Volunteer with Us!

Alexandria VA Cemetery Volunteers

Historic Congressional Cemetery needs your help! We have a number of amazing opportunities to help save this treasured place for people of all ages and abilities. Volunteer work keeps the Cemetery clean and secure as well as lively and well loved. Our volunteers put in thousands of hours of work each year. They accomplish tasks the Cemetery could never afford to pay for.

See all of our volunteer opportunities below

Volunteer Opportunities

K9 Corps

Are you a K9 Corps member looking to sign up for volunteer opportunities? Please click the link below:

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Adopt-a-Plot

When walking through the Cemetery, have you ever noticed a family plot bursting with fragrant lavender and rosemary or adorned with roses and lilies?  These are the thoughtfully planted Adopt-a-Plots cared for by generous volunteers.  Some volunteers are K9 Corps members, future residents, or even Capitol Hill residents interested in a venue to exercise their passion for gardening.

The Adopt-A-Plot Program is mutually beneficial as an outlet for creativity for volunteers as well as beautifying the Cemetery, adding bursts of color and a caring hand to areas otherwise forgotten as a result of the normal course of time and distancing of descendants.  Daniel Holcombe kicked off the program in 2014, and interest has continued to grow.

Gravestone Conservation and Grounds Work

Sign up for hands-on experiences to participate in restoration projects throughout the cemetery and learn techniques. Projects will consist of various repair projects such as gravestone cleaning, stabilizing, resetting, and landscaping.

As the volunteer day approaches, more detailed information will be provided based on project needs.

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Congressional Alexandria VA Cemetery

Photo Documentation

Those with photography skills (or really just a smart phone) are invited to help us catalog the gravestones in our cemetery to keep a visual record.

C.O.R.P.S.E Corps Historical Theater Troupe

C.O.R.P.S.E Corps is the name of newest project – a troupe for historical theater!

Although it might rotate based on the event, C.O.R.P.S.E stands for Company Of Residents Peacefully or Suspiciously Expired – as we will be portraying residents in our Cemetery and telling their stories, whether they be tragic, comical, inspiring or nefarious.

Whether you are an experienced actor, always have had a great time doing skits, or just enjoy telling people about history – doing historical theater is for you!
Are you interested in volunteering to act in our historical theater programs? Complete our application and let us know!

Alexandria VA Cemetery

Guided Tour Docent

We’re looking for history lovers who want to share their passion for the past and the Congressional Cemetery with the community. HCC docents fill a vital role in the Cemetery by giving guided tours. No previous background in history or cemeteries is required. Anyone interested in storytelling and sharing history with visitors are welcome to become docents. Volunteer docents deliver guided tours at 11 a.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays, April through October and for scheduled groups. A formal training  session and tour shadowing are provided and required.

Special Events

Special Events are fun but they also take a lot of hands to pull it off. We host a number of events each year to bring our neighbors into the Cemetery that might not visit otherwise. In addition to generating revenue, this also helps to increase our identity and provide service to our community. There are jobs for every ability level and range from check-in table to 5K “Haunters” at Dead Man’s Run. We need goat wranglers and ID checkers, tour guides and bartenders – there is something for everyone!

Events include (but are not limited to): Soul Strolls Twilight Tours, Goat Yoga, Day of the Dog Festival, Cinematery, Dead Man’s Run 5K, John Philip Sousa’s Birthday Celebration and more!

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Volunteers Alexandria VA Cemeteries
Volunteer Arlington County VA Cemetery

Group Projects

Do you have a group looking for a service project? Look no further! We would love to host your group for a whole day or just a few hours. We have a number of grounds projects that require many hands to make light work.