Hawaii Museum Internship and Volunteer Jobs

The Bishop Museum is dedicated to interpreting history and science with interactive exhibits and breath-taking displays. The museum offers internships in science and museum work that vary according to need by season (this fall is entomology but the deadline has passed). More info here. (Honolulu, O'ahu).

The Honolulu Museum of Art has a collection of fine art, sculpture, textiles, and prints from across the world, but with a featured collection of Asian and Hawaiian artwork. They post internships and jobs here when available.

The Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor features vintage military planes, flight simulators, and exhibits detailing the history of World War II aviation and battles. They welcome volunteers in guest services, education, airplane restoration, administration, and other departments. More info here. (Fort Island, HI - near Honolulu)

Shangri La, Dorris Duke's Islamic-style home that now displays her Islamic art collection, welcomes scholars-in-residence interested in studying Islamic arts and culture as well as artists-in-residence. Learn more here. The museum also holds symposia periodically. Learn more here. (Honolulu)

Other opportunities:

• Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archive (Honolulu)
• Lyman Museum and Mission House (Hilo, HI)
• Maui Historical Society and Bailey House Museum (Wailuku, Maui, HI)
• Pacific Tsunami Museum (Hilo, HI)

Check out other Hawai'i Museums on the Hawai'i Museums Association website. Looking for a change of scenery? Check out their job listings!

Quirky Museum Internships

Interested in volunteering or interning with a museum that's a little out-of-the-ordinary? Here are some lists of novelty museums throughout the U.S. and beyond to peruse. Many are on the lower budget side so don't have formal or paid internship programs, but if you have a particular field of interest that you'd like to pursue, such places usually rely on volunteer work!

• "27 Coolest Museums in America" on U.S. City Traveler: a collection of quirky, subject-specific museums throughout the US, most of which are lower budget though not all; if you're into oddities or collections of specific things, this is a great source
• "The 50 Coolest Museums" on Complex: (U.S., Canada, Finland, England, and France) highlights classier art and history museums with particularly noteworthy collections...very cool and helpful if you're looking for a world-class place to work!
• "51 Weird Museums Across the U.S." on Yahoo!: chooses a museum for each US state (and DC) that is noteworthy for its odd subject matter or intriguing exhibit or artifact on display 
• "World's Best Museums" on Air Canada enRoute: an array of noteworthy international museums with intriguing exhibits and breath-taking architectural designs as well as praiseworthy presentation and interpretation of their subjects
• "Canada's 8 Coolest Museums" on EscapeHere: list of some particularly gorgeous Canadian museums with incredible displays and exhibits
• "The Coolest Museums in London (You Never Knew Existed) on GoBackpacking: hidden gems with unique subject matter and gorgeous architecture in a truly remarkable historic city!

So whether you're looking for an internship, job, or vacation destination, explore away! I definitely found some places to put on my must-visit list...

Buffalo Bill Center of the West Internships and Fellowships (WY)

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West, located in Cody, Wyoming not far from Yellowstone National Park, is a much-praised museum dedicated to preserving various aspects of the history of the American West. It features several museums, dedicated to the history of the Plains Indians, firearms, natural history, Western art, and, of course, Buffalo Bill. The museum offers an extensive internship program in a variety of fields as well as conservation internships and a fellowship and research stipend program.

Internship Opportunity:

• Summer
• Upper level undergrads and grad students
• 10 weeks, 40 hours/week
• $10/hour for some internships
• Housing not provided but suggestions can be given
• Departments:
• Archives/Collections
• Firearms Museum intern
• Collections Management
• Conservation
• Raptor Experience intern
• East Yellowstone Raptor Initiative internship
• Education Tour Guide and Programming
• Firearms Records
• Graphics 
• Library Collection Management
• Photographic Objects Archival internship
• Plains Indian Museum intern
• Public Relations/Digital Media
• Records Management
• Registration
• Whitney Art Museum Curatorial
• Cover letter, Resume, Transcripts, 3 letters of recommendations, application
• More info here
• Additional info about conservation internships available here

Information about fellowships and research stipends can be found here. Fellowships regarding western art, Plains Indians, Yellowstone ecology, conservation and wildlife management, William Cody, firearms, Western culture and history can be proposed to the museum. Fellows must stay at least two weeks, make a presentation to the pubic on their research, and write a summary of their research. Housing and food is not provided. Deadline for submission is in late April (applying for the next year which extends from one summer to the next). 

Information about volunteering can be found here.