How Do I Be Come A Living History Tour Guide?

Check this blog post out. It's a Guide/Interpreter's overall experience of being one and stuff you need to know before becoming one.

It seems like it's really easy to get in.....if you know someone whose already employed as a tour guide.

https://www.thehistorylist.com/blog...e-and-what-to-know-before-you-apply-for-a-job
It is a whole lot more difficult, IMO, than this article makes it out to be. My mother was a tour guide at Colonial Williamsburg and Carter's Grove for over 20 years, beginning in 1966. She was paid by the hour and never mentioned any tips at all. Carter's Grove she was allowed to were a current fashionable trend in clothing, but in Historic Williamsburg she had to don whale-bone hips, a tight corset, floor length skirts with an upper bodice, era-contemporary shoes, and a small bonnet. These I think were provided. On her own time she went through hours of interpretive schooling and research of artifacts found within the buildings, as well as the general history of the buildings and intimate details of all and any guests and residents of the structures. There were fringe benefits for family, and many a time private tours and places beyond public admittance were allowed us. Every night for years she would sit in front of the TV and type reams upon reams of notes on all I mentioned above, and was required to take a test yearly on her knowledge and acumen. She progressed academically with seniority and pay over the years, and there was extreme in-house competition for placements and advancements. She retired close to seventy years of age, and the certain preference for beauty instead of accomplishment was always knocking at the door. The foundation can be looked up on line, surely, as well as Yorktown and Jamestown. Carter's Grove has changed ownership now I think, and rules may have changed in the last 30 years since she retired.
[Edit to add]: Thinking back on it, there was a common tip jar on-site in each building that would be divided among the guides at the end of the day.
Lubliner.
 
Last edited:
It is a whole lot more difficult, IMO, than this article makes it out to be. My mother was a tour guide at Colonial Williamsburg and Carter's Grove for over 20 years, beginning in 1966.

Thanks for sharing this inside view -- fantastic to hear that you got to grow up around this!

Roy B.
 
It is a whole lot more difficult, IMO, than this article makes it out to be. My mother was a tour guide at Colonial Williamsburg and Carter's Grove for over 20 years, beginning in 1966. She was paid by the hour and never mentioned any tips at all. Carter's Grove she was allowed to were a current fashionable trend in clothing, but in Historic Williamsburg she had to don whale-bone hips, a tight corset, floor length skirts with an upper bodice, era-contemporary shoes, and a small bonnet. These I think were provided. On her own time she went through hours of interpretive schooling and research of artifacts found within the buildings, as well as the general history of the buildings and intimate details of all and any guests and residents of the structures. There were fringe benefits for family, and many a time private tours and places beyond public admittance were allowed us. Every night for years she would sit in front of the TV and type reams upon reams of notes on all I mentioned above, and was required to take a test yearly on her knowledge and acumen. She progressed academically with seniority and pay over the years, and there was extreme in-house competition for placements and advancements. She retired close to seventy years of age, and the certain preference for beauty instead of accomplishment was always knocking at the door. The foundation can be looked up on line, surely, as well as Yorktown and Jamestown. Carter's Grove has changed ownership now I think, and rules may have changed in the last 30 years since she retired.
[Edit to add]: Thinking back on it, there was a common tip jar on-site in each building that would be divided among the guides at the end of the day.
Lubliner.

I was surprised by the qualifications one needed to be a park ranger myself. I finally decided to look it up, and there’s fitness requirements one has to do, such as run 2 miles or so under a certain time limit or something like that.
 
I was surprised by the qualifications one needed to be a park ranger myself. I finally decided to look it up, and there’s fitness requirements one has to do, such as run 2 miles or so under a certain time limit or something like that.
I believe I might have seen somewhere an NPS Ranger needs a college degree. @Gettysburg Guide #154 might have a clue!
Lubliner.
 
I am not sure what you mean by a "certified living history guide". I am a Licensed Battlefield Guide for the Gettysburg National Military Park. My license is under the authority of the National Park Service. Guides at Gettysburg National Military Park have been required to be licensed after a testing process since 1915. Indeed it is a violation of federal law to provide a tour on the Gettysburg battlefield in exchange for remuneration without a license.

I obtained my license in 2018. For me, the process to obtain a license began with a 6 hour written test in December of 2017. This was 3 hours in the morning of fill in the blanks (no multiple choice or true and false), and 3 hours of essays after a lunch break. The topics tested covered not only the Battle of Gettysburg, but also the Civil War as a whole, Reconstruction, and the history of the park and the guides.

The majority of the candidates were eliminated after the written test. The next step was an interview by two panels of Licensed Guides and NPS Rangers. The interviews were both non the same day and just a few minutes apart.

Having passed that, I then then attended a weekend seminar of sorts where, in addition to receiving instruction on guiding, a few short presentations were required to be performed. One such presentation on the field was on a subject provided in advance. Another was a brief talk based on a topic pulled out of a hat (mine was Josephine Miller). The team of Licensed Guides and NPS Rangers finds found my performance at the seminar acceptable.

for the final phase of the process I worked with a mentor to develop my own 2 hour auto tour covering all three days of the battle, including the action on Culp's Hill. The tour was then given to a Licensed Guide and an NPS Ranger, who pretended to be visitors with a back story of sorts. The tour had to time out at 2 hours (plus or minus 5 minutes) and adapt to the back story of the pretend visitors so as to somewhat personalize the tour. For example, I was told that my "visitors" were from Mississippi, so I included a stop at the Mississippi State Monument, even though that was not part of my planned tour. Two attempts are permitted on this last phase of the process (I confess I needed the second try.).

When I undertook the process, there were more than 90 people who sat for the written test. In the end of the day, 9 of us obtained licenses. The testing for new licensed guides is only done when the NPS decides that more guides are needed. No reliable source has indicated to me when the next class of guides will be tested for Gettysburg.

It is my understanding that the only other battlefield administered by the NPS where it issues licenses for guides is Vicksburg. Other battlefields have guides, but they are not licensed by the NPS. Other than my experience at Gettysburg, I have no idea what the requirements are to become a guide elsewhere.
 
When I undertook the process, there were more than 90 people who sat for the written test. In the end of the day, 9 of us obtained licenses. The testing for new licensed guides is only done when the NPS decides that more guides are needed. No reliable source has indicated to me when the next class of guides will be tested for Gettysburg.

Wow, very interesting to hear about this (and intimidating)! We should all admire you even more than we already do!

Roy B.
 
I am not sure what you mean by a "certified living history guide". I am a Licensed Battlefield Guide for the Gettysburg National Military Park. My license is under the authority of the National Park Service. Guides at Gettysburg National Military Park have been required to be licensed after a testing process since 1915. Indeed it is a violation of federal law to provide a tour on the Gettysburg battlefield in exchange for remuneration without a license.

I obtained my license in 2018. For me, the process to obtain a license began with a 6 hour written test in December of 2017. This was 3 hours in the morning of fill in the blanks (no multiple choice or true and false), and 3 hours of essays after a lunch break. The topics tested covered not only the Battle of Gettysburg, but also the Civil War as a whole, Reconstruction, and the history of the park and the guides.

The majority of the candidates were eliminated after the written test. The next step was an interview by two panels of Licensed Guides and NPS Rangers. The interviews were both non the same day and just a few minutes apart.

Having passed that, I then then attended a weekend seminar of sorts where, in addition to receiving instruction on guiding, a few short presentations were required to be performed. One such presentation on the field was on a subject provided in advance. Another was a brief talk based on a topic pulled out of a hat (mine was Josephine Miller). The team of Licensed Guides and NPS Rangers finds found my performance at the seminar acceptable.

for the final phase of the process I worked with a mentor to develop my own 2 hour auto tour covering all three days of the battle, including the action on Culp's Hill. The tour was then given to a Licensed Guide and an NPS Ranger, who pretended to be visitors with a back story of sorts. The tour had to time out at 2 hours (plus or minus 5 minutes) and adapt to the back story of the pretend visitors so as to somewhat personalize the tour. For example, I was told that my "visitors" were from Mississippi, so I included a stop at the Mississippi State Monument, even though that was not part of my planned tour. Two attempts are permitted on this last phase of the process (I confess I needed the second try.).

When I undertook the process, there were more than 90 people who sat for the written test. In the end of the day, 9 of us obtained licenses. The testing for new licensed guides is only done when the NPS decides that more guides are needed. No reliable source has indicated to me when the next class of guides will be tested for Gettysburg.

It is my understanding that the only other battlefield administered by the NPS where it issues licenses for guides is Vicksburg. Other battlefields have guides, but they are not licensed by the NPS. Other than my experience at Gettysburg, I have no idea what the requirements are to become a guide elsewhere.
That is a grueling procedure. You have good right to be proud of the accomplishment. How does this fit in with the museum; are they as stringent, or possibly even moreso I could assume due to relic rehabilitation etc.?
Lubliner.
 
I believe I might have seen somewhere an NPS Ranger needs a college degree.

Given the ratio of applicants with college degrees vs available positions, even if it's not a requirement it's probably realistically necessary.

I was advised about a decade ago that, due to veteran's preference, the first qualification for most NPS ranger positions in the 21st century is military service. That's probably not universal, especially for some of the more specialized positions like biologists/naturalists, but likely still true for the more general positions.

Young people interested in working with public lands should probably get an internship with AmeriCorps.

In general, whether you're interested in NPS, state parks, or a non-profit I would suggest if you have no relevant experience and no fancy degree, volunteering is a really good idea. "I'm a lifelong Civil War buff" is nice to be able to put on your application at a Civil War site, but they will care more that people "in the biz" can vouch for you as a good worker. Volunteering also increases the chances you will become aware of opportunities to stand out.
 
Last semester I did a paper on the qualifications needed to enter the archeological field.

To get jobs within the archeological community, you need at the very least a Bachelor's degree. Otherwise you get paid lower with a much longer time to advance in pay, your opportunities at good jobs is extremely constricted and when jobs come up (they are time sensitive in most cases) you're lower on consideration for them. That's only if you want to go a-digging. To teach, you need a PHD in any discipline that is associated with it, such as History.

I'm pretty sure that the same applies to anything within the historical field, whether it's Park Ranger, tour guide and so forth. Education very much still pays.
 
After retiring from the military and a stint teaching in a elementary school, I started volunteering at a historical site. I've had a life long interest in American history and immensely enjoy sharing it with others. After becoming a paid docent or tour guide, and doing that for six years, I decided to move to Gettysburg and live out my life here. I currently volunteer as a tour guide on a farm that is on the battlefield but not part of NPS property. Studying, a lot of reading, interacting, and the ability to tell a story are essential.
 
Hello everyone, I was wondering how do I become a certified living history tour guide ? I am very interested in becoming one but don't know how . Can anyone help me ?
Hello everyone, I was wondering how do I become a certified living history tour guide ? I am very interested in becoming one but don't know how . Can anyone help me ?
Would you mind being more specific? For example do you mean as a private guide on NPS property? As a guide at some specific historical site not owned by the federal government? As a means of income? Hobby?
Just need more info.
 
You may want to compromise on just being a tour guide, and doing occasional living history on the side. For whatever reason, institutions see living history as both expensive and potentially intimidating\confusing to visitors, so frequently they will be more interested in just having more "normal" guides, and on the rare occasions you get to do costumed interpretation you are doing a 3rd person presentation (in other words you speaking as your modern self, not as a person or character from the time period). If you have specific site in mind that already does costumed interpretation aka living history, and you already are familiar with the site then you should make good on the opportunity, because there aren't many. Being flexible will enhance your chances of finding other opportunities if this one should not work out.

Being a tour guide can be easy or hard depending on the level you want to enter at, much like any other job. I've been a tour guide, both as a costumed interpreter and a regular guide at several local sites, in paid and unpaid\volunteer positions. The requirements really depend on what site you are planning to work at. Generally, if the place uses volunteer tour guides the standards are quite lax. For my first tour guide experiences there wasn't much needed beyond reviewing a packet on the site history, being able to identify various artifacts, and shadowing a experienced tour guide for a while to learn the tour. On the other hand I've worked other places as a paid docent, amongst other responsibilities, which was akin to getting a job in any other field. If you have a degree in history, or are a student of history at the college level, then you have a decided advantage. If you are doing this to make money, know that your pay will be low and the positions are usually seasonal.
 
I applied for a management position for Brandywine Battlefield Park, a state park in Pennsylvania, and I failed the Civil Service Test. The state requires you take it and pass it before they even consider your resume and cover letter. I failed because it requires that you have experience working in museums, working in curating, and I think in my case experience in business of some sorts and management, since it was a management position.

From experience, the best thing to do is to target a site you want to work at, then reach out to someone there who's in a position to tell you what you need to do to get hired or get a position volunteering. It could differ based on whether the site is federal, state, local, or privately owned.
 
I applied for a management position for Brandywine Battlefield Park, a state park in Pennsylvania, and I failed the Civil Service Test. The state requires you take it and pass it before they even consider your resume and cover letter. I failed because it requires that you have experience working in museums, working in curating, and I think in my case experience in business of some sorts and management, since it was a management position.

From experience, the best thing to do is to target a site you want to work at, then reach out to someone there who's in a position to tell you what you need to do to get hired or get a position volunteering. It could differ based on whether the site is federal, state, local, or privately owned.
You may want to compromise on just being a tour guide, and doing occasional living history on the side. For whatever reason, institutions see living history as both expensive and potentially intimidating\confusing to visitors, so frequently they will be more interested in just having more "normal" guides, and on the rare occasions you get to do costumed interpretation you are doing a 3rd person presentation (in other words you speaking as your modern self, not as a person or character from the time period). If you have specific site in mind that already does costumed interpretation aka living history, and you already are familiar with the site then you should make good on the opportunity, because there aren't many. Being flexible will enhance your chances of finding other opportunities if this one should not work out.

Being a tour guide can be easy or hard depending on the level you want to enter at, much like any other job. I've been a tour guide, both as a costumed interpreter and a regular guide at several local sites, in paid and unpaid\volunteer positions. The requirements really depend on what site you are planning to work at. Generally, if the place uses volunteer tour guides the standards are quite lax. For my first tour guide experiences there wasn't much needed beyond reviewing a packet on the site history, being able to identify various artifacts, and shadowing a experienced tour guide for a while to learn the tour. On the other hand I've worked other places as a paid docent, amongst other responsibilities, which was akin to getting a job in any other field. If you have a degree in history, or are a student of history at the college level, then you have a decided advantage. If you are doing this to make money, know that your pay will be low and the positions are usually seasonal.
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience. I was a history teacher, no longer teaching but carried that over into volunteering for the National Park Service in a program called Trails & Rails. I do presentations on selected AMTRAK trains in NY. Usually I am in my Park Service volunteer uniform but for Veterans Day, I'll be dressed like 1917 and focus on WWI in my area while my partner will be dressed in a Union Army uniform and discussing the Civil War in our area. It was actually requested by the national coordinator of the program that we come dressed in period clothing. He had gotten a lot of positive feedback from Amtrak staff and passengers about our particular presentations on the history, geography, culture of the Hudson Valley. There is a lot of freedom in this program as we can pick what we want to talk about on specific trips. This will be our first year discussing the Civil War, railroads, and New York.
 
... My mother was a tour guide at Colonial Williamsburg and Carter's Grove for over 20 years, beginning in 1966. She was paid by the hour and never mentioned any tips at all. Carter's Grove she was allowed to were a current fashionable trend in clothing, but in Historic Williamsburg she had to don whale-bone hips, a tight corset, floor length skirts with an upper bodice, era-contemporary shoes, and a small bonnet. These I think were provided. On her own time she went through hours of interpretive schooling and research of artifacts found within the buildings, as well as the general history of the buildings and intimate details of all and any guests and residents of the structures...
My experience of one of these Williamsburg "guides" was not only disappointing to me but actually maddening. At the reconstructed Virginia Colonial Capitol building we were given a talk by what I presume was one such volunteer, clad in his buckle shoes, stockings, brocade suit, etc. From his neck up, however, things were a bit different... Short-cropped hair in a contemporary cut (no wig), modern glasses, and close-cropped BEARD!

If they made the effort to authentically costume the presenter WHY IN H*LL did he not look the part? Things would've been fine, had they only cut off his head - not a bad idea as far as I was concerned! Other touches were just as jarring: obviously FAKE "buckle shoes" on lesser park personnel like waiters; and we were seated in the tavern where we ate lunch right next to the swinging service door and its view of the modern, spotless kitchen with its tile, steel tables, etc., etc. While on the streets among the throngs of Japanese and other knobby-kneed tourists one could look in any direction and see autos being driven only a block or so away. What a joke!
 
Back
Top