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Lakeshore Keepers relies on volunteers to serve at our lighthouses, including welcoming visitors, managing tower climbs and gift shop sales, and doing light cleaning in and around the lights.
There are two types of Volunteer Keeper opportunities: resident keepers and day keepers. Resident keepers serve for a minimum of one week at a time at one of the lights and receive onsite housing in exchange for their service. Whereas, day keepers typically live locally and volunteer for a half to one day at a time to fulfill roles at the tower, gift shop, or special events.
Additionally, we periodically have volunteer opportunities throughout the year. These may include helping at events or with restoration projects.
At Lakeshore Keepers, anyone 18 and older is welcome to volunteer. No special background or expertise is required.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life, including school teachers seeking a summer adventure, retirees eager to share their time and experience, families looking for a week of service together, college students seeking hands-on community service, and those who love the lights and the lakeshore.
You don’t need to be a history buff or know every detail about our lighthouses. We’ll teach you what you need to know and even provide a handy tip sheet. What matters most is your enthusiasm and willingness to provide an exceptional customer experience to our visitors from around the world.
Resident volunteer keepers are scheduled six days a week for approximately eight hours per day.
They’re responsible for a variety of tasks, including welcoming guests, providing historical interpretation, selling tower climb tickets and gift shop merchandise, stocking merchandise, performing general household cleaning, and light grounds maintenance. Every volunteer receives video training prior to arrival and an on-site orientation.
2027 Volunteer Application opening date will be announced soon!
Applications are accepted year-round and processed in the order received. Please note that applications submitted without a current Lakeshore Keepers membership and required materials are considered incomplete. All memberships are non-refundable.
Volunteer Keeper schedules are created beginning in November based on the order in which completed applications are received. Members who submit a volunteer application in the fall can expect to receive their assignments throughout the winter. Those who submit their application packets later may not be guaranteed placement due to the complexity of scheduling and the high demand for our lighthouse keeper program. They will be placed on a waitlist in case of a cancellation during the season.
All resident volunteers must submit a Resident Keeper Fee payment upon receiving an assignment. The Resident Keeper Fee is $30 for an individual volunteer keeper and $50 for a couple. This helps Lakeshore Keepers cover residence insurance and essential necessities, including toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies. A Resident Keeper Fee payment is only required once per season, even if you’re assigned to multiple lighthouses or tours.
If you’re ready to volunteer with Lakeshore Keepers, take the following steps!
Please find the Volunteer Keeper schedule for all five lights below. When applying to volunteer, you’ll be asked to select your preferred dates.
Tours run Monday to Monday in the summer season and Wednesday to Monday in the fall season. Some weeks (e.g., readiness and shutdown crews) start and end on different days, so be sure to check the dates before you select your tour preferences. Big Sable and Little Sable have a different schedule regarding arrival and departure times from other lights. Readiness and Shutdown Crews’ duties include, but are not limited to, maintenance projects, cleaning of the gift shop, residence, and tower.
Volunteering for two consecutive weeks is an option, depending on availability. However, two straight weeks at Manistee and White River are not available, but you can volunteer at one light for one week and at another for another week.
Day keepers are needed to fill shifts at the lights, help with events, and more. They typically live locally and volunteer for half to one day at a time.
