Naper Settlement was established in 1969 by a group of individuals who were interested in saving the Civil War-era St. John's Episcopal Church from possible demolition. The group, called the Naperville Heritage Society, was a grassroots effort of community members who raised the funds, both in cash and in-kind, to have the historic church transferred to the grounds of the Martin Mitchell Mansion. Read more about the history of Naper Settlement.

Naper Settlement creates community by connecting visitors to Naperville’s history through engaging, unique experiences. Volunteers are a vital part of our community and are invited to join us in a variety of ways.

Special Event Volunteers: 

Naper Settlement welcomes over 140,000 annual visitors through educational programming, outreach, school tours, and special events. 

2025 Annual Special Events:

• Naper Nights Summer Concert Series
• • June 20 & 21, 2025
  • July 18 & 19, 2025
  • August 15 & 16, 2025
• Oktoberfest October 3 & 4, 2025
• All Hallows Eve October 17 & 18, 2025
• Howlin' at the Moon October 24 & 25, 2025   (21 & over only)

If you have court mandated community service hours to fulfill, please reach out to us at nsvolunteer@naperville.il.us. Attach the order or letter you received at sentencing that includes the offense(s). We will not verify any hours completed until after you have been approved. 

The minimum age to volunteer is 16 years old. All minors signing up will be prompted to provide their legal guardian's name and email address for a waiver to be sent for them to electronically sign. Once signed, the minor can finish registering for their volunteer shift.

We invite you to join our volunteer community during any special event! Volunteers greet visitors, engage as part of the bag check team, check IDs, sell beverage tickets and more. Volunteers should be 16+.