, as a non-profit organization, runs almost entirely on volunteer support.  We are lucky to have many dedicated and enthusiastic community members as part of this volunteer effort, and we always welcome new help. 

Here are several volunteer opportunities. If you would like to volunteer, or to learn more about any of these opportunities, please call or e-mail Director Don Andersen, 786-4466

Greeters: Volunteer greeters typically spend one or two afternoons per month greeting guests, tending the gift shop and guiding small groups or individuals around the Museum.  We appreciate it if volunteers can commit the following times once or twice monthly:
                        Tuesday-Saturday: 12 -4 pm    Sunday: 1 -4 pm

School Tours: The Museum is also in need of volunteers to guide school tours. These events are pre-scheduled and take place on weekday mornings during the school year.  Retired teachers are often wonderful leaders of these types of tours, but anyone interested is welcome to volunteer. 

(Left to right: Carol Bess, Pat Meinhardt, Pat Christensen, Ann Roberts, Donna Richardson)

The “Back Room” Volunteers:  For decades, a dedicated crew of volunteers has staffed the “back room.” In past years, Dorothy Anderson, Evelyn Whitney, and Ann Ghidinelli catalogued the accessions, set up filing and reference systems, and created displays. Today’s Crew includes: 

• Patricia Meinhardt, who has done file updates on homes, families, obituaries, businesses, churches and schools since 1990.    
• Carol Bess joined the team in 1992; she accessions all donated items. 
• Ann Roberts came into the back room in 1993 – and does not restrict her volunteering to Mondays. Her career as a librarian has brought a unique point of view and depth of professional research to the projects she has undertaken for the Museum and the community, from individual genealogies to the most recent organization of the historical cemetery tour – a volunteer effort that often looks to be full-time.  With Carol Bess, and retired volunteer Beryl Newman, Ann researched and wrote the Ferndale edition in the series Images of America.
• Ann’s husband, Rob, has donated thousands of hours to scanning and organizing the Museum’s collection of over 6,000 photographs and family albums, as well as conducting, with Jerry Lema, daily updates on the seismograph.
• Mary Bobbitt brought her computer knowledge to the Museum in 1997, and has made a major contribution by entering years of accumulated information into the computer files.
• Jeanne Mendes has been working with donated materials – most recently archiving a collection of personal correspondence among members of the Russ family – since 1995.
• Patrice Christensen came aboard in 2003, followed a year later by Donna Richardson in 2004. Donna, as the only backroom volunteer native to Ferndale, has been a trove of anecdotal information on old families and businesses. Donna researches and puts up new displays.

Currently the back room staff complement is full, but if you are interested in being contacted when there is an opening, please send your information to The Ferndale Museum, P.O. Box 431, Ferndale, CA 95536 or Museum@Ferndale-Museum.org.

The Victorian
Village of Ferndale

Humboldt County Visitor Information

Ferndale Museum

Tours and school groups welcome!
Corner of Shaw and Third Streets: 515 Shaw
707-786-4466
FerndaleMuseum@gmail.com

Hours
Wed. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sun. 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
plus Tues. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., June 1- Sept. 30

We welcome your visit February through December.
(We close the month of January for maintenance and restoration.)