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  • Visit
    • TOURS
    • Accessibility
    • HOURS & LOCATION
    • BECOME A MEMBER
    • ADMISSION
    • GIFT SHOP
  • Exhibits
    • The German Immigrant Experience
    • Everyday Lives, Extraordinary Voices: Ruth Suckow’s Iowa
    • Shaped By Immigrants: Celebrating 250 Years of the United States
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Learn
    • GAHC From Home
    • Internships
    • Volunteer
    • Resources
    • Translation Services
    • Book Discussions​
    • Blog
    • Travel
    • Stammtisch
  • Events
  • About
    • About Us
    • Collections
    • DEAI Statement
    • Staff
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Newsletter
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
  • Private Events
  • Donate

Volunteer

Volunteer with us

Learn about the Museum

You can make a difference!

Explore our opportunities

Whether it’s greeting visitors, serving on a committee, or helping with special events, dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers are a vital part of the museum’s existence.

There are many opportunities to get involved at the German American Heritage Center and Museum. We’re always looking for friendly faces to help in the museum and with our many programs and events. Spend some time doing something you enjoy for the sake of our shared community!

Thinking About Getting Involved?
Share some basic contact information and what you are interested in volunteering for and we’ll be in touch!
Email Aaron Baker at [email protected] or call 563-322-8844.

Front Desk Volunteers

As a front desk volunteer, you’ll be the first to welcome guests to the museum! Take admission tickets, help with wayfinding, share happenings, answer questions, and assist with stocking items in our gift shop. This opportunity is available Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For questions and further information, please contact Aaron Baker at [email protected].

Special Event Volunteers

We rely on volunteers to help with our special events throughout the year. 

We host a variety of fun and fascinating events each year ranging from our annual Oktoberfest, Best of the Wurst, VW Car Show, Vendor Fairs, and more. Our events bring culture and community together while raising funds for the museum. These events would not be possible without the help of our volunteers.

For questions and further information, please contact Aaron Baker at [email protected].

Become a Docent

Looking for a new way to get involved? As a docent, you’ll help lead tours, engage with visitors, share the stories that shaped our community, and help preserve our history for future generations.

Training is provided.

To get started, complete our interest form here.

Join one of our Committees

We have numerous committees that are constantly working on new ideas to improve and make decisions on behalf of the museum. 

Participate in one of our many committees and bring your perspective and expertise to our organization. Committees typically meet every 8 weeks.

Our current committees:

  • Programming Committee
  • Building and Grounds Committee
  • Marketing Committee
  • Events Committee
  • Finance Committee
  • Governance Committee

For questions and further information, please contact Kirk Marske at [email protected].

Join our Board of Directors

Looking to be involved in a more meaningful way? Consider joining our Board of Directors to be a part of decision-making that makes a long-lasting impact on our organization. 

Join our board of directors and bring your diverse skill set and perspective to the GAHC+M. The Board of Directors meets every 8 weeks and makes strategic decisions for the short- and long-term sustainability of the museum.

For further information and a board application, please contact Kirk Marske at [email protected].

"Museums like the GAHC+M help bring people together on common ground, provide insight into the past, and allow for creativity and growth both mentally and spiritually.”
Lee M.
Lee M.
"Volunteering has given me the opportunity to be a part of living history and reminding people of the forgotten. History feels so much more real when you’re standing on or near the location where these events took place."
LaDella G.
LaDella G.
"Being involved in the program committee is a creative outlet. I get to brainstorm like mad with other people. Nothing's off the table. I can dream. I can make connections. I can learn. I can influence. I can support. I can admire. I can make a little bit of difference.”
Hedy H.
Hedy H.
"In addition to giving you purpose, you are learning new skills, meeting new people, and making a difference in an organization. The staff keeps me well informed, asks for input and ideas, and makes me feel valued.”
Donna P.
Donna P.
"Volunteering enriches one's life and provides a purposeful role in the community. The cultural enrichment that comes from volunteering promotes empathy and a deeper appreciation of civilization and our heritage.“
Chris S.
Chris S.

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German American Heritage Center and Museum

germanamericanheritagecenter

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Museum exploring the German immigrant experience and history of Davenport and Iowa!

Open
Guests Who Never Checked Out: Part 1, Viola Banderob
Content warning: death by s*icide

Viola was a widow who was staying at the Standard Hotel in 1953. She was lonely, had no living relatives, and was battling many health issues before she decided to take her life. We do not know much about her life and what she was experiencing personally, but it is a sad and unfortunately true part of our building’s history. At the time, there were not many resources available for people living with depression and it was taboo to talk about. We can only imagine her grief and struggles she was facing and have sympathy for her situation.

Guests Who Never Checked Out: Part 1, Viola Banderob
Content warning: death by s*icide

Viola was a widow who was staying at the Standard Hotel in 1953. She was lonely, had no living relatives, and was battling many health issues before she decided to take her life. We do not know much about her life and what she was experiencing personally, but it is a sad and unfortunately true part of our building’s history. At the time, there were not many resources available for people living with depression and it was taboo to talk about. We can only imagine her grief and struggles she was facing and have sympathy for her situation.
…

Open
👻 Is it haunted?? Find out for yourself on October 10th during our "Geisternacht" paranormal investigation of the former hotel-turned-museum. Tickets at $30 per person and include snacks throughout the night, plus access to a cash bar. All proceeds from this event support historic preservation and programming at the German American Hertiage Center and Museum. 
https://events.humanitix.com/geisternacht-paranormal-investigation-of-the-gahc-m 
Space is limited. Not recommended for children under 13. Anyone under 16 needs to be accompanied by an adult.

👻 Is it haunted?? Find out for yourself on October 10th during our "Geisternacht" paranormal investigation of the former hotel-turned-museum. Tickets at $30 per person and include snacks throughout the night, plus access to a cash bar. All proceeds from this event support historic preservation and programming at the German American Hertiage Center and Museum.
https://events.humanitix.com/geisternacht-paranormal-investigation-of-the-gahc-m
Space is limited. Not recommended for children under 13. Anyone under 16 needs to be accompanied by an adult.
…

Open
Purportedly based on a true story, The Lost One (1951) is a noir-inflected drama, told in flashback, about a doctor at a displaced persons camp haunted by his secret wartime experiments for the Nazis and his murder of his fiancée (and, subsequently, other women) out of jealousy or perverted patriotism. Remarkably bleak and unforgiving, Lorre’s film was not popular among postwar German audiences, who were not ready to confront the guilt and tragedy as a result of the Third Reich. 
You can see The Lost One (Der Verlorene) at the Last Picture House on September 30th. Get tickets online here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house-q2b9u4zv

Purportedly based on a true story, The Lost One (1951) is a noir-inflected drama, told in flashback, about a doctor at a displaced persons camp haunted by his secret wartime experiments for the Nazis and his murder of his fiancée (and, subsequently, other women) out of jealousy or perverted patriotism. Remarkably bleak and unforgiving, Lorre’s film was not popular among postwar German audiences, who were not ready to confront the guilt and tragedy as a result of the Third Reich.
You can see The Lost One (Der Verlorene) at the Last Picture House on September 30th. Get tickets online here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house-q2b9u4zv
…

Open
🏰 Your birth month = your German castle 
Selections based purely on vibes.

🏰 Your birth month = your German castle
Selections based purely on vibes.
…

Open
🇩🇪🍻 Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed Oktoberfest on Saturday. We transformed our 4th floor into a beer hall to stay in from the rain! 

Thank you to our volunteers, staff, and everyone who made this event possible. A very special thank you to our sponsors whose support makes it possible for us to bring exciting cultural events to the Quad Cities. 

PRESENTING SPONSOR: Zimmerman Honda
VIP SPONSOR: Koehler Electric
BEER TENT SPONSOR: KQCJ Planet 93.9 with Dave & Darren
SITE SPONSOR: Downtown Davenport Partnership
MUSIC SPONSOR: Tyson Foods
STEINHOLDING CONTEST SPONSOR: Pinnacle Country Club
PRETZEL TABLE SPONSOR: Quad City Bank and Trust
WATER SPONSOR: Hy-vee
Professional sound services provided by Bill Lilleman.
Thank you to The Textures and Die Musikmeisters for providing music throughout the day. 

Proceeds from this event benefit the German American Heritage Center and Museum's operations, programs, and community outreach. Thank YOU to our community for showing up and supporting cultural institutions in the Quad Cities.

🇩🇪🍻 Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed Oktoberfest on Saturday. We transformed our 4th floor into a beer hall to stay in from the rain!

Thank you to our volunteers, staff, and everyone who made this event possible. A very special thank you to our sponsors whose support makes it possible for us to bring exciting cultural events to the Quad Cities.

PRESENTING SPONSOR: Zimmerman Honda
VIP SPONSOR: Koehler Electric
BEER TENT SPONSOR: KQCJ Planet 93.9 with Dave & Darren
SITE SPONSOR: Downtown Davenport Partnership
MUSIC SPONSOR: Tyson Foods
STEINHOLDING CONTEST SPONSOR: Pinnacle Country Club
PRETZEL TABLE SPONSOR: Quad City Bank and Trust
WATER SPONSOR: Hy-vee
Professional sound services provided by Bill Lilleman.
Thank you to The Textures and Die Musikmeisters for providing music throughout the day.

Proceeds from this event benefit the German American Heritage Center and Museum`s operations, programs, and community outreach. Thank YOU to our community for showing up and supporting cultural institutions in the Quad Cities.
…

Open
One, Two, Three is Billy Wilder’s breakneck Cold War farce, set in a West Berlin where Coca-Cola ambition collides with communist bureaucracy. James Cagney stars as C.R. “Mac” MacNamara, a high-pressure executive whose plans unravel when his boss’s daughter marries an East German communist. Bribes, disguises, fake titles, and rapid dialogue follow as Mac races to make the scandal disappear. Filmed as the Berlin Wall was rising in 1961, Wilder’s comedy captures a city (and a world) divided by ideology, even as it skewers the excesses of both capitalism and communism.
See One Two Three on Wedensday September 23rd at @thelastpichouse at 6 pm.
Get tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house-q2b9u4zv

One, Two, Three is Billy Wilder’s breakneck Cold War farce, set in a West Berlin where Coca-Cola ambition collides with communist bureaucracy. James Cagney stars as C.R. “Mac” MacNamara, a high-pressure executive whose plans unravel when his boss’s daughter marries an East German communist. Bribes, disguises, fake titles, and rapid dialogue follow as Mac races to make the scandal disappear. Filmed as the Berlin Wall was rising in 1961, Wilder’s comedy captures a city (and a world) divided by ideology, even as it skewers the excesses of both capitalism and communism.
See One Two Three on Wedensday September 23rd at @thelastpichouse at 6 pm.
Get tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/film-series-at-the-last-picture-house-q2b9u4zv
…

Open
🥨 Oktoberfest Davenport
📍K-Square 119 E 3rd Street, Davenport
🗓️ Saturday September 19th, 2026
⏰ 12 - 7 pm
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION

🥨 Oktoberfest Davenport
📍K-Square 119 E 3rd Street, Davenport
🗓️ Saturday September 19th, 2026
⏰ 12 – 7 pm
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION
…

Open
🌭 See how the sausage gets made! (Kind of).

🍻 We’re still looking for volunteers for Oktoberfest Davenport to help make sure our event runs smoothly. No experience required! We are looking for extra hands to help with games, making pretzels, event experience, managing waste, and clean up. 

All volunteers get a free meal and two free drink tickets for helping out with the event. We have several shifts available from 11:30-3:30 and 3:30-7:30. Sign up online here: https://signup.com/go/ZoNdhni 

Call 563-322-8844 x105 or email aaron@gahc.org with questions.

🥨 Oktoberfest Davenport
📍K-Square 119 E 3rd Street, Davenport
🗓️ Saturday September 19th, 2026
⏰ 12 - 7 pm
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION

🌭 See how the sausage gets made! (Kind of).

🍻 We’re still looking for volunteers for Oktoberfest Davenport to help make sure our event runs smoothly. No experience required! We are looking for extra hands to help with games, making pretzels, event experience, managing waste, and clean up.

All volunteers get a free meal and two free drink tickets for helping out with the event. We have several shifts available from 11:30-3:30 and 3:30-7:30. Sign up online here: https://signup.com/go/ZoNdhni

Call 563-322-8844 x105 or email [email protected] with questions.

🥨 Oktoberfest Davenport
📍K-Square 119 E 3rd Street, Davenport
🗓️ Saturday September 19th, 2026
⏰ 12 – 7 pm
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION
…

VISIT US

German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802

HOURS

Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays
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German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802
Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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