How to Be a Historic House Tour Guide

As a historic house, the White House offers tours.

A historic house tour guide is a teacher, historian, researcher and customer service expert. Historic homes are those that once belonged to presidents, famous authors, artists and other people the public is interested in learning about. A historic house tour guide is responsible for providing accurate information to visitors about the home's occupants, answering questions about the past and guarding the antiques inside the house. Beginning tour guide positions are mostly volunteer, but there are some paid positions.

Instructions

1. Read about the history of the house and find out information about the time period in which it was built, what the surrounding area was like when the house was built, who lived there and for how long, and facts about the architecture and interior of the house.

2. Contact the historic home's education director for the most updated facts about the house. Most historic houses are owned by nonprofits and there will be plenty of information about each room of the house.

3. Train to become a tour guide. Some historic homes offer training for volunteers, while others require a more extensive program. The executive director or education director will tell you exactly how to become a guide, so contact them by email or telephone. If the home is owned by the National Park Service, then you will need to be employed by the National Park Service.

4. Accompany an expert tour guide on their tour of the house. Keep a pen and paper on a clipboard to ask questions and write down tips and notes.

5. Write down a sample tour outline of the house. For example, the tour could start in the house's kitchen, go to the sitting room, go to the parlor and then go upstairs to the bedrooms. Write down the three to five key things you will mention in each room.

6. Practice a sample tour with the education director or a friend, if applicable. Stay within the proper time allowed for the tour. Don't rush and speak clearly.

7. Take your first group of visitors on the tour. Start small, with five people or less. Establish the tour rules in the beginning, such as no touching parts of the house, no cell phones and no flash photography. Bring the tour outline on the clipboard and refer to it.

8. Answer questions on the tour. If you don't know the answer, admit you don't know and that you can check to find out. Speak loud enough so everyone can hear you.

9. Practice giving tours to different types of visitors, such as school children, seniors, club members, the general public and summer tourists. Keep reading about the house and increasing your knowledge.

Tips & Warnings

• Be mindful of visitors with disabilities or who need special care.

• Watch visitors closely throughout the tour to prevent touching, photography and theft.

References

• Becoming a Tour Guide: Advice from a Tour Director