Specific Internship Opportunities with PA Historical & Museum Commission
Internships are available in a wide range of disciplines and professions represented by the Commission's programs:
Pennsylvania State Archives: Internships can involve the acquisition, arrangement, description, and preservation of historical government records and private manuscript collections; the creation of web-based finding aids and user guides on particular subjects; records management, including the development of retention and disposition schedules and records appraisal; research; and education and reference services. For further information contact Kurt Bell, Archivist, at kubell@pa.gov.
The State Historic Preservation Office, located in Harrisburg, is offering internships with the National Register Program; community preservation and education initiatives; historic building rehabilitation programs; archaeology programs, including the Federal Government's Section 106 review; Geographic Information System (GIS) development; and various grant programs offered by PHMC. The purpose of these internships is to orient students to state and federal historic preservation programs and, specifically, to engage them in conducting research and planning, developing content and public programs, and creating web-accessible and printed educational materials for the agency's annual history themes. For further information contact Jean Cutler, at (717) 705-4035 or jecutler@pa.gov.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania: Internship opportunities can include working with curators on a variety of research and exhibition projects; collections care and management; graphic design; and the development and delivery of educational programs. Because The State Museum embraces both natural and human history, internships may be available in the fields of archaeology, fine art, geology and paleontology, and zoology and botany, as well as community and domestic life, industry and technology, military and political history, general history and popular culture.
Executive Office: Internship opportunities are available in marketing, promotion, and website development; with the press and legislative affairs offices; and, on occasion, agency management.
Historic Sites and Museums: Internship opportunities vary widely at PHMC's twenty-five historic sites and museums, but generally include some combination of planning and delivering interpretive programs, including exhibits and tours; collections documentation, care, and management; research; and operations and visitors' services. Specific historic site opportunities include those described below.
Drake Well Museum (Titusville) General duties include guiding school tours; providing site and history orientation for visitors; supervising hands on activities and demonstrating period crafts. Specific projects depend on site needs and intern interest/expertise, but focus on three areas—education, marketing and caring for collections. Education projects include developing special weekend experiences for families; interpreting exhibits in our Mobile Energy Education Training Unit. Marketing includes writing press releases and creating brochures. Curatorial projects include assisting with relocation of collections, assisting researchers, writing articles for newsletter and organizing petroleum history research files. Contact Barbara Zolli, Historic Site Administrator, (814) 827-2797 or bzolli@pa.gov.
Ephrata Cloister (Ephrata) Unpaid internships are available in many areas of the site's operation, and can be tailored to the student's interest and experience. Opportunities include program development and implementation; research; education; curatorial; visitor services; and marketing and communications. Contact Elizabeth Bertheaud, Historic Site Administrator, (717) 733-6600 or ebertheaud@pa.gov.
Erie Maritime Museum (Erie) A variety of both full and part-time internship opportunities are available in such areas as research and oral history, exhibition development, program development and delivery, visitors' services (including giving tours of the museum and the US Brig Niagara), graphic arts and design, public relations, and marketing. Internships are unpaid but can be tailored to the interests and needs of the intern and may be taken for credit or to fulfill service requirements. Contact Walter Rybka, Site Administrator, at wrybka@pa.gov.
Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (Lancaster) Internships are available in many areas of the site's operation, including curatorial, visitor services/interpretation, and retail. Contact James Lewars, Historic Site Administrator, (717) 569-0401 or jlewars@pa.gov.
Old Economy Village (Ambridge) Internships in the curatorial department are available; job description will be tailored to fit the museum's needs and the intern's areas of interest/expertise. Internship opportunities in the education department will also be available. Contact Sarah Buffington, Curator, (724) 266-4500 or sbuffingto@pa.gov.
Pennsbury Manor (Morrisville) The museum offers several paid and unpaid opportunities including the Alice Hemenway Memorial Internship, an internship for a person planning a career in museums. Internships, which are tailored to student interests and experience, can focus on museum education, program research, historic horticulture/living collections, or some combination of all. Contact Mary Ellyn Kunz, Museum Educator, at mkunz@pa.gov or (215) 946-0400.
Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum (Scranton) The intern will present guided tours at both the Anthracite Heritage Museum and Scranton Iron Furnaces. Additionally, the student will assist in the planning and implementation of other educational programs and events such as Arts on Fire, Children's Summer Camp, and Lithuanian Heritage Day. The intern will also learn about and practice Museum Store work, as well as visitor services. There will also be opportunities to be involved in other aspects of museum and historic site operations. The work plan will be developed with respect to the needs and interests of the intern and the institution. Contact Chester J. Kulesa, Historic Site Administrator, (570) 963-4804 or ckulesa@pa.gov.
Pennsylvania Military Museum (Boalsburg) The museum seeks students for unpaid internships from May through August. The selected applicants will assist the museum staff in a variety of tasks including research projects, staffing the information desk, conducting site surveys, and providing visitor services on weekends and holidays. Contact Joe Horvath, Museum Educator, at (814) 466-6263 or jhorvath@pa.gov.
A Preservation Trades Apprenticeship Program (Summer Only) is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) to introduce students and recent graduates of post-secondary trade schools, technical colleges and other training programs to the preservation and traditional building trades needed to preserve Pennsylvania's historic places. Contact Joe Lauver at (717) 787-6242 or jlauver@pa.gov.
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (Strasburg) The museum is recruiting for a Collections Intern, who will perform a variety of tasks working with the museum staff. Primary work (40% of time) will be in collections cataloguing, with additional special projects in exhibition development, library/archives, and other areas to round out the experience. Contact Brad Smith, Curator Supervisor, (717) 687-8628 ext. 3013 or brasmith@pa.gov.
Washington Crossing Historic Park (Washington Crossing) The site is seeking a Collections intern to work on a variety of curatorial tasks. The intern will spend the majority of their time working with the curator on the collections inventory. Other tasks will include projects in exhibit upkeep, collections management, and other assorted projects. Contact Kim McCarty, Curator, (215) 493-4076 or kimbmccart@pa.gov.
For further information on our internship programs, consult our Internship Overview page. For general information about the PHMC, return to www.phmc.state.pa.us.
Specific questions about the internship program can be directed to:
