Volunteer

There are many opportunities to volunteer to support our lighthouses and the 1905 Keeper's House Museum, and keep Great Lakes maritime history alive.

1905 Keeper’s House Greeters

If you live in the Alpena, Presque Isle, or Rogers City area, love the lighthouses, and enjoy talking to people from around the world, please contact us. This is a perfect opportunity for seasonal residents since the House is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Scheduling is flexible and training is provided. Join a group of people who share your enthusiasm for the Presque Isle Lighthouses and the 1905 Keeper’s House. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering in the Keeper's House, please email us at pilighthouses@gmail.org, leave a message at 989.787.0814, or complete this Interest Form and we will contact you.

Adopt-A-Highway and Adopt-A-Beach

Help us keep Presque Isle beautiful and clean!

Saturday, July 20, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
We’ll be doing a roadside cleanup of E. Grand Lake Rd. from Rt 638 to the New Lighthouse Park. Meet in the parking lot at Presque Isle Harbor Marina.

Saturday, September 21, 2024 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am
The Museum Society is participating in the Adopt-a-Beach program sponsored by the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Every year, thousands of Adopt-a-Beach volunteers come together to keep our Great Lakes beaches clean. Check in at Garrity Hall at New Presque Isle Lighthouse Park.

Volunteer holds a large deflated pumpkin balloon.

S.T. Crapo Lifeboat Restoration (2024)

Over the years, weather has taken its toll on the Lifeboat. The metal hull is in good condition, but the wood seats, gunwales, floorboards, rudder and other fittings are now deteriorated.

We are looking for volunteers with finish carpentry skills to help with the woodwork needed to do the restoration. We envision this to be a short-term project from mid to late summer and fall in 2024, using the original fittings as templates for new fittings. If you are interested and would like to learn more about the project, please call Dennis Norton, 734-395-4901.

Donations to the restoration of the lifeboat may be made by mailing a check, made payable to the Presque Isle Township Museum Society with "Crapo Restoration" on the memo line, to the Presque Isle Township Museum Society, P.O. Box 208, Presque Isle, MI 49777, Your donation can also be made using any major credit card via PayPal using the link to the left.

PITMS is a 501(c)(3) organization and is recognized as a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Michigan. Your gift to the restoration can be in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one.

WANTED: Keeper’s House Greeters

For lighthouse and Great Lakes maritime history enthusiasts, Presque Isle has much to offer, with its Old Lighthouse, Range Lights, New Lighthouse, and 1905 Keeper’s House. This summer will be the busiest ever at the Lighthouses with regular summer visitors and passengers from the 26 Viking Cruise Line excursion visits (see schedule below.)

Presque Isle Township Museum Society is recruiting volunteers to serve as greeters in the 1905 Keeper’s House Museum at the New Lighthouse from May through September.

If you love lighthouses and enjoy talking to people from around the world, this is the perfect opportunity to give back to your community. The 1905 House served as the residence for Presque Isle’s light keepers and later US Coast Guard personnel. Museum Society volunteers restored the house to its early 20th-century glory. Our greeters give each of our visitors a warm welcome and a brief introduction to the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family.

According to Joni Rogers, the Museum Society’s Volunteer Coordinator: “If you are looking for ways to meet others in the community and contribute a little of your time, this is the perfect way to do both. Whether you live here year-round or just for the summer, join with us and help us preserve, protect, and present the wonderful maritime history of Presque Isle.”

Museum Society volunteers are a close-knit, friendly group of people who enjoy working in a historic house museum, surrounded by antique furnishings and objects. Scheduling is flexible—volunteers select the days and shifts that fit their schedule. Training, coaching, and mentoring are provided. To learn more about volunteering in the Keeper's House, please email Joni Rogers at pilighthouses@gmail.org, leave her a message at 989.787.0814, or fill out this interest form.

If you would like to either volunteer or learn more about volunteer opportunities please complete this form and we will contact you.

Volunteer Interest Form