When Ellen Whiting moved to Bath in 2015, the first neighbor she met insisted she visit Maine Maritime Museum. Ellen followed her advice and was impressed by the exhibits and buildings on what she calls “a stunningly beautiful campus.” She knew she would return again, at least at some point. But her neighbor had a vision and she encouraged Ellen to become a volunteer.

“History had not been my favorite subject in school, and I grew up in the Bangor area with little knowledge of the sea, ” Ellen said. She was admittedly skeptical until, by chance, she learned that her Scottish ancestors were in fact shipbuilders on Maine’s Midcoast!

That was the nudge she needed to attend a volunteer recruitment event, where she was absolutely captivated by maritime stories. Today, Ellen is not only one of our tour guides, where she enjoys telling the story of the historic Percy & Small Shipyard to visitors from Maine and beyond, she also helps train and onboard new volunteer tour guides, and serves as the chair of the museum’s Volunteer Council and liaison to the Board.

“I continue to learn about the influence of Bath on Maine’s extraordinary maritime history with a community of volunteers who have become friends.”

Interested in volunteering? We have a wide range of front line and behind-the-scenes volunteer opportunities at our internationally renowned museum.