The Docent: What is it? And why does it matter?

Students exploring the Slavery and Freedom exhibition through a docent-led tour at the Smithsonian.

Have you ever visited a museum and seen someone guiding a group, answering thoughtful questions about an artwork, or giving a talk about the collection? If so, you’ve likely encountered a docent.

Most people hear the word “docent” and think of a volunteer who gives directions. A docent is much more than that. A docent is a specialized educator at the intersection of history and community engagement. Understanding this role offers insight not only into museology — the study of museums — but also into the ways history is interpreted, shared, and experienced.

More Than a “Volunteer”

The word docent comes from the Latin docēre, meaning “to teach.” While volunteers provide support, docents play a central role in a museum’s educational mission.

The American Alliance of Museums defines docents as “trained educators who facilitate learning and dialogue in museum settings,” highlighting their specialized responsibility: shaping meaningful, memorable visitor experiences.

A Brief History

18th century European museum, cabinet of curiosities, docent with visitors, (1599). Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

The roots of the docent trace back to 18th- and 19th-century Europe. In early public museums, docents — often curators or scholars — acted as gatekeepers of knowledge. Their audience was elite and educated, and their authority derived from expertise. These early docents translated esoteric collections into narratives that could be understood by a select few.

By the 20th century, museums became more public and focused on engagement. The docent evolved from lecturer to facilitator, from gatekeeper to guide, creating experiences that invited visitors to interact with objects and ideas, rather than simply observe them.

The Modern Docent

The docent answers questions from children.

Today, docents are trained not just to deliver facts, but to help visitors construct meaning, connecting objects to prior knowledge, emotions, and personal experiences. They act as mediators between the artifact, the curator’s intent, and the visitor’s perspective.

Modern docents foster dialogue by asking open-ended questions, encouraging discussion, and creating space for multiple interpretations. They can present contested histories, discuss gaps in collections, and illuminate how narratives are created. In doing so, they teach both history and how it is interpreted and understood.

The Docents We Don’t Have

Many regional museums, including our own, operate with limited staff, so docent programs are rare — yet their potential is immense.

At the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum, a community-centered docent could serve as a cultural steward, bridging the gap between museum and community. Training would incorporate principles of public history, emphasizing shared authority and co-creation of narratives with local residents. Docents could interpret oral histories and connect quilts, tools, photographs, and religious objects to the lived experiences of the Delta’s African-American communities. They would not simply display artifacts; they would illuminate the cultural knowledge and resilience embedded in each item.

The Docent’s Potential

From academic gatekeeper to facilitator of dialogue and meaning, the docent embodies a critical, evolving role in museums. They are distinct from volunteers because of their specialized training, interpretive skill, and pedagogical focus.

While we do not currently have a docent program, understanding this role helps our community envision new ways to engage with the vital stories we preserve. It invites us to imagine how we might one day train storytellers to not just tell our history, but to foster deeper conversations with it.

If you’re inspired to help bring our collections and stories to life, learn how you can become a docent by contacting our museum director.