Mission | Volunteer Resources

Museum Engagement Mission

Historic Denver’s Molly Brown House Museum presents tours, exhibits, and programs about the Margaret “Molly” Tobin and J.J. Brown family, as well as the history and cultural traditions of the Denver region. The Molly Brown House Museum’s mission is to explore the dynamic between this history and the present day, so that together we are engaged citizens shaping a stronger community for the future.

Although entertaining, most popular media representations of Margaret Brown, including The Unsinkable Molly Brown play and movie, are not accurate depictions of J.J. and Margaret Tobin Brown’s story, western history, or the Titanic disaster.

Our vision is to be a place for the study of inclusive, accurate history, and to thoughtfully provoke dialogue about that history. We strive to enlighten audiences about the facts of the Browns’ story and the events of their lives to give truth to inaccurate views of the past.

To achieve this purpose, we critically examine sources in order to distinguish myths from historical facts, and we encourage open discussion about the content and context of these representations using the evidence from historical reality.

We hope you leave today with a better understanding of the facts of the past, and find your own inspiring connection to the story of J.J. and the “unsinkable” Margaret Tobin Brown family.

Public Engagement Core Values

Our voice is inherently active and inviting. We use a confident and energetic tone in our communications (both visually and in words), we encourage people to be a part of our experience. We speak to our audiences with clarity and use the following principles to guide our voice:

Be Loud & Clear – We use simple words and sentences to connect our audiences to the content. Consider the content as well as the context for its use and how it will be conveyed. Use the most relevant language to maximize the effectiveness of an idea.

Inspire Participation – We pull our audiences in and help them participate in our experience. We inform and educate them about the richness of our community’s history. We lead them through the content, guiding them to the information that will be most helpful and inspiring to them.

Be Friendly, Clear & Relatable – We convey information in a way that suits each and every situation. Under certain circumstances, our tone might be informal and entertaining. In other scenarios, we might adopt a manner of formality. Under all circumstances, remember to connect with our audience by being friendly, clear, and relatable.

Be a Good Host – Be welcoming to all and engaging to a more diverse audience. Anticipate the future needs of our guests. Act on insights from customer experience feedback.