Volunteers

Volunteers Make a Difference!

Harkness Memorial State Park, an historic landmark property, is greatly enhanced by the labor and expertise of our many Friends of Harkness volunteers. State staff levels at the Park are inadequate to meet Harkness’s complex set of needs. For close to thirty years, the Friends have supplemented staff efforts to protect, promote and preserve this special place and could use many more volunteers to better park visitor experience and to educate the public about the compelling history of the former Eolia estate. Your help will make such a difference! Please consider volunteering for one of our many committees.


Please Join With Us As Friends of Harkness Volunteers!



  • Meet new people and make lifelong friends
  • Derive satisfaction from accomplishing something that truly benefits all our citizens
  • Have some fun in one of Connecticut’s most beautiful public spaces


If you have a few extra hours a week or month to help us, contact one of our Committees directly via email information@friendsofharkness.org

  • Horticulture Volunteers

    • Work in the various gardens
    • Work in the greenhouse in winter to propagate plants to use in the park
    • Maintain the farm orchard that has heirloom varieties of apples
    • Do the fall garden clean up
    • Do grounds maintenance- removing vines and invasive plant material, trimming hedges, installing deer fencing
    • To volunteer contact horticulturalchair@friendsofharkness.org

  • Special Events Volunteers

    Special Events Volunteers are needed for both fund raising and FOH member events:


  • Docent Volunteers

    Impress your friends and relatives with your knowledge of the Eolia Mansion,  and become a Docent!


    You get a “behind the scenes” look at the mansion and the life of Edward and Mary Harkness.


    Walking through the mansion will take you back in time as you enthusiastically share stories of  the Harkness’ life in their Waterford summer home.


    You decide when you can docent and make your own schedule.


    No previous experience necessary, training is provided—a group training and refresher is done each spring; as well as individual training.   No need to memorize, you are given a “script” to follow as you head tours inside the mansion.


    Docents are needed to lead tours every Saturday and Sunday  from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 10 AM to 1:30PM.  If you can do one Saturday for an hour or every weekend for 3 hours, it’s totally up to you.


    Contact Docent Coordinators at docent@friendsofharkness.org

  • Gift Shop Volunteers

    • To work at the Friend’s Gift Shop on in-season weekends
    • To help process online purchases for shipping
    • To volunteer contact giftshop@friendsofharkness.org

  • Budget and Finance Committee Volunteers

    • Prepare a yearly budget in consultation with Committee chairs
    • Review FOH expenditures for services rendered
    • Evaluate FOH accounts
    • Make recommendations for investments of funds
    • Approve budget expenditures and reimbursements

    To volunteer contact budgetfinancechair@harkness.org

  • Other Volunteer Opportunities